Today we're chatting to Carla McRae, AKA The Paper Beast. We first stumbled across Carla's work via her blog - some skate wallpaper caught our eye! Since then we've been following her progress on Instagram and for an emerging illustrator we think she's doing everything right. If you are starting out, read on!
Tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your blog?
I'm a freelance illustrator and designer based in Melbourne. My blog is a bit of a visual diary that I've kept for a couple of years filled with work, sketches, ramblings and the odd selfie.
What got you into illustration?
I've been drawing for a while... As a kid I spent most afternoons after school and holidays crouched at the coffee table in our family living room scribbling for hours. As I grew up I didn't really stop and it wasn't until I discovered the work of people like Beci Orpin and Rinzen in high school that my eyes were opened up to the possibility of illustration as a career. While studying graphic design at uni I was still just bumbling along and found myself incorporating illustration my assignments at any chance I could. My tutors supported this and over the time I've been freelancing the illustration work has been finding me more frequently than classic graphic design jobs.
What are some of your goals this year?
Make more tangible objects. Meet more amazing people around the place and collaborate more. Hopefully work with more studios. Possibly travel! And to get better at juggling the life / work thing.
What advice would you give students starting out?
If you're at uni, make sure you extend your "studies" outside of the campus. Attend events, read magazines or journals for fun, make an effort to socialise with and find like-minded people. You never know who you'll meet and what they'll go on to do or where your next job will come from. Practice making the kind of work that you love and dream of being paid to do, chances are if you stick at it someone will pay you for it in the future.
Where you are based, and how do you think that affects your outcome?
Funnily enough, I think if my online platforms stated that I was based on the Sunshine Coast (where I studied and moved from) I doubt that at this stage I would be getting the same volume of work or opportunities. Melbourne conjures a certain image in the mind and has that reputation for being the creative capital, and I think that affects the work I get in a positive way now.
Where to find The Paper Beast online.
https://thepaperbeast.com.au
