Artist Interview: Phoebe Dee

Phoebe Dee is an emerging Freelance Illustrator who is based in Brighton, England. Within her work she specialises in pastels, creating playful character designs! She graduated in 2023 with a BA in Illustration from Falmouth University and from then has took social media by storm with her colourful pastel artworks!

We had the pleasure of asking a few questions, delving into her world of playful pastel art! 

Phoebe Dee - Degree Show

'I love the heavy texture and small irreplicable mistakes that come with drawing traditionally, it gives movement and personality to whatever you are drawing.'

Phoebe Dee

'I would say to anyone wanting to try out pastels to test out a few to see what type of pastels you are interested in. They all behave differently and each one will change the way you draw in a different way as you adapt to be able to draw, layer or blend with them.'

Phoebe Dee

Q: We love your use of colour and the playful nature that your work conveys! How/where do you find your inspiration?

I find a lot of inspiration in the artists, video games and films that I love and keep lots of art books to browse through when I am looking for general colours or subjects I want to explore. I also love the colours, shapes and movement we find in plants and animals and am always inspired to draw when I am around my pets.

©Phoebe Dee

Q: What is your favourite thing about working with pastels?

I love the heavy texture and small irreplicable mistakes that come with drawing traditionally, it gives movement and personality to whatever you are drawing. I also find that pastels in particular make me feel like a kid again and are a great way to play with colour.

Q: What is your favourite type of pastel and why?

I choose to use wax pastels the most because of the way they can layer on top of each other and still be fun and playful without creating too much of a mess, because I am already way too messy!

©Phoebe Dee

Q: You previously mentioned how you used to work digitally before you found a love for pastels, would you consider combining both methods or adding more digital methods back into your practice

I love to combine traditional and digital art and am always looking for the right balance between them so as to polish my art without taking away its personality, but I find this quite a difficult balance to achieve.

Phoebe's Procreate process

Q: How did you find your personal style?

I've been through many phases with my art style and intend to keep it growing and changing over time. I don't shy away from making ugly drawings in my sketchbook and over time I use any successful experiments to inform my polished artworks and add to my library of what I can draw. As I keep focusing on generally creating shapes and textures that I enjoy making and feel good about, the small details of how I actually draw come naturally along with that.

Q: Could you tell us some fun facts people may not know about you?

I love the Zelda series so much that my family cats are named Link and Zelda, but my absolute favourite character is Midna from Twilight Princess. Those games are super nostalgic for me and my siblings and are a big inspiration for my art. I am also really interested in tattoo art and culture and often consider planning for an apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist some time in the future.

©Phoebe Dee

Q: Do you have any advice to artists who are thinking of trying to work with pastels?

I would say to anyone wanting to try out pastels to test out a few to see what type of pastels you are interested in. They all behave differently and each one will change the way you draw in a different way as you adapt to be able to draw, layer or blend with them. I also think it's a good idea to start with buying a smaller amount and building up your collection over time. This way they are a bit less intimidating and expensive and you'll find specific colours that you are really well aquanted with. Working with a limited colour palette is a great way to practice good composition and colour balance, too.

Q: Thank you so much for your time and knowledge! We would love to know what you are currently working on/ do you have any exciting future plans in the making?

At the moment I am focusing on making new art prints and stickers for my shop and patreon. I am also working with Print Social to come up with fun t-shirt campaigns in which a portion of the profits are donated to charity. Projects like these allow me to keep challenging and practicing my art, so I am grateful to be able to spend my time that way.

©Phoebe Dee

Be sure to follow and find out more about Phoebe Dee:
Instagram: @phoebe.illustration
Website: www.phoebedee.com

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