about me
Hi, I’m Minnie, an illustrator from South-East London.
I primarily work in sketchbooks, using gouache and coloured pencils to document everyday life. I love a bit of nostalgia, so my sketchbook is somewhere I can hoard little trinkets, record memories, and keep track of all the small details I notice day-to-day.
In 2022, I published my first book, The 30-Day Sketchbook Project, offering approachable tutorials, prompts, and a peek into my own sketchbook practice. It’s designed to help artists build a consistent sketching habit and overcome the fear of the blank page. Really, I wrote it to share the magic of sketchbooking with as many people as I could reach. There is something so special about slowing down and being present with your self, your surroundings and your hobbies, which is a message that also comes up regularly across the 300+ videos on my YouTube channel.
And now, I’m branching into writing and illustrating my own children’s books to- alongside my art prints- build wider worlds for curious minds to explore.
Thank you for visiting my site and taking the time to explore my work.
for business enquiries, please email minnie@minniesmall.co.uk
frequently asked questions
What is the return policy?
As an independent artist, I’m afraid I’m unable to accept returns or issue refunds. As such, please make sure you’ve read all product descriptions carefully and choose tracked shipping if you want to be sure to avoid missing packages.
In case of a damaged product, a replacement or a refund will be sent if you get in touch within 30 days of product delivery.
For more information on refunds and returns, please visit the Return Policies page.
When will I get my order?
Your order will be shipped within 2-5 days. Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email with further information. Delivery times vary depending on your location.
For more information on shipping, please visit the Shipping Policies page.
What did you use for *insert drawing/painting name here* ?
I have a handful of supplies that I’m always drawn to (terrible pun, please ignore). You can see the full list of my most commonly used art supplies here.
I also make sure to list all tools and filming equipment in the description of my videos.
Do you have advice for beginner artists?
When I started drawing, I was tracing Disney characters from the covers of VHS tapes. I drew the things I liked the look of; copying various artists, making up characters and dinosaurs and sketching from life, things like trains and furniture on childhood trips to museums. There wasn’t much intention to any of it- I drew because it was fun- but here and there along the way I started to develop different skills.
This is all just a long-winded way for me to tell you what I’m sure you’ve heard a million times. Just draw. Sketch and doodle and scribble whenever you have a free moment. Do it on scrap paper with 99p store supplies so you don’t have to worry about ‘wasting’ anything. Draw the things you want to draw even if that means copying other people.
Disclaimer: In my opinion, it’s fine (and pretty useful sometimes) to copy or study others’ work for practice, as long as you’re not just focusing on one person and trying to emulate them and- of course- don’t post any of those copied images online.
Draw all the time. And if you can feel that you’re lacking knowledge in a particular area- something that’s holding back the potential of your work- research it. Search YouTube for tutorials, buy books from charity shops or Amazon.
Another great resource is Skillshare, an online learning platform with thousands of interactive classes that should cover everything you're looking for. I've used the site for many years now and have found it invaluable in my self-taught journey. You can sign up for 2 free months to the premium service here.*
You’ll never have all the answers. All you can do for sure is draw and draw and draw.
What about finding your style?
If you’re drawing the things you like and you’re studying and absorbing art that appeals to you, your style will develop naturally and gradually without you really realising. It will constantly change and evolve as your interests and tastes change too.
As far as I’m concerned, ‘finding your style’ should be secondary to understanding the fundamentals.
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
— Pablo Picasso
*affiliate link
Did you go to art school?
Nope. When I finished school, studying art and pursuing a career in it wasn’t on my mind at all. I had other plans and went on to read Spanish and English briefly at King’s College London before dropping out and only fell back into making art as a hobby a year or so later.
How did you start your career?
I gradually built up a presence on social media by posting my art regularly on Instagram and Tumblr. It started as a hobby and a creative outlet as I worked at a supermarket and tried to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. A few years in, I realised that if I really took it seriously and applied myself I could make this a living, so I poured all my time outside of work into building up a body of artwork, starting my online shop and launching my YouTube channel (which became a huge factor in building an amazing community of followers and friends!!). After a good few years of balancing my time at Sainsbury’s with my growing art and social media commitments- and a long time of saving all my spare pennies for contingency- I took the leap and quit my job and I haven’t looked back since!
I have a video where I talk about this entire journey in detail, from what led me to drop out of uni to how I knew I was ready to quit my job. You can watch it here!