Image courtesy of Knots & Kisses.
Paper makes me happy – anything from note cards to diaries, right through to bespoke illustrations hanging in my home. I love the smell of the paper, the feel of the card and the details such as vellum envelopes, wax seals and metallic embossing. Giving and receiving beautiful, quality stationery is something else and really should be treasured.
A wedding is the perfect event for you to make all of your paper dreams come true. So, when one of our favourite wedding stationers, Nikki from Knots & Kisses, ventured into venue illustrations we just knew we had to share with you guys.
Venues + Stationery = DREAM.
If you’re choosing your stationery right now, then consider a bespoke design that will become a beautiful memento of your big day.
Notes from Knots & Kisses
Nikki says…
I’m Nikki Sherriff… also known as Knots & Kisses and now The Venue Illustrator!
I trained in fashion illustration initially at University but have been painting and drawing for as long as I can remember!
Since 2009 I have been running my wedding stationery and styling business Knots & Kisses and, as part of that, I have always created hand drawn and hand painted elements for stationery designs and backdrops. One of my most popular services though has always been including a pen and ink or watercolour painting of the client’s venue or home on their stationery and so this year I decided to open a dedicated arm to my business ‘The Venue Illustrator‘.
I’ve always loved weddings, but the main catalyst for exploring it as an industry I wanted to develop a career in was my sister’s wedding. She came to me for help to create a styled look and stationery for her wedding and I loved it so much I decided to quit my job in Visual Merchandising and set up Knots & Kisses!
The wedding industry has since been such an amazing creative outlet and I absolutely love being involved in couple’s big day!
The variety of venues and places I get to paint is amazing and keeps my venue illustration work so fun and stimulating. This year I’ve done everything from gothic cathedrals to barns, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona to the Louvre in Paris, and also beaches in St Lucia and railway stations in Yorkshire!
I particularly love drawing and painting really architectural buildings, which is funny as my husband works in architecture, but they give a great opportunity to draw perspective really well.
Services
At The Venue Illustrator I offer a range of services as either black & white, pen & ink drawings or full watercolour paintings.
These can either be one off paintings as wedding, anniversary or birthday gifts which are sent as unframed original works of art and make fantastic presents. Alternatively, as part of my stationery services with Knots & Kisses, I can illustrate a full set of invitations and stationery for your wedding, including your venue painting. Table names and table plans can also be fully illustrated with individual venue paintings.
Luxe and personal best describe my style. Providing a high quality service whilst creating pictures which are totally personal to the client is what The Venue Illustrator is all about.
I love to achieve that personal touch for a couples wedding, event or gift. Adding a bespoke piece of artwork will make your wedding completely unique and totally personal to you.
Prices
Prices can vary for bespoke artwork depending on the level of detail in the venue you send me to illustrate. I work from a single photo in most instances, so I’ll ask to see the photo before then giving a bespoke quote for each illustration.
But as a guide, one off black & white sketches start from £55 and colour paintings from about £85. Obviously the more complicated the venue, the more work is involved and the higher the price.
For wedding stationery bespoke design costs and individual stationery prices can be found on my Knots & Kisses website.
Advice
My main advice for anyone commissioning bespoke artwork is to realise that this is something that is uniquely painted once. This is not something that is digitally created and can be gone back to and edited once it’s completed in photoshop. Make sure you are 100% happy with the image you have provided, that this is exactly the view you want painting, and that there aren’t bollards, plinths, hedges and people in the way of the building or view.
Credits
Bespoke Venue Illustrations The Venue Illustrator
Wedding Stationery Design Knots & Kisses
Please note all illustrations within this feature are COPYRIGHT © KNOTS & KISSES.
