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About me

Hello, I'm Rachael :) I’m a freelance Illustrator and Brand Identity Designer specialising in illustration-led branding and campaigns for arts, heritage, conservation and community organisations.

I blend handcrafted illustration with thoughtful (but playful) design.

For a long time I tried to separate the two, but I’ve finally come to realise that the crossover is where the magic happens:

...Illustrations woven around hand-rendered type and layouts designed seamlessly for multiple formats and uses.

...Brand identities with quirky logos, fun colours, wobbly icons, characterful brand illustrations and vibrant advertising campaigns all created with the same hand; knitting the whole brand together.

I use hand-painted textures, paper-cut illustration and expressive type – combined with strategic design – to create visuals that feel organic, tactile and human, while staying strong and consistent across every format.

Experience

Since completing a BA (Hons) in Illustration from Falmouth University, I've had over ten years experience working as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer with clients that include the RHS, Brighton & Hove Museums, Taste of London and IMG.

I also spent five years working in-house as a graphic designer, creating everything from UX-friendly websites and email campaigns to packaging, logos, animations, video content and full campaign concepts. That experience gave me a solid understanding of how design works in the real world, across marketing, brand strategy and audience engagement. This means I can confidently take on full brand identities and create content that not only looks good but really connects and performs.

Let's work together

Organisations I've worked with

I'm obsessed with wildflowers and nature in general so dream jobs are anything that allows me to indulge in that sort of juicy imagery. And because of that love of the natural world, I'm also really keen to work with clients that care about the environment. (If that's you... let's definitely talk!

Say hello

We were absolutely thrilled with the work Rachael did for our Christmas at the Royal Pavilion campaign. She got the brief straight away, did her homework and delivered something that exceeded our expectations, truly capturing the essence of this historic site while art that was contemporary, engaging and interesting. She was a joy to work with and was very flexible, understanding the need for the illustrations to be versatile for different outputs from small flyers to large billboards. Would thoroughly recommend and will definitely use again.

Kate Turnbull

Head of Marketing, Digital and Communications at Brighton & Hove Museums

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The process

1. Mood boards

I'll often start by asking a client to put together a mood board of ideas so I can grasp quickly the sort of thing they're after, or I will put together my own and send across with my first sketches/concepts and get their feedback to check we're aligned. This often sparks ideas and discussions and is a great way to begin.

2. ProCreate sketches & hand lettering

Ideas, compositions, characters and typography are explored on the iPad, keeping things free, playful and quick. I tend to mock up layouts for most formats required, to ensure that the composition is flexible for every need. I share these sketches with the client to get initial feedback, whether they are logo designs, or rough scamps for book covers or advertising campaigns. Often I'll send across rough colour palettes with loose mock-ups of colour against the sketches.

3. Digital assembly begins

After any initial client feedback and iterations on the rough designs, I set to work digitally.

If it's an illustration, I usually start by cutting out shapes on Adobe Photoshop following the rough design, then layer hand painted textures and adjust colour. After this I add hand drawn elements to pull the illustration together and bring to life.

For design, depending on the type of job, for digital work I'll usually start directly in Adobe XD or Figma, or for print it will be a mixture of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. I usually create lots of options to compare for the client, and work closely with them throughout this process to get instant feedback on preferences. I like to present the designs as realistically as possible, so for web design that means showing user flow and scrolling through the pages as they would appear in real life.

4. Iterations

Scope is usually set out in the contract, and I allow for a certain number of iterations. After all, I want a client to be completely happy with the final result. I do ask that copy is finalised prior to me starting on the work (where possible) to save wasting time and energy, for me and for the client.

5. Final delivery across formats

The artwork is prepared for print, web, social, editorial, signage or full brand identity roll-out, whatever the project needs. And I always ensure that the client has the most suitable file formats and that all artwork is arranged neatly and clearly labelled for use.

Rachael's attention to detail, imagination, technical skill and playfulness has meant our brand identity as Moving Parts has survived and thrived for 10 years since design, and we expect to remain a crucial part of our story for many years to come. Rachael designed our logo, website, style guide, and most importantly, our cast of puppet characters that feature throughout our brand. These characters have become the centre of our merchandise and most excitingly even some of our artist commissions, using the characters in their own creations. Moving Parts is synonymous with the brand identity Rachael passionately designed for us.

Kerrin Tatwood

Co-founder and Director, Moving Parts Arts