Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Ashcraft.
Hi Carla, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I came to be a visual artist via a very circuitous route. I received a BA in political science, completed 90% of an MBA in the 1980s, and subsequently worked in accounting. After less than two years in that field and all the non-stop travel involved, I knew in my heart it was not for me. I somehow landed a job in marketing at a cool firm that specialized in sports architecture, HOK Sport, in downtown Kansas City (now known as POPULOUS). The creativity and camaraderie of that place inspired me to take some photography and design classes. After one semester, I landed a job as a graphic designer at JPMorgan, where I worked for many years.
As I am approaching “retirement age,” I have been focusing on what I could do to keep myself inspired, generate some income, and allow myself the freedom to vagabond a little. And so I embarked on teaching myself to draw. (Even though I had years of experience in design and layout, I never, for some reason, considered illustrating a possibility.) I stumbled upon Skillshare a few years back and discovered that people with much less experience than I have were making a living selling their art online. (Again, something I wasn’t even remotely aware of while I worked as a designer too many long hours, and raising a kid didn’t allow for any side hustles.)
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I consider what I’m doing to be still in the embryonic stage. I have put out several patterns on Spoonflower, have sold several designs, and recently started selling on Society6 and Redbubble. But as I still work part-time to pay the bills, I only have a little time to devote to creating an extensive portfolio. I know that making a living at this is a numbers game. And given that I only have “dozens” of finished pieces at this time, I hardly feel like I have enough content even to promote myself on Instagram, etc. until I can commit to this full-time. I fully anticipate that my numbers will go up after I retire later this year.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in hand-drawn illustrations focusing primarily on food, floral/plants, travel, and the built environment/architecture. All my illustrations start with a pencil sketch, as drawing straight on an iPad or tablet doesn’t feel legit to me. I will usually colorize my illustrations digitally using Affinity Photo or occasionally Procreate. My work is detailed but playful, colorful, and sometimes cartoony. Of my finished projects to date, I’m most proud of the map of London, as it incorporates some highly detailed drawings but still conveys a sense of fun. (And if you’ve ever lived in London, as I have, you know that its real name is “Fundon!”)
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
I am a fan of Skillshare (as mentioned previously), which is hugely inspiring with its vast array of classes that I return to often to pick up new techniques. I love learning how to hand-letter with the Apple pencil on my iPad. As far as podcasts, I rarely listen to anything design-related. I listen to the news (NYT), the French language (Duolingo, Coffee Break French, & Little Talk in Slow French), and comedy shows. I snoop at various French Instagram sites because the French have no equal when it comes to visual presentation. As for apps, I stumbled on Serif’s Affinity software, which for me, replaces using Adobe’s Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. Unlike Adobe, Affinity offers affordable software you own without you being hostage to Adobe’s annual renewal license fee. And unlike Adobe, Affinity products don’t crash multiple times a day or take a half-hour to open or save a file! Procreate is also an excellent little app that is fun to use.
Contact Info:
- Website: ashcraftdigital.com
- Instagram: ashcraft.carla
Image Credits
All photos: Carla Ashcraft
