Twillistration

Tania Willis : Illustrator & Mapper

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I spent a beautiful day in The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh @rbgedinburgh exploring the Chinese Hillside, drawing the different bamboo species there ( yes, they do actually manage to grow them this far north!) & being filmed doing it. I’ve been working with the amazing @artpartners_ in Hong Kong & Edinburgh on a interesting project in Shanghai. I'll post a bit more about here as it moves forward. If you haven’t visited, The RBGE is one of the finest botanic gardens in the world with 10 magnificent Glasshouses (note; these are not open yet). Lots of botanical glories to enjoy (even though it’s near the end of the Summer) and also Inverleith House - one of Scotland’s legendary contemporary art & cultural spaces. (at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEPKx0Bnt6H/?igshid=ksnvrg9tioiv

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DOORS NOW OPEN! My chums Helen Stephens & Katie Chappell & I have created an online illustration course! *Find Your Creative Voice: Fly Your Freak Flag* Bask in your weirdness and follow your creative dreams. Want to be part of an online community, full of fellow creatives? Build your illustration career and make your best creative work ever? It's time to discover how good it feels to truly be yourself in your work! It is designed to help newbies and experienced illustrators alike: people who decided not to go to art school, graduates who feel a bit lost, or people further into their creative careers. Perhaps you are coming back after a break… It’s never too early or too late to find your creative voice. The brilliant @jessicapoole said ‘Get aboard the Good Ship Illustration. It will change your life!’ Visit @thegoodshipillustration and see link in bio https://www.instagram.com/p/CDXBsklHQqK/?igshid=17j978dycj9bu

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Not sure I’m going to sleep tonight.. Stuart Maconie’s ‘Freak Zone’ is the only thing keeping me calm. Tomorrow The Good Ship Illustration sets sail with its first course: ‘Find Your Creative Voice : Fly Your Freak Flag’ has a full-house. So many amazingly talented (& fun & friendly) people signed up, the group page is already buzzing with warmth & connection. And lots of juicy instagram accounts to explore. It’s a lovely mix of illustrators & non-illustrators and we just can’t wait to see what they’ll be producing over the next 5 weeks. Could someone please whack me with a bottle of Bolly? 🍾 www.thegoodshipillustration.com @thegoodshipillustration The course signup is closed now but we’ll be running it again soon, please sign up to the newsletter to hear when ———————-_ #onlinelearning #illustrationcourse #lockdownlearning #illustration #illustratorsofinstagram #creativity #creativelearning https://www.instagram.com/p/CABZ9l_DZpY/?igshid=7bz7481owj7j

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End of week 4 of #lockdown & I’m thankful for a glimpse of #berwick sunshine. It’s a particularly breezy & bracing kinda of sunshine. So I put it on the Berwick map. Didn’t want to mislead anyone #bariberwick #northumberland #map #mapillustration #placemaking #spotillustration https://www.instagram.com/p/B_FSsNPDRmZ/?igshid=qp435t0klexi

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Marquee Moon / All Tomorrow’s Cancelled Parties Posting on a Friday night and wishing I could step out and meet our Berwick chums for a drink. Week 2 of UK lockdown is coming to a close and though I'm grateful for so many things, I can't help but worry about everyone else in less fortunate circumstances. To all my friends at different points of the curve, stay safe, stay well, stay home. ❤️🤗to you all Another icon illustration from the Berwick Town Map. #lockdownweektwo #lockdown #staysafe #stay-home #mapicons #cancelledfestivals #berwicksbestivals #bariberwick #mapillustrations #mapillustrators #isolation #flattenthecurve #itwillbeok https://www.instagram.com/p/B-h2dupjwV5/?igshid=1r8bo9gul4z8c

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Not to start with a moan- but seriously, one of the problems with showing maps online is the reproduction scale. Without wanting to state the obvious, most maps ( especially #touristmaps or #navigationalmaps ) are quite large with a lot of details. So whether it’s on my webpage, insta or Facebook… they look like a big, underwhelming mess on a screen. So I decided to show a few little groups of my spot #iconillustrations. Because I love and slave over all these little creatures and sometimes it feels like they just get thrown away when I put the whole map on my website or social media. So I’m going to try this out… here’s my icons from the Berwick Town map ( see previous post). We do have seals- right on our coastline. All you need is a pair of binoculars. You can also see seals from the Old Bridge when you cross the Tweed. We have fishermen . And yeah- the sea is really cold but people swim in it. There’s #wildswimming in the winter! We have great #rockpools for #rockpooling And it’s windy enough for flying kites. We have a Nature Trail right through the middle of our town ( that’s the butterfly icon). #naturetrail #spotillustration #berwickupontweed #bariberwick #illustratorsofistagrma, #mapillustration #spotillustration #iconillustration #touristmaps #placemaking #rockpooling #britishseaside #coastaltowns (at Berwick-upon-Tweed) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-U6QJEjlk_/?igshid=1xgomm59eii0j

