Sarah Beetson — Live Event Illustrator, Australia

The British-Australian illustrator Sarah Beetson is an artist whose work is all about immediacy, and the fizz, sparkle and splatter of her imagery fits perfectly into the natural spontaneity of a live drawing scenario. She has a talent for capturing unique human faces and forms through beautiful line work, and watching her hands move, hearing her pens make their instinctive marks, adds to the experience at corporate events, fashion launches, weddings, parties and more.

With over 20 years’ experience illustrating for major brands, Sarah is a fixture in the fashion industry. Working live, she creates both portraits for event guests and full-length fashion drawings and can vary the offering between live sittings or use photos to create mementos they can come back to collect. Sarah’s live drawing skills bring a unique quality to events, engaging guests and giving them something to keep and remember, and to share on social media. She’s based near Brisbane and is open to work across Australia and internationally.

Approach

Using fineliners, gel pens and copic markers, Sarah can create quick portraits in approximately five minutes and full-length images in eight. Adding splashes of acryl gouache, metallics and textured paint takes a little longer but results in a more exciting piece.

Style

Colourful and effervescent, Sarah’s art always feels of the moment. Her linework gives it realism and structure, while its colour and finishing add a fun, naïve feel to it. Working live, her style is free and fluid – even more immediate than her fashion commissions.