Laura Greenan — Psychedelic Illustrator, London

“I don’t do subtle,” says the London-based illustrator Laura Greenan. And it’s true – her work is nothing less than psychedelia for the digital age. It grabs the viewer’s attention and helps get her client’s message across in an exciting and imaginative way.

Laura’s background is in graphic design, which is evident in her strong use of geometric shapes, typography and a touch of patterning. But she became an illustrator to break new boundaries and that’s what she does with each commission. Inspired by computer games, Pixar movies and the artists James Jean and Peter Max, Laura has an HND in Graphic Design & Illustration from the Kent Institute of Art & Design, which is now part of UCA.

Approach

Taking an intuitive approach to each piece, Laura first researches the subject, then plots out her composition using thumbnails. She loves to explore unique compositions, finding new ways to express ideas with bold shapes and colors. Once she’s planned the artwork, she completes it in Adobe Illustrator using a graphics tablet.

Key Software

Adobe Illustrator

Style

‘Gooey Pop Art’ is how Laura’s style is sometimes described, with hints of Art Deco, Art Nouveau and 60s psychedelia. Full of graphic forms, her work has a spontaneous feel to it. She likes artwork to be fun to look at and fun to create, and it shows.

Client list

Clients include Vogue Japan, Bulletin Magazine, Francis Wren Candles and the Wall Street Journal.

Colorful psychedelic portrait of Joni Mitchell playing guitar, by Laura Greenan