MSI LAPTOPS X FRANKIEMSI’s new P65 laptop is
ultra-thin and light, has a
true-colour screen with close
to 100% SRGB standard,
super-fast processing, and
up to nine hours battery life.
Hooray! To see more, head to
au.msi.compure and simple
BONNIE EICHELBERGER HAS MADE IT
HER BUSINESS TO CREATE GRAPHIC,
NATURE-INSPIRED ART.
Interview Sophie Kalagas Photographs Stephanie Rose Wood
Hey Bonnie! Tell us a bit about your style of art. Hello! My illustration
style has a minimal and graphic aesthetic that has been influenced by
my experience in printmaking and graphic design. My subjects tend to
focus on the female form, natural elements, symbolism and surreal ideas.
How did you become a professional illustrator? After high school, I studied
a diploma of illustration at TAFE, but when I finished I was still quite young
and felt I needed more qualifications under my belt. This led me to study a
diploma in graphic design. I realised I worked illustration into every brief I
had, so it became obvious that was the path I needed to pursue. I took on
internships, one of which eventually turned into a full-time gig as a designer
and letterpress printer. Making the leap to becoming a professional illustrator
only came when I decided I had to make it happen. There’s still a lot of
learning to go, but that’s what makes this such a great adventure!
Describe your workspace for us, please. At the moment it’s fairly minimal.
I like to have my favourite reference books at arm’s length; some calming
plants and incense; good tunes; and my dog Pluto. I also have a collection
of postcards and drawings that friends have given me – some of the
greatest inspirations!
What’s your illustration process like? To begin, I do a lot of really bad
drawings – quick and rough thumbnails to get down all the ideas I have,
whether they’re bad or good. From there, I decide which ones might be
worth exploring further. I draw from memory and source references to help
me with specific items. This can be from books, the internet or my own
photos (sometimes this means posing and taking weird photos of myself
- I hope no one gets their hands on my camera roll!). Once the drawing
is coming together compositionally, I take it into Adobe Illustrator and
experiment with colours and textures to produce the final artwork.
Talk us through this piece you’re working on here. This is a personal piece
that started with a random drawing in my sketchbook. I drew it after
coming out of a really busy time, so I’d say it’s about rest and taking time
to be with nature.
How did you find working on the MSI P65 laptop? It was great! I finished
the colouring for this illustration in Adobe Illustrator, and the textures I’ve
used can often slow things down, but the laptop handled the large files really
well. I could also switch between programs super-fast, like my emails and a
productivity app I use to track my time. On top of that, it’s nice and lightweight.
What’s next for you? I want to keep making my drawings move! I want to
bring them to life more by creating very short GIF-style animations. I’ve been
dabbling in Adobe After Effects; it’s been great learning a new tool.