Jacqueline Bissett

Since graduating from Epsom College of Art and Design in the 1980s, Jackie has been illustrating magazine articles, billboard advertising, book covers and jewellery brochures, with her work also appearing on scarves, handbags, bed linen, bathroom accessories and kitchenware. She has helped houses like Thomas Sabo to establish their brand identities, and today is a leading live illustrator working at events and ceremonies around the globe.

Approach

Jackie often uses photographic references when she does her sketching, bringing elements together to form her final composition. She takes photos everywhere she goes, for later use, and updates her palette according to what’s on the catwalk.

Styles

Jackie has two styles. Her watercolour style sees splashes of colour bled onto a wet page. Black lines are added to give the forms stronger definition, for a playful and quickly executed finish. Her second style is collage, using Letrafilm to transfer blocks of colour onto the page, building the illustration from shapes and lines and augmenting the image with Pantone pens.