Advocate Art would like to tell you a little bit more about Sally Garland, one of our most popular illustrators. Her colourful, quirky style is perfect for children’s book illustration and greetings card illustration and has been popular with many of our clients. Read on to learn more about Sally’s history and background or visit her portfolio to see more of her work.

I was born in Hereford, England then my parents moved up to the Highlands of Scotland when I was three.

I grew up in a small town called Alness which is near Inverness in the Highlands. I then moved down to Edinburgh to study before settling in Glasgow where I live today with my partner Ronnie and our son Johnny.

According to my parents, at the age of four I was very inspired by Rolf Harris and in true Rolf style my first really good drawing was a large mural in crayon on their sitting-room wall.

I studied Illustration and Graphic Design for four years at Edinburgh College Of Art.

I love a lot of French illustrators such as Delphine Durand, Marc Boutavant and the Belgian artist Vincent Mathy.

I like the subtle observations in their work which is often very humorous and understated. There is a quality in their illustration that really captures the ‘very busy doing stuff’, chaotic nature of childhood – the little mishaps children have that makes us smile as adults.  I think like most children’s illustrators it is the observation of childhood and the imaginative world that children inhabit that is a continual source of inspiration.

I also love vintage illustration and the work of illustrators such M Sasek, Alain Gree and Lewitt-Him.

I would describe my work as slightly quirky and whimsical.

I use both traditional mediums such as acrylic paint and pencil as well as digital packages such as Illustrator and Photoshop.

I’m primarily a children’s illustrator although I work  part-time as a graphic designer which is a source of steady income and also gives me a good understanding of the printing process and producing artwork commercially.

I’ve been enjoying a lot of the digital work I’ve produced recently as it is a very quick and immediate way of working, giving a spontaneity to my work particularly when I’m able to combine it with other methods such as pencil drawings and painted textures.

I enjoy reading with my book club, watching movies and walking.