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Berwick upon Tweed has recently undergone a rebranding exercise with @HemingwayDesign ( yes, THAT Mr Wayne Hemingway & THOSE groovy designers) and the town was just getting a crack at trying out the new identity with town’s tourism offering ( yep, talk about bad timing). And I got a chance to work with the project through the new town map. This was one of the first visual projects to be derived from the creative work generated by the agency- which was a real honour for Judith Booth #boothcreative and myself. We love the new brand, so it was great fun to test-drive the colour palette and the fonts for something new, whilst staying true to the core identity ( you can see the lovely shiny new Hemingway place brand identity at the end of the pics & www.visitberwick.com) This map was launched the week before lockdown and like so many tourism projects around the world, it’ll be mothballed until all this is over. And then maybe our town can get back to inviting people to sample the secret delights of Berwick upon Tweed #stayhome #staysafe Thanks to our lovely clients @welcomevisitorproject @visitberwick and the Berwick Town Council for putting their faith in us. #mapsofinstagram #mapillustrators #touristmap #illustratedmap #mapillustration #mapart #visitberwick #bariberwick #berwickupontweed #berwick #history #heritage #independentshops #placebranding #coastalregeneration #borders #northumberland (at Berwick-upon-Tweed) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SQ2DPj5rv/?igshid=1f03fkryty76q

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My last and most exciting project of 2019 was a map of The Berwick Fortifications for English Heritage. For this who know me, I’m a relatively new Berwicker and from the very outset, I’sung the places of this unique town and its rich history… so it goes without saying this a was a dream job. English Heritage manage the Berwick Walls, The Barracks and few other sites in Berwick & their historians have put together 2 routes for visitors to get the best out of a short trip to Berwick. There are also lots interesting facts that bring the history of Berwick alive. You can find out where the old fortifications were used as skating rinks and where the ice was stored in underground ice houses. I was lucky enough to work with on this project, with designer Judith Booth @mrsboothcom at Booth Creative who helped bring the whole project together #teammap We’re really grateful to the enthusiastic team at English Heritage for involving us in this project and putting so much faith in us. @englishheritage @englishheritagenorthofengland #historicalmaps #illustratedmap #berwickupontweed #berwickwalls #englishheritage #walledtown #barracks #bariberwick #cartogrpahy #map #history #mapping #elizabethan #fortification #illustrator #mapsofinstagram #visitberwick #visitengland #bordertown #northernbritain #historicbritain #handdrawnmap #mapmakers #mapart (at Berwick-upon-Tweed) https://www.instagram.com/p/B66AP5iBsWW/?igshid=1op92eg618453

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Berwick Spirit Icons - from a series commissioned by Hemingway Design. #bariberwick #illustratorsofinstagram #logotype #icon #graphicart #placemaking #placebrand #visitnorthumberland #identitydesign #design #branding #illustration #birdwatching #berwick #rivertweed #socialdesign #hiking #lighthouse #dophins #seafishing #tourism (at Berwick-upon-Tweed) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0q8nmXhcbH/?igshid=1sk0mfnlqty7d

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After 3 years after leaving Hong Kong for the The Scottish Borders, I’ve finally worked a very British project- one very close to home. I was kindly approached by The Civic Society of Berwick upon Tweed to design & illustrate three large interpretative panels for children, depicting Medieval Berwick. The 3 x panels below show The Castle, The Quayside & The Market or Main street. It involved a lot of research as very little of the castle exists and there is much speculation about how it might have looked, so I appreciate the help I was given by local historian Jim Herbert of www.berwicktimelines.com You can see the panels in The Main Guard, near Palace Green, on the historic Berwick Walls. Another room in The Main Guard hosts a fascinating display of props from Netflix’s ‘Outlaw King’, much of which was filmed on Berwick’s quayside. #berwickhistory #bariberwick #outlawking #robertthebruce #walledcities #interpretivepanels #historicberwick #exhibitionillustration #exhibitionillustration #historicalillustration #castle #medieval #environmentalgraphics #environmentalillustration #museumdesign (at Berwick-upon-Tweed) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByP-ZmlD-1m/?igshid=13969f811rxok

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Our illustrators pop up shop opens tomorrow morning for 3 days. Come along & see us if you’re in beautiful Berwick upon Tweed. We showing work as part of the @berwicklitfest. We’ve got original drawings, signed books & prints & lots of goodies like #washi #prints #sketchbookzines #greetings cards #mobiles for sale- all without commission additions. Thanks to Scott & Mark for loaning us the gallery space on @bridgestreetberwick to take part in the literary festival. Illustrators showing include @helenstephenslion @gerryturley @mickmanning.rca @britagranstrom @mickandbritabooks @julspatton #berwick #northumberland #bordersarts #illustrators #popup #kidlit #walktosee (at Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Fife, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFelC7DBTj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18wt075bn4jzx

