Matt Saunders is a London-based illustrator taking people to mystical new worlds with his beautiful, ethereal drawings. We chatted to him about his methods and inspiration, as well as his most recent project involving a very famous wizard...
Tell us a bit about your background
I am a commercial illustrator based in London with over six years' experience. Some of my clients include Modest Mouse, Blink 182, Marks and Spencer, HSBC, HarperCollins, and Universal Records.
Do you have a motto?
"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." Jack London
What are your top five most visited websites?
Lately I’ve been more into podcasts, my current favourites are:
Tell us more about your Pottermore project, how long were you working on it for?
When they first approached me I think I almost spat out my coffee, and I didn't expect it to go anywhere. After a few mock ups I got the gig though, and I knew exactly where I wanted to take the project as my work and the wizarding world are a perfect fit. I think it was just under six weeks time-wise, which made it very intense figuring out the illustrations. It was a really amazing project.
What was the Pottermore brief?
To provide 24 illustrated scenes working in depths of three layers. The scenes needed to take into account screens for devices such as tablets and smartphones, which altered the composition greatly.
What was it like reimagining the Hogwarts School Crests?
Incredibly daunting! The brief wasn’t to change them, only to match them to my style. They had to be seen by a lot of people to get signed off though. I also couldn’t reference the WB films in any way, which was creatively much more freeing.
Do you prefer online or print media?
I am open to anything that can communicate an image, but I find online allows me to deliver things a lot quicker and when it leaves the screen it looks exactly how I want it too. That said, I love print media. That’s why I take on gig posters and it's always awesome to see my artworks framed, I will never get over how great a feeling that is.
How would you describe your approach to illustration?
I have two different styles: One is my pen and ink work and the other is my children’s illustrations which are painted out. I love being able to swing between styles and whilst they are different they have similar tones and themes. I just love taking people on an exploration of new worlds.
