Name:
Liz Million (but my married name is O'Brien BORING!)
Date of birth:
18th March 1976 (YES FOLKS, I AM THAT OLD!
Where do you live?:
I live in Darlington, County Durham, England. I live with my lovely husband Mark, my gorgeous teenage son, George and Peggy the Bedlington terrier.
Where do you work?
I work from home in my lovely studio. I have everything I need like big desks, pens and my Mac. It’s often tidy and often messy.
What do you do?
I illustrate (draw) and write children's books and work on various arty projects. When I’m not quietly drawing at home, I visit schools, libraries and museums all over the world to talk about my work and to show people how to draw using funny shapes like POTATOES!!
Q&A:
What materials do you use?
At college and uni, you spend hours experimenting with all different methods and materials and you soon realise what you like to work with and what you don’t.
I use all sorts of different things to create my artwork and those have changed over the years. When I first started out illustration picture books, I used gouache and acrylic paints. I often use marker pens, fine liners and recently I’ve been creating brilliant art work on Procreate on my Ipad. I am constantly learning new tricks and techniques and my styles evolves without me even realising it. I look back at my old work now and chuckle as I am so much better now!
What are your other hobbies and interests?
Drawing is my ultimate passion but I love reading, listening to music, podcasts and audio books, painting, photography, visiting art exhibitions, animals, dancing to 70's disco tunes, talking, laughing at people falling over and annoying everyone with my loud voice and brilliant accents. If I wasn’t an illustrator, I’d have liked to have been a kid’s TV presenter, a loud holiday rep, an animal mad zoo keeper or a mad teacher that lets her pupils draw all day instead of maths!
What are your ambitions?
To be happy, healthy and to keep making people smile. To help children to believe in themselves and to realise that they too could have a creative career if they put the hard work in like I did. I’d still like to host my own art programme on Youtube or TV as I love performing.
What are your favourite things in life?
I love my job! I love being my own boss and running my own business. I enjoy slurping a strong mug of tea whilst drawing quietly on my own in my studio. I also love going on adventures by travelling about various countries and making brilliant kids like you laugh out loud! I love seeing children enjoying themselves and belly laughing till it hurts! I am very close to my lovely family and friends. I adore animals especially DOGS!!! I love drawing wildlife in a realistic style (birds and fish in particular). I have a big sweet tooth-I love jelly sweets, cakes and chocolate which is why I regularly run, walk and lift weights! I always try to eat super healthily which is great for my brain. I love reading every night before bed. I’m always singing and bopping about to cheesy music much to the annoyance of my husband. I love all the seasons but Autumn is my favourite. I love skiing and seeing the world by going on lots of family holidays.
What are you scared of?
SHARKS! Spiders! Heights! I used to like rollercoasters but I’m a big scaredy cat now and I don’t like the feeling of falling from a great height. I still jump out of my skin when I watch cheesy old horror films. My son, George pranks me all of the time by jumping out on me at home ha,ha
What are your favourite smells?
Not George's feet-poooooh!! I love Peggy dog’s feet though! Fresia flowers, baby bubble bath, smelly candles, my pillow, fresh bedding, cut wood, bonfires and fireworks, autumn leaves, marzipan/playdoh, my perfume, cats tummies when they've just given themselves a wash, strawberry milkshakes. I’ve got a very accute sense of smell which is often a curse when you are sitting near someone rather whiffy!
What are your favourite animals?
Goats and dogs are my ultimate favourites. I love predators like big cats like leopards and tigers and birds of prey. I love cheeky baby elephants, cute red pandas, arghhh too many to choose from!
What are your favourite foods?
Cheeeeeeeese, rare steaks, chicken, spag bol, chips, bacon frazzles and Asian food. I love puddings and cakes but tend to eat fruit instead.
What is your favourite colour?
Far too many gorgeous colours to choose from, perhaps a bright orangey-red. Colours are extremely important to me as an artist. I think that having bright colours around you keeps you inspired and makes you feel upbeat. My house is a riot of colour and it makes me really happy.