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I spent yesterday afternoon with the ever-resourceful @helenstephenslion constructing her cunning window display for our forthcoming Berwick Illustrators’ pop-up exhibition & shop. Our shop / show is part of the Berwick Literary Festival @berwicklitfest. The show is open 19th- 21st Oct, 10-5 and is at Scotts Gallery on Bridge St, Berwick Upon Tweed. There’ll be artwork for sale as well as postcards, zines & signed picture books. On the Saturday morning at 10am, our group will also be giving a talk about the role of illustration in publishing & that’ll be held at The Parish Hall, Holy Trinity Church, The Parade, Berwick. Tickets are £5 & you can book them at www.berwickliteraryfestival.com We’re an informal group of old and new friends who happen to be illustrators and our show will include work from @mickmanning.rca @michandbritabooks @britagranstrom @julspatton @katiedraws @gerryturley @helenstephenslion & myself. It’s a good weekend for fans of illustrated books, as a few doors down at No 31, Slightly Foxed bookshop @bridgestreetberwick the creator of ‘Tank Girl’ - Alan Martin - will be signing copies of his books (with a free print for everyone who comes along) from 11am-2pm on Sunday morning. And to open the festival, the guest of honour is Liz Lochead on Friday evening. Come along, it’s going t be a great weekend. Berwick Upon Tweed, is the most northerly town in England, a few miles from the Scottish border. It’s easy to get to as we’re on the mainline between Newcastle & Edinburgh. A great place to send a weekend as the scenery is breathtaking #illustration #illustrator #childrensbookillustrators #picturebooks #literaryfestival #literaturefestival #illustrationforpublishing #lizlochead #tankgirl #illustratorslife #illustrationer #lovebooks #booklover #kidslit https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo6lrNAj2BG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3p7p4ol3o1tj

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With all the tram pics I’ve been posting, I couldn’t resist adding this #airbus #dragonair livery on an A330-300 from a few years back. Just wanted to see how they might look together. As an illustrator, I never expected to have the opportunity to for my work to be used on planes, buses ( I’ll post that one later) & trams, but HK presented me some wonderful opportunities. Now if only Star Ferry would call so I could complete a Hong Kong livery hat trick.... @idiscoverapp #starferry #speciallivery #airliners #B-HWG #hongkongillustrator #liverydesign #paintedplanes #china #hongkong #hongkongdesign https://www.instagram.com/p/BowVc5NjZIY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=p5vhsrzzgz9a

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To celebrate the Tramline Heritage Map & the accompanying HK Tram livery, i-Discover App&Map had the quirky idea of taking my map icons on walkabout to meet the listed temples, heritage spots & eateries etc. I missed out on serious dim sum feast, by the looks of it.... #PMQ #TaiKwun #bluehouse #honolulucoffeeshop #eggtarts #dimsum #chunonpawnshop #kungleesugarcane #lopantemple #sunhingdimsum #hongkongheritage #maps #hongkongillustrator #mapillustrator #trams #dingdingdiaries #citywalkabout https://i-discoverasia.com/on-the-tram-with-laura-laviani/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bob7R3QjgGR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wf3nywmg1ivh

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More shots of the tram, courtesy of @jason101910 quick reactions. @idiscoverapp #dingdingdiaries #fringeclub #hongkong #hongkongtrams #hongkongmap #hongkongillustrator #trams #hongkongheritage https://www.instagram.com/p/BoXDplRjcLC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ps3y0so7i9dv

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Some more pics of the tram courtesy of the quick reactions of @jason101910 & his camera skills @idiscoverapp #trams #dingdingdiaries #hongkongtrams #taikung https://www.instagram.com/p/BoXC9UbD_Bl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=oxx1cthgwgsn

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Repost from @idiscoverapp ‘Spotted the iDiscover tram? The iDiscover Ding Ding Photo Competition now accepts entries! Take a snap, upload, and celebrate with us! Two categories of submission: 1) Share with us your experience of a tram journey 2) Share with us your authentic Hong Kong discoveries along the tramline. Need some suggestions? Download a free copy of the iDiscover Ding Ding Map or App, featuring 50 of our favourite spots. (https://i-discoverasia.com/app/) Simply upload your photo to Instagram, indicate the category, and tag @idiscoverapp & @hktramways, #iDiscoverDingDing & #hktramways. Make sure your account is public and upload your photo before 22 Sept. We are excited to have Kevin @kingymak & Jeremy @rambler15 as our jury, they will pick 8 winners per category. Winners all get a free pass to a tram party on the #iDiscover tram on 28 Sept (Friday) night where Kevin & Jeremy will share their works over local snacks & drinks (yes to craft beer!). Each winner also gets a iDiscover HK Neighbourhood Guide (a beautiful collection of 8 locally designed HK neighbourhood maps) and 2 adult tickets of TramOramic Tour (comes with a 2-day tram pass)! Let's explore authentic HK along tram lines! #getlostwithoutgettinglost Supported by: Hong Kong Tramways 香港電車. Tram design : Tania willis https://www.instagram.com/p/BnNI8Ymh3SP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1r5arbwxkx89p