There’s humor to be found in Fran Labuschagne’s illustrations, but also a healthy dose of empathy and love for mankind. Featuring mainly human characters, her illustrated universe is crowded and lively. Composed of both organic and rigid shapes, her characters stand out for their lack of detail with their faces entirely missing, leaving room for humoristic interpretation.
Like most illustrators, Labuschagne’s creative process includes a lot of sketching. “Sketching out an idea first can be very helpful, as you aren’t trying to make it look good, but rather attempting to get the idea out your head,” she told Ballpitmag.
As her work is almost entirely digital, with her favorite medium being Adobe Illustrator, once the sketch is approved by the client, she dives into the final digital renderings. Sometimes, she uses Photoshop for some texturing, but mostly she prefers subtle textures to jarring ones.
“I am quite the perfectionist,” says Labuschagne, “so working with a medium that enables you to align points and object with one another is quite enjoyable for me.” “My work is very detail-oriented, and I’ve come to realize that I see small details in the real world,” she adds. “I see patterns on trees, faces on top of mountains, I notice the colors of a seagull’s feet. My work brain and life brain is someone forming one.”
You can see more of her work on Instagram.
