JEN RUSSELL-SMITH
Jen Russell-Smith is a freelance illustrator based in London, UK, who specializes in home portraits.
Visit her WEBSITE
Check out her INSTAGRAM
Send her an EMAIL
CREATIVE STATEMENT
I've always loved houses and buildings, and they way the reflect the history and stories of the people who have moved throught them, so when I first started seeking commissioned work I was repeatedly drawn towards requests for house and venue portraits until this, very naturally, became my niche! Over the last ten years, I've completed more than a thousand house, venue and location portraits, each one adding another brick or tile to my expertise in capturing the personality hidden inside the walls. I've drawn a huge variety of places, from a 100+ year old cottage, to a tiny Welsh chapel, to modern apartments buildings and glorious stately homes.
I'm always excited by seeing a new project to draw, and receiving a new brief. Wherever I go, I find myself examining the buildings around me, wondering about their story and how I would draw it. I keep a sketchbook for looser, more experimental work, and often find the ideas and fleeting obsessions captured within are refined and reflected into my commissioned work.
I strongly believe the most important factor in creating a succesful illustration is the interaction between the artist and the client—it's imperative to me to listen and collaborate with whoever I've working with to ensure we work together, adjusting and experimenting if required, to end up with something that is both an accurate depiction of the building, but also captures the sense of place that the client hopes to record.
RECENT CLIENTS
- Various private commissions
- Amy Stoddard Studio, London
- Forward Interiors, Toronto
- Glosters Pottery, Porthmadog
- Darlish Ice Cream, UK
Q&A
What is your favorite style of architecture?
Whatever I've just drawn! But I do always have a soft spot for red-brick Victorian.
Which do you prefer: country living or city life?
A mixture of both! The outskirts of a city is perfect for me—close enough to town that I can avoid daily car use, but can easily find some wilderness and watch the changing seasons.
What feature most gives a house personality?
The extra little features that show someone has put time and effort into making it more than just a building or a shelter—whether that's decorative stonework around the windows, a fancy porch, or just beautiful planters around the door.