Alxndra Cook — Anime-Inspired Lifestyle Illustrator, London

Alxndra Cook is a London illustrator with a style that’s unique and refreshing. There are hints of anime and manga influences, yet her line work is slight and minimal, often eschewing detail so that her compositions can really breathe. Her lines, forms and colours are suggestive rather than definitive, allowing the imagination of the viewer to fill in the scene.

By following this approach, Alxndra hits home with her client’s narrative or messaging in subtle, beguiling, emotive ways. Like the art itself, she is always open to ideas, attentive to a client’s needs and friendly and fun to work with, from mid-grade book illustration to fashion, editorial, travel and more. Alxndra became an illustrator after studying in surface design at the London College of Fashion. Patterns and print making are part of her repertoire and there is a hint of magical surrealism in her work as well. This could be due to her love of myths and legends, particularly those arising from Japanese culture. Fashion, photography, music, reading, movies, mindfulness and travel all feed her creative muse.

Approach

Alxndra constantly collects images for inspiration, drawing on her iPad to develop imagery – typically using bespoke colour palettes refined for her illustration work.

Key software

Procreate.

Style

Contemporary, feminine, soft and subtle, the impact of Alxndra’s imagery comes as much through what you don’t see. Her style is rare and individual, and each image she creates has an atmosphere all its own.