ABOUT ME

Hi, I’m Billie Lauryn, also known online as @artybillie. I’m a digital illustrator and character designer based in Hull, currently studying for my BA in Fine Art. My work centres on identity, psychology, and emotion — I love exploring how these ideas can be expressed through characters and visual storytelling.

Most of my pieces start as loose sketches that I build up in Procreate or Photoshop, layering colour, light, and texture to create depth and atmosphere. I like combining painterly, expressive brushwork with clean, graphic lines — that balance helps me make characters who feel alive and intentional. I often research the theory and symbolism behind posture, colour, and costume, building mood boards before designing outfits that reflect personality or emotion.

A lot of my inspiration comes from animation, comics, and manga — things like The Legend of Korra, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Death Note, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Nana. I’m drawn to worlds where characters grow through emotion and connection. Artists like Loish, Noelle Stevenson, and Gabriel Picolo also influence how I use colour and storytelling to make digital work that feels expressive and personal.

Lately, my projects have focused on designing a hero group that celebrates individuality and emotional honesty, reimagining what power and femininity can look like in contemporary character design. Looking ahead, I’m developing ideas for narrative illustration, visual novels, and character world-building — spaces where story, design, and emotion all come together.

My goal is simple: to create characters that feel real — ones that carry both strength and vulnerability — and to make art that invites empathy, connection, and imagination.