Helen Brady

All

Children & Family

Loose

People

Cartoon depiction of Christmas showman decoration

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Christmas scene of posting a letter to Santa

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Two children sitting with animals in a bare tree forest scene

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A sketch drawing of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory

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Five kids in winter clothes holding books and standing under string lights

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Wolf character concept for a kids' picture book

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Helen lets her characters tell their stories and creates fantastical worlds

Cute, cheeky, and playful - characters in scenes teeming with detail

Her approach is ideal for children’s, middle grade and young adult book illustration, where complex emotions and a little tension add to the intrigue. From cute to cunning, Helen’s characters bring nuance and interest, engaging young readers and carrying the narrative. After many years working as a makeup artist, Helen returned to her love of drawing during lockdown and has established a style all her own. With an eye for the eclectic, she is an avid people watcher.

Approach

Helen works in ink, watercolour, gouache, pastel and pencil, and uses Procreate too, with the finishing touches executed in Photoshop. She has had great success using monochrome for its atmosphere and playing with negative space in her compositions.

Key software

Procreate, Photoshop.

Style

Helen varies her style and can bring a unique vibe to each project, but whether the look is loose and impressionistic or more locked down and detailed, the emotions shine through in body shapes and expressions of the characters.