Woven Coffee Session: An interview with Chloe, our expert Illustrator and Junior Designer

It’s been a while…

…since our first Coffee Session, which, I’m assured, is purely a result of how busy we are and is in no way an indictment on how it went.

Which makes sense, because the first one went brilliantly. In fact, Interviewer Weekly described it as ‘The most… er… interesting interviewing debut in quite some time.’

High praise indeed.

Anyway, as I’m now a seasoned interviewing pro, with a monogrammed clipboard and everything, it’s high time I put someone else in the Coffee Sessions hot seat. And who better than Chloe Greenwood, Woven’s Junior Designer and Illustrator, who’s been busy drawing up a storm on loads of Woven campaigns since she joined the team last year. And who was the only one available at the time of writing this, so was bullied into it by me.

Ben: So, Chloe, welcome to the second Woven Coffee Session! What coffee have you brought with you today? As a trendy artist type I’m thinking Ethiopian ground with a hint of mocha and expressive sprig of Corsican mint?

Chloe: It’s water.

Ben: *Sighs* Look, for pity’s sake, these are the Coffee Sessions! And we’re a super-progressive agency, so that’s what we drink, okay?

Chloe: No.

Ben: Touché. Right, so, er, let’s get started. You do pictures, right? What got you into that?

Chloe: Naked bodies.

Ben: Wow.

Chloe: More specifically, life-drawing classes. I love drawing people, especially those with lots of character – gnarly hands and lined faces, that kind of thing. Like if they’re overweight or old. Or overweight and old.

Ben: Interesting. Also, why are you looking at me like that?

Chloe: No reason. But, yeah, I’ve always been creative, always wanted to make things. I’m into all kinds of stuff: 3D drawing, oil painting, murals, silversmithing, tattoos, graphic design. Did I mention naked bodies?

Ben: Yeah, you might have.

Chloe: I love naked bodies.

Ben: That is definitely coming through. So, who are your influences?

 

Chloe: Quentin Blake is a big one – a childhood hero of mine. There’s so much character in his work and I love his loose style, which I take a lot of inspiration from. But then I combine that with the precision I learnt from my architectural drawing.

Ben: Architecture, too? Is there anything you can’t do? Apart from drink coffee.

Chloe: Well, I studied architecture at Sheffield University, and then saw a course on landscape architecture, which really appealed to me. I fell in love with the idea of walking through something I’d created, and thought how much outdoor spaces can help your health and mental state. So it seemed like a really gratifying thing to do. But in the end I realised I enjoyed the drawing of the gardens more than I did the architectural logistics of it all – the planning and so on.

I learned that, for me, it’s all about the visuals, so when Woven came calling – on the day before I was due to start my landscape architecture course, no less! – and asked me to be their illustrator, I couldn’t turn them down.

 

Ben: Well, their loss is our gain! Speaking of Woven, what’s your favourite piece you’ve done here so far?

Chloe: Well, I’m less than a year into the role so I still feel like I’m sinking my teeth into it. But I really like the work we did on Shaws Chutneys – a really fun campaign and a client whose sense of humour really lends itself to my drawing style.

I’ve also just done a cityscape of the view from our Leeds studio.

 

Ben: Alright, Chloe, enough of the self-promotion. These are the Woven Coffee Sessions, not the Chloe Greenwood Sessions.

Moving on, then, what’s the key role of illustration within marketing?

Chloe: Oh, for sure it’s brand development. Illustration brings a lot of character to a brand. It makes it more human, more relatable and memorable. It’s a really quick and visible way to bring a brand’s personality to life and it catches attention immediately. If it’s a drier topic then illustration adds interest; if it’s a serious topic illustrations help soften it, make it more emotional. Even for an already-fun brand like Shaws, the illustrative work we do lifts it even more.

Having an illustrator on your team also brings a different way of thinking about things – about how campaigns and creative work needs to be visualised and how the end result is going to translate across the different media. Just like with copywriters or designers, illustrators bring their own thoughts and experiences to bear when it comes to the creative process. And at Woven we have the lot – we’re a real creative hub. Even you, Ben!

Ben: Hmm. Thanks. Final question, then, and by far the most important. Who’s your favourite Woven colleague?

Chloe: Er…

Ben: Just pick the first person who comes into your mind. Maybe someone you’re working with right now. Someone who’s right in front of you right now.

Chloe: Well, I really love Kyle’s design wor…

Ben: Okay, that’s a wrap! Big thanks, Chloe, for taking some time out of your busy schedule. You’ve really illustrated what inspired you to become an illustrator!

Chloe, walking away: Shut up, Ben.

 

Well, that was Coffee Session number two! Now, who to choose for the next one? Someone who actually blummin’ drinks coffee would be a start…

RELATED READ: Woven Coffee Session: An interview with Danny, our Front-End Developer

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Need an illustrator’s touch to bring your brand to life? Then contact us today and let Chloe work her magic in your next campaign.