Firstly, special thanks to John Radclyffe Lohan, not sure if that is your real name but it’s what it says on Facebook, and the Mecca of Social Networking never lies! It was Ms. Lohan who told us about Louise and her amazing work so if it hadn’t been for her we might not have found out.
So like the good and curious journalists we are, we headed over to check Louise’s work and were instantly blown away by her talent, her creativity and her work. Everything from drawings, plushie designs , fan art based on some her favourite characters to creations all of her own, the blog is jam packed with colourful and interesting sketches and pieces.
Imagine then when we learned Louise also made custom plushies… we were as a giddy as a fangirl at a convention! We asked Louise for a little of her time to talk about her work, her plushies and her future…
Firstly, can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Louise, 25 years old and I live and work in Dublin. I did animation in college and I now work in the industry here as a director and animator. Soon I’ll be going to Denmark for more studying (CGI), but I should be back in the summer. I make stuffed toys or plushies in my spare time and sell them online at my Etsy and Dawanda shops.
You have a very popular art blog, when did you first start it? Did you have reason for creating the blog?
I started blogging in 2007 mainly so that I could post up pictures in a less formal way then other websites. It’s good to get feedback and I don’t worry about putting up sketches and rough work. Also I don’t have a website so it is a decent way to show my work.
Have you always been interested in Art and Animation? Is there a particular style that you try to emulate?
I have always been into art but my particular interest in animation didn’t develop until I realised that I could actually train and work as an animator. I saw it as a way to be an artist and also make a living, two things that often don’t go hand in hand.
At first I was influenced by the usual stuff, American comics, Disney films and the like. After a year or so in college I began to find more interesting things. French and European animated films and comics as well as certain anime (Hayao Miyazaki and Tekkon Kinkreet) influenced my style and storytelling.
When it comes to Animation, what sort of stuff would you watch?
I watch a lot of short animated films because usually they tend to be more interesting and innovative then features. I like some anime features like Summer Wars and Mindgame as well as all the Miyazaki films. In terms of the big American CG features I like some of the Pixar and Dreamworks films but I’m not too pushed about them.
A lot of today’s animation has been rendered with CGI, do you think the days of hand drawn animation are about to vanish?
No, I think that the time has passed now where it could have disappeared. I think that in America it is rare. There are some productions there (The Frog Princess) but they seem to believe that a successful film has to be made in 3D. However outside America there is still plenty of hand drawn stuff, not as much as there used to be but it’s still there. Films like The Illusionist, The Secret of Kells and an excellent film called Mia and the Migoo are all European hand drawn films produced recently. And in Japan most of the productions are still drawn. All of the different techniques for animation can co-exist, stop motion, hand drawn and CGI. At the moment it’s the 3D stuff that’s popular and I think that’s fine.
Linked on your blog is the store, Happyplushplush, when did you start making the plushies?
I started making plushies in 2006 so that I could make some of the characters I drew into ‘real’ things, especially the ones that don’t make it to the point of being animated. It was a bit tricky at first as I only had basic sowing skills, but using online tutorials and resources I taught myself how to go about it. Then it was just about practise.
How long does a single plushie take you to make? Is it still possible to order them from you?
It varies how long it takes, between a couple of hours for the basic simple ones and up to two or three full days on complicated and detailed plushies. People generally aren’t aware of how long it really takes to make plushies and that’s a pity, they tend to compare them with mass produced toys rather than other art.
I take commissions some of the time, but at the moment I am too busy to take on any orders.
What are your plans for the future? Ideally where would you like your career to take you?
I plan to stay in the animation industry and develop my own work to direct. I’d also like to keep making short films and I would love to make a stop motion film using my plushies.
In terms of selling my plushies I want to keep them as a pastime. If I relied on plushies from my income it would put a lot of pressure on me and I think it would take all the joy out of it. I teach plushie workshops from time to time and I really enjoy them, so I would like to organise a few more. For those unable to make it to a workshop I am also planning to make some of my patterns available as PDFs in my shop.
Finally, if you were trapped in an Arcade for eternity what one game would you play to pass the time?
Pretty much any platform game… especially any involving Mario, he is my muse 😀
To check out Louise’s blog, just click the link – El Boogo Art Blog
