Rebecca Jenkins Interview

What is your favourite card you’ve designed for Sunshine Llama and why?

My favourite card from the collection I designed would probably have to be the ‘Reach for the Stars’ design. I feel the colours of the stars all look so fun, and I think the cute lil checkerboard sleeves really tie it together. I also feel this card serves as a very good reminder not to be afraid to aim as high as possible with all your goals!

Can you tell us a little bit more about your design process? What do you enjoy most?

I start off by creating very loose sketches on my iPad using Procreate. Once I am happy with the design, I draw it out fully and add in all the colours I want to use! This is by far my favourite part, as I love deciding what type of palette will work best for my pieces. I also use a lot of mixed media in my work, including collage, which I have also used in my card collection – some of the papery textures you can see are where I used acrylic paint swatches I had scanned in and onto my iPad! I think it adds a super nice effect.

How did you get into illustration/design?

I studied Fashion + Textiles for 2 years in college, which is where I first started really playing around with illustration – in particular digital illustration. Since then, I have been studying Illustration at University and am currently in my final year. I absolutely love everything illustration + design related, so I have had a really great time learning as much as possible!

Where do you find inspiration?

Everywhere! So many things inspire me! I am constantly inspired by the natural world around me and love going on walks and being surrounded by nature. But I am also very inspired by various items I have collected over the years, from weird kitsch figures to all my Miffy + Moomin teddies; my room is filled to the brim of all the things that inspire me!

Who is your favourite artist?

This is such a hard question! I honestly don’t think I can pick just one! I’m a huge fan of anything children’s book/design related, as it’s what I would love to go into one day! So the people who come to mind first are Oliver Jeffers, The Printed Peanut (Louise Lockhart) and Ingela P Arrhenius – I just love how fun and playful their work is!

Do you have any top tips for aspiring designers?

Ooo for me, I would say the best tip for aspiring designers is not to be afraid to put yourself out there – reach out to brands and companies no matter how big or small, even if it’s to just say hi and introduce who you are and what you do! You never know what opportunities you may get! Also sketchbooking! Take it everywhere with you – the best ideas come unexpectedly!

 What’s been the best part about working with Sunshine Llama? What have you enjoyed most?

For me, I absolutely loved how helpful the team at Sunshine Llama were. Whether it was advice on the card designs, colour palettes, sizing etc, they were there on hand to make it as easy and stress-free as possible, which I massively appreciated – making the whole experience super enjoyable.

 Can you tell us a fun fact about yourself?

I have a sweet lil bunny rabbit named Violet! She’s grey, has big floppy ears, and her all-time fave snacks are dried apple and cabbage!

 Favourite film

This is super tricky as I am not a massive film watcher! However, if I had to choose, it would probably be Spirited Away, I’ve watched it so many times + I just absolutely love it. Or maybe Fantastic Mr Fox! The visuals get me every time – such a special film.