Mixed media illustrator based in Hanoi
One of the perks of being an illustrator working with small authors is that I get to read many interesting stories and visualize it with my ideas. Every illustration has a story behind, but below are some of the most significant projects of mine in terms of storytelling.
A series for a personal story from childhood to adulthood.
A story of two teenagers with Sherlock Holmes inspiration
A classroom story
Two illustrations in a poetry book about a female growth after relationships
Over the past few years, I have received numerous requests for couple illustrations for a variety of purposes—weddings, anniversaries, personal gifts, and even editorial use. The style preferences vary widely, from cartoony and humorous to deeply emotional, as well as partially colored sketches to fully painted pieces.
Here are some illustrations are allowed to publish for my personal promotions.
Above are a few monochrome drawings in a series of illustrations for a poetry book about love.
Here are some illustrations that I’m allowed to share for personal promotion. One of the biggest challenges in depicting love and affection is avoiding clichés. The most common pose—standing close with hands around each other’s waists—is often requested, so I strive to add a unique touch to each piece. Personalization is key: incorporating meaningful details from a couple’s memories, such as a special place, a significant object, or a shared symbol, can add layers of meaning that only they can truly appreciate.
Couple illustrations are one of the most challenging commissions I take on. They require not only technical skills but also strong communication and an in-depth creative process—analyzing details, categorizing ideas, and translating emotions into visual elements.
Despite the challenges, creating couple illustrations is always a special experience. It’s rewarding to see how these artworks hold special meaning for each couple. I hope these illustrations bring joy and lasting memories to those who receive them.
Inktober is a famous drawing challenge to explore how your own style with ink and in 2023 I decided to join as a fun side project. Though I ended at #20, the project took me further than I thought.
I got to express many of my thoughts and apply many new knowledge (composition, shading, value) to these illustrations.
Below are the progress for 2 illustrations.
This is a personal challenge to design a set for the book The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie.
From 2019, I started my career on Fiverr by taking small and medium commissions. Most of my requests are for business articles, comic gifts and small-sized ebooks.
Most of these drawings below are taken out of its context and re-drawn to a certain degree.
Business comics are in high demand, they helps lighten a difficult concept or idea. I enjoy drawing annoyed and surprised emotions, experimenting with moving the eyebrows and mouths to exaggerate the expression.
Comics are also great gifts for friends and lovers, even colleagues. The below characters are from gift commissions or small-scaled books. They are to illustrate moments of awkwardness, relatable accidents and funny moments.
Here is a simple progress image. I often sketch lightly, then reline with ink and add gray shades using a watercolor brush.
Animals are often used when the topic gets too sensitive. They have metaphoric meanings themselves, based on the bias and symbolism we attach to them for a long time. For example, cows are often thought to be silly and rabbits are pure and cute. Sometimes I reuse the bias, sometimes I just draw against them.
Below is the collection of character designs from my 2023 projects. Some are commercial and some are personal. 2023 is the year I challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone and stop caring about styles.
I focus on using the characters as tools for the story, the story will decide the level of exaggeration, use of colors (strong/ soft), level of facial details, etc.
I decided to re draw the characters from past projects to see how far I’ve gone and add a new vibe to the character. I like to add a touch of comic and fun to my characters, no matter they are human, animals or objects.
In 2023, I had the chances to work on many small children’s book and kid-friendly illustrations.
The ones below are not the original designs, but rather an updated version. I chose this particular coloring style recalling gouache paintings, which are my favorite medium.
The whole series has 20 drawings showing jokes between aliens and cows.
The author’s Instagram can be found here. The author, who is a taxidermist, wants to share a story about her profession. The background design features a Victorian home setting, with taxidermy tools and portraits.
Jeanne Lolness 