Hello!
I'm Hollye Murphy, an illustrator and surface pattern designer from London, UK. I don't always look as cool as this>>> but if you're illustrating yourself, you may as well go all out!
I create joyful, day-making designs. I love to juxtapose sketchy but detailed, hand-drawn illustrations with bold geos and I'm obsessed with layering. If it feels right, I throw a bit of paint in too - and I love using unexpected colour palettes.
This results in expressive, quirky designs, rich with textures, layers and thoughtful details to create complex pieces that are both delicate and striking. Each design evokes my love for warm colours, often popping with something bold or unexpected.
Often described as ‘magical’ or ‘dreamlike’, my collections usually begin in my head when I get an idea for an item in my own home. Follow this up with an inspirational walk through urban nature in my London surroundings, and the stories for the collections seem to start writing themselves. I have a soft spot for maximalism and eclecticism, but I have a few calmer pieces too.
My work is available to license or buy, and I'm open to accepting commissions and collaborative ideas. And I really love to chat, so make my day and send me a message on hollye@hollyemurphy.com
A FEW EXAMPLES OF MY SIGNATURE STYLES...
Simplifying detailed gauche or watercolour through vectorisation and combining with penwork and textures I've created from my own photography, I add layers upon layers of design.
I don't always include paint; I also like to focus on detailed pen drawings that I then colour digitally, and combine with yet more layers and textures.
Sometimes I leave the pen and keep my paintings detailed in Photoshop, but layering and texture remain as important as ever!