Manjit Thapp on the emotional energy of illustration
After her first book was published, we talk to Manjit Thapp about using illustrations as a means of expressing emotions and how she creates her distinctive artwork using a combination of analogue and digital media
It's easy to get fixated on Manjit Thapp's work. Whether she's illustrating fashion shows or creating Wes Anderson fan art, her ability to create moody scenes and populate them with fascinating characters has highlighted her practice in the saturated landscape of illustration and earned her high profile assignments from Tate, Apple, and ITV in the process .
Thapp grew up in Birmingham and always considered himself one of the artistic kids in school. As she got older, of course, she became passionate about drawing. “When I started high school, I took drawing seriously and quickly became quite obsessed with it. My best friend was really good at drawing, she would draw all the time, so I got into it more and wanted to improve, ”she tells CR.
An affinity for pencil drawing developed into illustration as she learned more about career opportunities in the creative industry. "When I was in school I didn't think I knew too much about illustration, I saw it as pure art," she says. “Then when I went to different universities and courses, the illustration courses seemed to be the best fit for my job. I liked the different options it offered, like book illustration, editorial work, branding – it felt very broad. "