David Downton

One of my personal favourite illustrators is the amazing David Downton. Born in Kent, England in 1959 and choosing to complete a BA hons. in illustration and graphics, it was only after the Financial Times in 1996 commissioned him to draw the couture shows of that year, that he became known as a fashion illustrator.

Above - Twiggy ; Below - Erin O'Connor

Since then he has drawn some of the world's most influential fashion icons such as Twiggy, Erin O'Connor, Linda Evangelista and Catherine Deneuvre and has been employed by commercial clients like Paloma Picasso, Tiffany & Co, Dior, Chanel, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and the V&A Museum.

Personally one of the most favourite attributes to his technique is his play on positive and negative spaces.

Stroke of amazing style............

Botanical Beauty

Any women loves being given a bouquet of flowers. Personally my favourite is just a bunch of one type of flower in the one colour. Simple, classic and clean. Somehow I still always end up with a bunch of Oriental Tiger Lillies. Anyway thats a story for another day.


One fascination I have always had is with botanical illustrations. There is such a whimsical side to them, a part of history, full of colour or delicate strokes of charcoal. They always make me ask, where was the illustration done, what type of artist are they. Is it about art or for scientific purpose.


Maybe next time instead of buying flowers I might just buy a frame to put some of these beautiful botanical illustrations up on my studio wall.

Illustrations from:

Masterpieces of Botanical Illustration by

H.Walter Lack