Anna Bailes

In 2015, Anna Bailes was that rare gem the On Dit editors could rely on if they needed an illustration to accompany an article pronto. Her diligence, hard work and creativity make her an up and coming designer and illustrator in the Adelaide art scene. In our latest spotlight, she informs COLLAGE of her love of cats and her innovative working process.

Q: Hello! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

A: Hello! My name is Anna Bailes and I’m an illustrator and designer living in Adelaide. My long-life interest in art, design and illustration led me to completing a Bachelor of Design from the University of South Australia in 2015.

When I’m not illustrating or designing, I like to play piano. I also attempt to befriend nearby cats wherever possible!

Q: Who inspires you? What inspires your art?

A: Video games inspire me. It’s motivating to see a team of writers, designers and artists collaborating to develop unforgettable stories, beautiful menu layouts and visually engaging worlds. The creative team at Bioware is particularly inspiring.

‘Guardian Falls’, photoshop, concept art.

Q: Do you have a preferred medium?

A: I love using digital paint with my Cintiq tablet. Having a consistent range of brush textures and colours is useful to work with. Being able to quickly adjust colours, brightness and contrast is also useful for exploring multiple ideas quickly!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: When illustrating, my style appears loose with some areas featuring sharp details and natural textures. When designing, my style features plenty of breathing space. I’m also happy to step outside of my comfort zone when needed.

‘Portrait of a Girl’, photoshop, shown on a Cintiq.

Q: Can you please describe your artistic and creative process i.e.: from lingering idea to putting it into practice?

A: If time allows, I begin with research. I examine how I can communicate an idea or concept and analyse what other people have created. When I have an idea in mind I develop rough concepts and work on the strongest set of ideas. I also request feedback from other people, and create visual mock-ups to develop a better understanding of how something will look in person.

Q: Where do you see your art practice taking you in the next five years?

A: I’d love to find full-time visual related work (at the moment I’m a part-time graphic designer with two casual graphic design positions on the side). Working full time as an artist or designer with a video game company would be pretty amazing!

‘Screenshot from Little Red Flower’, photoshop, After Effects and Unity, screenshot from the game demo.

Q: If you could recommend one artist, who would it be?

A: Ken Wong. He is an Australian artist, illustrator and designer. I feel he is best known for his work on American McGee’s Alice. His work is creative, inspiring and showcases how you can successfully incorporate traditional textures into digital paintings.

Q: What is your favourite gallery?

A: It’s not a physical gallery, but I thoroughly enjoy the ‘Sketchbooks’ section from Conceptart.org. A range of people upload their work and you can witness a messy sketch evolve into something polished. It’s an evolving digital art gallery!

Anna’s glossy website

Q: Where can we find more of your work?

A: You can find more of my work at my website! I also occasionally post various sketches, studies and in-progress development on tumblr.

‘Viking Study’, photoshop, studying from a photograph.

Q: If your house was on fire, what three items would you save?

A: My computer, my Cintiq and my piano (somehow). My work will be saved and I can mellow out on my piano while waiting for firefighters and/or stray cats!

-Masya Zabidi