Laura Greenan — Psychedelic Illustrator, London

“I don’t do subtle,” says the London-based illustrator Laura Greenan. And if you take a peek at her portfolio you’ll instantly know it’s true. Her artwork is full of life and colour, with wild curves, bold shapes and imaginative compositions – psychedelia for the digital age that really grabs the viewer’s attention. Laura’s style is influenced by her background in graphic design, and you can see that in her strong use of geometric shapes, typography and a touch of patterning. But she became an illustrator to break new boundaries and that’s what she does with each commission. While she works she listens to all kinds of music, and 1960s tracks are her favourite. She also takes inspiration from computer games and Pixar movies. Two of Laura’s favourite artists are James Jean and Peter Max. When she’s not working she loves watching sport, and in future she’d love to visit Japan to soak up the culture and take inspiration from the country’s design scene.

Training

Laura did a foundation course in art and design at Newbury College, and then an HND in Graphic Design & Illustration at the Kent Institute of Art & Design, which is now part of UCA.

Approach

Taking an intuitive approach to each piece, Laura first researches the subject, then plots out her composition using thumbnails. She loves to explore unique compositions, finding new ways to express ideas with bold shapes and colours. Once she’s planned the artwork, she completes it in Adobe Illustrator using a graphics tablet.

Key Software

Adobe Illustrator

Style

‘Gooey Pop Art’ is how Laura’s style is sometimes described, with hints of Art Deco, Art Nouveau and 60s psychedelia. Full of graphic forms, her work has a spontaneous feel to it. She likes artwork to be fun to look at, and fun to create, and it shows.