Hollie Fuller for Ace & Tate

Your characters are a lot of fun, with distinctive details that feel individual to you. How did this style develop?

HF: It was quite a natural process of trying loads of different things, drawing people in every possible way until something clicked. I can actually pinpoint that moment, which is funny looking back now. In my second year at uni I did quite a long project about Oliver Sacks. I’d drawn him as a character so many times in different ways and he sort of developed throughout the project, with his glasses and little eyes and big ears (even though his ears were actually very normal sized!). I don’t even think about the ears anymore, they just happen. Maybe we have Oliver to thank for that.

Extracts from Hollie's Oliver Sacks project

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Do you gravitate towards particular topics or themes in your illustration work?

HF: I think there’s always an element of something real within my work. There’s quite often a lot of observations of real life, lots of interactions between people and things. Mostly really mundane stuff that I find interesting – taking the everyday and turning it into something that’s fun and playful and relatable.

Everything begins with character, that’s what I’m most inspired by and what I enjoy the most. Finding ways of depicting people, exaggerating limbs and proportions but keeping those elements that make the characters mine.

I really love making work about real people, spending time doing research and properly delving into a person’s life, and exploring that through those characters and narratives.

Hollie Fuller for ZEIT

You also use collage and other mediums from time to time. Is this experimentation important to you?

HF: I think it used to be, definitely. That experimentation with collage taught me a lot about shape and texture, which I now translate digitally. I enjoy different mediums for different reasons. For me I think that different projects can lend themselves to a certain medium, like my Henry Moore project was perfect for collaging with handmade textures. It’s easy to forget how much you enjoy making things with your hands when it’s so convenient to make things digitally.

Hollie Fuller for the Hepworth Gallery, Wakefield

Where do you see your work going next, is there anything you would like to try, any dream clients you’d love to work with?

HF: There’s so many directions I’d like to go in, which is terrifying! I’m dying to make more wooden characters and maybe work on another narrative project.

All of my dream projects encapsulate my love of character and things with a dash of storytelling. I’d love to work with more art galleries and museums, like Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Tate. And with the small publications that I love, like Anorak and Frankie.

What do you like to do when you’re not creating illustrations?

HF: I’ve been reading a lot recently, finally giving my book shelf the attention that it deserves, and going on walks with my dog, Bruce. He’s a rescue Staffie/Sharpei cross and is the most precious old man.

When the country isn’t in lockdown, I enjoy green walks and art galleries and cake with pals.

Hollie Fuller for the Art Fund

View Hollie's Portfolio

About Hollie Fuller

Hollie creates character illustrations with a playful edge featuring distinctive details, and taking inspiration from real people and everyday interactions. Her clients include Ace & Tate, NYT, Hepworth Gallery and more.

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