Hello Everyone, Ruby here!
I’ve been Bari’s shop assistant since August, and it has been so lovely to spend time in such a beautiful, serene, and creative space. I graduated in 2020 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a Bachelors in Fine Art. After graduating I was eager to find a way to keep exercising my love for illustration, bookbinding, and crafting with my hands.
I tend to illustrate strange and intricate characters, anthropomorphic creatures, and mundane objects. A lot of my work addresses themes of childhood and nostalgia, which come through in the “cartoony” style I work in. I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to contribute bits of my hand throughout the shop—drawing the various tools, hand-lettering price labels, wrapping pencils, and illustrating color swatches for the LePens and Lyra Colour Giant pencils.
The LCGs are especially a pleasure to work with, and I find them exceptionally versatile. Their large size feels wonderfully accommodating, as they never slip out of my hand or feel uncomfortable. They are blendable as well as buildable, which is to say that they work quite well for linework and also provide an alluring aptitude for shading. They sharpen to an impressively fine point for capturing small details in a drawing, which I often want to do. I adore the different shades of purples and pinks, most notably the metallic purple!
On the opposite side of the shop sit the LePens in their glass cups. They are petite in comparison but equally enjoyable to work with. They are perfect for linework, so I found it fitting to approach the drawings for the new colour swatches as I would my sketchbook. In this sense, I wanted to doodle things that first came to mind, being non-judgmental of my impulses. (I find this approach to drawing very freeing, and it allows me to get over some creative ruts I often find myself falling into.)
My style really came through in these illustrations—different people, flowers, unspecified creatures, and foods with faces. I drew the swatches on Stonehenge paper, and tried the LePens on the lush, toothy Velke Losiny as well. Both papers harmonize with the LePens to support the bold and bright shades. The purples in these pens really spoke to me the most. I definitely recommend LePens for linework and smaller drawings, or even journaling (perhaps in a Cambridge Imprint notebook, which is made of a hefty paper that allows for less feathering or show-through!)
The LCGs and LePens make sweet stocking stuffers or gifts for someone that loves a pop of color in their life. I gifted a couple LePens to a friend before she went back to school, to provide some excitement in taking notes!
Six or more of the LCGs come in a hand folded (by me!) Cambridge Imprint paper bag. I’m a big fan of having a broad palette to work with, so if I were to choose my top six, they would be the Red, Orange, Olive, Pastel Blue, Periwinkle, and Pastel Pink! If you’re stumped on how to settle on six, I am cheerfully at the ready to provide recommendations fitted for any gifts you are giving.
It makes me thrilled to incorporate my voice through this blog post in addition to showcasing my illustrations. It has been such a joy to write about the work I have done in the shop, and thank you for reading about it!
Lyra Colour Giants
Le Pens
More than a shade of red, Ruby