Kate Snell — Map & Architecture Illustrator, UK

English artist Kate Snell specialises in creating beautifully engaging illustrated maps for her clients, but her talents don’t end there. In fact, they go right off the chart! She is equally comfortable illustrating people, plants, animals, food and drink, portraits… and she’s a phenomenal architectural illustrator too.

This versatility is what clients love about Kate. It also makes her a great choice for visual identity projects or any campaign that requires a wide range of consistent imagery across several illustration categories. Kate’s inspiration goes all the way back to watching Art Attack on British TV. Later, she took her skills to professional level with a degree in Illustration from Falmouth University, graduating in 2013. Some of her favourite influences include block and screen printing, tropical plants, Mid-Century Modern patterns and interiors, and the illustrator Charley Harper.

Approach

“All of my work is digital, beginning in Procreate and ending in Illustrator. I always begin by establishing the most important visual cues that will make what I’m drawing instantly identifiable. This could be the entrance of a building or the shape of a dog’s nose,” says Kate.

Styles

Flexibility is Kate’s key strength – she adapts her style to each brief, shifting between looks that are detailed and textured to more graphic-based compositions depending on the project. However, touches of playfulness can be seen across her portfolio.