INTERVIEW
Worlds of Imagination with Alice Bowsher
As an illustrator Alice wears many hats, working on all kinds of projects from branding to advertising, editorial to book publishing and everything in between. Her work is multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary, however one thing that runs through everything she does is her sense of fun and the unique, playful characters she creates (human or otherwise).
Over the years Alice has developed many characters to call her own that pop up in her work again and again in different guises. They form part of her illustrative voice, a world of characters each with their own personal attributes intuitively used by Alice to reflect the right tone for the right moment. But as well as those used in commercial work, there are a few special characters that tell unique stories that she uses for her own projects.
We spoke to Alice about her journey into character creation, what makes them inarguably her's and what's next in the illustrative world she's created. We hear about the first ever character she had published at 13 years old, as well as goofy bears, fun loving birds and much more!
How would you describe your work as an illustrator?
I would describe my work as being very honest, I find joy in making marks and experimenting with different characters and textures. From the outside in I can imagine it must look as if I’m drawing a lot of the same thing all of the time but for me it’s part of something a lot bigger.
Basically, I like to think I am the centre of this universe I’ve created. That sounds extremely grandiose but I feel like all the work I create is building a world around me. As a person who is very indecisive and generally easy going, I like to have some sort of control in this world I am making and the characters that live in it.
Since I can remember I have always been fascinated with loosing myself in imaginary worlds. I once (when I was 10) made a whole town out of cardboard boxes (think Andy in Toy Story) for my Pound Puppies that took over my entire bedroom. I got really caught up in minute details, such as the branding for the fast food restaurant and even tiny worksheets for the school. I did have friends, I promise.
Alice Bowsher painting with ink in her studio.
How did you get into character creation?
Just very naturally I think. I have always been a fan of characters and the worlds other people create. I love Tove Janssen’s Moomins, Dick Bruna’s Miffy, Richard Scarry’s Busy World, and Charles Schulz’ Peanuts. I have always drawn characters for myself, and sometimes am brave enough to share them with others.
The first character I really found as my own was ‘Gassy Cat’ who would fart on enemies until they passed out. I had a couple published in our village newsletter till they decided it wasn’t really to their taste. I also went through a phase (I think I was about 13) of drawing a badger with a flat back in birthday cards instead of signing my name. Neither of these things were conscience efforts to create a fun character, I was probably bored and just trying to be a little different.
I can very easily get obsessed with things and consumed by something's cuteness, I had a pet hamster a couple of years ago and she literally became my muse. I love animals and can get a lot of inspiration from their character's and quirks. It’s so important to interact with your subject in real life rather than just scrolling through cute instagram images. I remember watching the special features at the end of my Lion King VHS where the animators were drawing real lions to create the Lion King characters, and being completely mind blown at how they could watch these real animals and turn them into characters with such a strong likeness, yet make you feel like you were in a completely different world.
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It doesn’t work out if you over think it. They just seem to happen, and actually it’s something I’ve only just come to realise.
– Alice Bowsher
Alice Bowsher's plain dog and little fat hamster
Do you have a creative process? How do you decide what their personalities will be and do they evolve over time? Do they have names?
Again, it’s a case where it doesn’t work out if you over think it. They just seem to happen, and actually it’s something I’ve only just come to realise. I always go back to a fun loving bird, a boring white dog with black ears, a big friendly goofy bear and a little fat hamster.
Their personalities come from the context I use them in. The bird springs to mind when I have good news to share, or something exciting happens. The goofy bear comes out when something is a bit uncomfortable. Feeling cute? Bring out the hamster! And if I’m really stuck it’s time for the white dog with black ears.
They’re still always changing in the way they look and I am constantly tweaking them, just little things like the way I draw an eye or some feet. At the moment I still feel like I’m perfecting how certain characters look, and changing them a lot, I think I need to let go of thinking that once I’ve drawn them a certain way that’s it and they can’t be changed. Looking at old episodes of The Simpsons, or seeing the first iterations of Minnie and Mickey or the Moomins are good reminders that they can change over time and still be the same.
None of them have names actually, perhaps they will naturally find names of their own.
You are often asked to create characters for brands or campaigns, is this a different process?
I think people are drawn to using my characters because they bring ideas and brands to life. If you want to appear like a fun loving company, what’s more fun than sticking loads of illustrated friends everywhere. They give instant personality.
I try and keep away from using my favourites for commercial projects. Just because I feel quite protective over them. Maybe from the outside they all look the same but I have some that I really feel like are just for me, and I want to keep them for projects of my own.
Alice Bowsher's fun loving bird
Is there anything you find challenging about working with characters?
I love a cute critter and love drawing them, but a challenge I really enjoy is making a less desirable animal into a loveable character. When Cicada approached me for Fly Flies, it took a long time to perfect Fly to keep her simple yet adorable. And on a similar note I find drawing really cute animals hard because they’re perfect already. There's not much room for change!
Alice Bowsher's development sketches for 'Fly Flies'
And finally, what are you working on at the moment?
I’m delving more into the world of writing children’s books. I have had a few published but
I’m trying to get into the thinking process a little bit more and make the stories richer. I am really trying to push myself to create this world and get to a point where I can happily share it with others.
I feel like it’s something that's been a long time coming, and will take a while to piece together but it’ll happen. I have started doing a small online course on children’s book writing, trying to push myself into that way of thinking and creating.
Alice Bowsher's goofy bear
About Alice Bowsher
Alice creates joyful illustrated characters and large scale murals, full of imagination and intrigue. She has illustrated a number of children’s story books, and her clients include Bloomsbury Publishing, SoulCycle, ANNA Money and Boden.
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