Brooke Walker

Racy Lim

Brooke Walker is an Illustrator from South Australia. She grew up with animals and trees on 10 acres of land in McLaren Vale. Instead of watching TV or using the computer, she would ride horses and play on the grass with dogs. Her appreciation for animals and nature has inspired her art which includes greeting cards made from recycled or seeded paper. Brooke completed a Bachelor of Design in 2009 while specialising in illustration. She has been concentrating on producing highly detailed charcoal drawings, her need for perfection in her work continuously pushing her to perform better.

How would you describe your personality and lifestyle outside the artistic sphere?

I love animals and this love is evident in my work. I am interested in endangered species conservation and would love to be able to use my artwork to bring awareness to this ever growing issue.

I also enjoy cooking and creating new dishes in the kitchen. Living near the McLaren Vale wine region in South Australia means that I am spoilt for choice when it comes to great produce, food and wine. Just generally being healthy and enjoying life is important to me.

How do you decide if your art has reached perfection?

What one person considers perfect or a great piece of art differs greatly between cultures, person to person. It really depends on what speaks to them emotionally and this is usually drawn from past experiences, interests and other variables. For me, I do not think that my art will ever reach what I would consider perfection and I hope it never does, as I need something to strive for. Every time I work on a new piece, I learn so much along the way - I see the subject better, can judge values between areas more accurately, and generally learn to draw better. As soon as I have a piece I think is the best I can do at that particular time, I know it is finished. However, the next piece will be better from all that I have learned from the last. Drawing, for me, is a continual accumulation of knowledge that grows from one piece to the next. 

What are some projects that you are currently working on? 

At the moment, there are a couple of art competitions I am interested in entering my pieces for. One is the 2014 National Works on Paper established by the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery. For this, I am working on a portrait of one of my Border Collies. It is a charcoal pencil piece on mid tone grey paper. This is the first time I used this particular technique on an animal image. I find that using both black and white charcoal allows me to add more depth to the drawing.

Drawing of one of Brooke's Border Collies

I have also recently completed an oil painting workshop conducted by the successful Australian realist painter, Robin Eley. Oil painting is something I would like to do more of in the future as I work towards a solo exhibition. Although I have been mainly working in black and white tones, some images just need colour to ‘pop’ and make sense. Oil painting allows me to get the detail I desire in my work.

Your portfolio showcases tons of illustrations for different publishing and it includes greeting cards with animal illustrations. What is the reason behind this concept?

A lot of people like animals, I think. These illustrations were printed onto cards that are made from either recycled card or seeded paper. The seeded paper is great – it has certain plant seeds impregnated into the handmade paper so that you can receive a special card and then plant it! Present and card all in one. The eco quality of this paper worked well with the addition of the animal drawings. Nature and sustainability are important to me and the juxtaposition of plants and animals seems natural. The images are great for various occasions and I don’t think that a drawing of a car or other manmade object will have the same cohesiveness or appeal.

One of your creations for the South Australian Living Artist Exhibitions (SALA) 2013 was a charcoal pencil drawing of a full ponytail. What is the significance of illustrating a character without a face?   

This particular piece was part of a trio that was created for a SALA exhibition called ‘Horses’. The other 2 images were of horse’s manes and tails only – no bodies or heads. 

It is interesting to explore how little information we need to put an image together in our mind. 

With this drawing of a ponytail, you could assume the subject is a blond female, about 20 to 30 years old, more than likely Caucasian, looking to the right. I also like to challenge myself in terms of technique and hair is one of those things that artists can struggle with.

Drawing of a full ponytail for a SALA exhibition

Where do you get your inspiration?

I owe a lot to my parents and my childhood. My parents are also animal lovers so they taught me to show compassion for all species. As I get older I become more aware of the issues surrounding the environment and how humans as a whole are quickly ruining the delicate balance between all living creatures. I hope there never comes a time when some of our greatest animals can only be seen in museums, old photos or artworks. In my upcoming body of work I hope to subtly touch on this issue and maybe get the viewer thinking about how we can help fix the environmental mess we are quickly creating.

I have also been lucky enough to have been educated by some fantastic artists. I attended a Drawing From Life workshop run by Brooklyn-based artist David Jon Kassan. He was so giving of his time and what I learned has been invaluable. South Australia based painter Robin Eley has also been influential to my work. He was one of my lecturers at University when he was working as an illustrator, so I have seen his transition from illustrator to artist. He is also extremely humble and giving with his knowledge. Other artists I follow include Kim Buck and Joel Rea. Their works are highly detailed and have strong concepts behind them.

I feel honoured whenever anyone likes my work enough to ask for a commission. It is a very personal and subjective thing, art, so for your work to resonate with someone else is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. 

One of many commission pieces by Brooke

Finally, how do you plan on advancing your career as an illustrator?

I am actually slowly transitioning into more of a fine art field. I find illustration as an industry to be very digital based these days. It is much faster to draw, submit, make changes and resubmit the final piece all on the computer without touching an actual piece of paper or pencil. However, I prefer sitting in front of an easel, feeling the texture of the paper and getting charcoal or paint on my hands. There is something special about handmade products.

This year I wish to enter a few art prizes and start to produce a cohesive body of work for a solo exhibition next year. I would love to have my work hanging in a gallery one day!

Find Brooke: brookewalkerillustration.com