In Conversation With Becca Hall

We had the pleasure of chatting with Becca Hall, an illustrator best known for her enchanting, nature-inspired art. From her earliest memories of painting as a child to her journey of turning a passion for illustration into a thriving career, Becca shares insights into her creative process, inspirations, and the challenges she faced along the way.

What are your earliest memories of art/creating?

I feel like I have been painting since I could hold a paintbrush! I have memories of painting at the kitchen table in my apron as a child, making illustrated notes about being too ill to go to school, and creating my own little membership card for a raccoon fan club that I made - sadly I was the only member!!

How did you get started in illustration, and what has your journey been like?

I never really felt very clever at school and always favoured creative subjects like art, design, drama and writing (in English). I was told I wasn’t bright by maths teachers, and never got good grades in science, and have since discovered that I am dyslexic which is what made learning those academic subjects much harder. I always loved the expression you could give in the creative subjects, and how you could show your personality and talent without a ‘right or wrong answer’. I always LOVED illustrations that told stories so from an early age I knew I wanted to do illustration as a career. Once I knew that, it didn’t really matter what I got in science!! I worked hard at all the creative subjects I loved, and got a place at Manchester School of Art after my gap year, which only enhanced my love for illustration. After uni, I got a job for two days a week at a coffee shop and then at my family business while working as an illustrator the rest of the time. At the end of 2018, I was able to make the leap and go full time as an illustrator.

What brought you to Bright?

Wearing ALL OF the hats is really hard in a business, and I was finding myself spending more time on promoting myself/answering emails/negotiating contracts than I was illustrating. I knew I had reached the maximum I could as a one-woman band, and wanted to grow and get in front of those bigger clients. I had always had Bright on my mind as an agency - I had applied a few years before but wasn’t accepted (which I totally understand now as my portfolio was not strong enough!) and then tried again after working a lot on my style and portfolio in 2021 and was accepted!

Who or what has been your key influences as an illustrator?

I know you must hear this all the time, but growing up I was always in awe of Quentin’s Blake’s work. His lines look effortless and the character he is able to give is so magical. It’s impossible to look at his work without grinning! I wanted to be able to give that feeling to people. Along the way, I was also inspired by Catherine Rayner for her beautiful printmaking, Helen Oxenbury for her illustrations in We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, and Raymond Briggs for his utterly stunning use of pencil textures and colour, and Sue Lewington for her wonderful talent of capturing the world around her.

Where are you from and how does that affect your work?

I am originally from the Lake District, but have been living in Cornwall for the last four and a half years. I think the Lake District is my reason for loving countryside animals and the stories that live inside my head! My Granny and Grandad lived in the Langdales, and Granny would often make up stories about the squirrels, foxes and badgers in their wood which has always inspired my work. However, living by the sea is where I have always felt like I belonged. We have visited Cornwall every year since I was four years old and there is something so magical about this place that I knew this is where I had to be. The sea and its rugged coastline, sheltered harbours and abundance of wildlife is a constant inspiration for my work.

Walk me through your creative process. How do you approach a new project/brief?

I love to think about the layout to begin with. Once I have read all the notes and seen any references given, I’ll often start in my sketchbook and scribble down some possible ideas - either for the character, page spreads or the whole book idea. It really helps my ideas flow when I can quickly go from one thumbnail to the next and not really worry about if it’s neat or correct, as I can envisage what it will look like in the end and if it will work. Once I have something I am happy with, I will sketch out a neater and more detailed rough to be approved before I work on finals and add colour.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

Ohhh! Good question! I think I feel most at flow when I feel more accustomed to the characters and style of the project. When I just start out on a new project, I am figuring out colour schemes, characters, style, setting etc, which is all really creative and wonderful. But when I feel like I really KNOW the character and story, I just want to see more of their journey. It all just feels natural and flows out onto the page! That’s my favourite part, as I see it all coming together and it’s so exciting!!

How did it feel to see your work in the world for the first time?

AMAZING!! Walking into somewhere like Waterstones and seeing your book standing proudly on the shelf is a feeling that will never get old. But the very first time I saw my work in the world was way back in 2015 when I illustrated a full area of the Stockport Story Museum. I was invited to the opening. It was incredible seeing all the work I had created from my little desk, now printed on massive panels around the room! They had even made a full costume of the mouse character I had made!

How do you continue to develop and refine your skills?

I am constantly working in my sketchbooks and on my iPad on my own personal projects. This gives me a chance to develop, try new things, improve and grow. Without this constant background work, I think I would still be stuck in the same place as I was when I left uni - using only watercolour and pen and afraid to try anything else! I also sign up to workshops and talks by the Orange Beak Studio, as there is always so much more to learn! Chatting with other creatives and researching others online is also a great way to develop skills as they may inspire you to try something you hadn’t thought of. Being an illustrator is so far from being sat by yourself, simply hoping to get better!

What does a typical day in the studio look like for you currently?

My day always starts with a cup of tea and a list! I always need to get all my ‘to dos’ out of my head and onto paper so I can stay organised and also get the satisfaction of crossing things off! On Mondays I tend to try and get all my admin for the week done - sorting my accounts, replying to Patreon’s messages and comments, sending orders and replying to emails. I feel like it removes a lot of clutter from my brain so that for the next few days I can get stuck into creative work. Obviously, there are times when I have to do admin bits along the way, but it’s always refreshing knowing that most of it is sorted for the week. Then the rest of the week’s work will depend on deadlines - what is more urgent to do etc. I make sure I get out to walk the dogs every day to be in nature and exercise, and if the surf is good and my list isn’t too long I go out in the water! I love being in the sea as it’s the best reset before getting back into work - it’s almost a form of meditation as you are switched off from work and phone pings! Surfing all depends on the tides so if I have taken some time off in the day, I will often work into the evening to make up for it so I don’t get behind on anything.

Do you have any ‘dream projects’ you’d like to work on someday?

YES! I have a few stories I would LOVE to get published, but they aren’t quite ready yet… I would also love to bring out non-fiction children’s books that are attractive to ALL children - including those who suffer from dyslexia, to prove anyone can learn if they are taught in the right way. I can definitely see a series of my own books happening at some point and I’m determined to make it happen! 😊

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring artists, what would it be?

Just one!? Gosh! I would say that if you want to become an artist or illustrator, get ready to work hard! You can do it, but you have to believe in yourself, push yourself and really give it everything you’ve got. It may look like a quaint job where we sit and paint and drink tea (which we do!) but it also involves long days, late nights, endless stress, back pain, wearing multiple hats, never switching off, being an accountant and a social media expert, tears, giving up holidays and weekends, spending all your savings on pencils or that new iPad, failures and getting turned down again and again. However, it is the BEST job in the whole world!! You get to use your creativity everyday, never get bored, meet other creatives and be part of this amazing community around the world, make things that others are inspired by/learn from, tell stories, be your own boss, see life and stories and character in everything around you… and sit and paint and drink tea! So do it, you won’t regret it - just be ready to work hard because it’s anything but easy. I have a mantra on my wall of my studio saying ‘she believed she could, so she did’ and I live by it!

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To work with Becca, get in touch with her agent Amy Fitzgerald here.