Melissa Holland

Illustration

I use a variety of digital and traditional media and tools to illustrate e.g. aquarelle and graphite pencils, ink, gouache, Photoshop and various digital tablet software such as Freeform. In the past, I’ve also used the airbrush.

The transition from ‘hands on’ to strategic design catalysed a change in how I work. I now (mostly) use my concept design and illustration skills to convey ideas, insights and principles. This includes:

  • stories and analogies 
  • dramatically sketchy and almost understandable white board squiggles (coupled with physical movements to illustrate my point)
  • post-it notes
  • whatever more refined visuals are needed to communicate and achieve a mutually beneficial outcome (e.g. qualitative and quantitative data, customer journeys, context maps, frameworks). 

Abstract

An illustration by Melissa Holland called 4 Faces (Janus). It was created using gouache on watercolour paper.
4 Faces (Janus) — gouache on watercolour paper
An illustration by Melissa Holland called My Favourite Things. It was created using gouache on watercolour paper.
My Favourite Things — gouache on watercolour paper — inspired by listening to John Coltrane
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Janus. It was created using gouache on watercolour paper.
Janus — gouache on watercolour paper — inspired by Celtic and psychedelic art — used in a 2D animation that I created called ‘Rose’ 
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Tile Number 01. It was created using gouache on watercolour paper.
Tile Number 01 — gouache on water colour paper — inspired by Art Deco, tiles in the entrances to Dutch house and Calla Lily by Emma Bossons
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Celtic Horses. It was created using gouache and silver pen on watercolour paper.
Celtic Horses — gouache, silver pen on watercolour paper — inspired by Celtic art

For children

An illustration of a Smooth Fox Terrier by Melissa Holland called Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. It was created using airbrushed ink and pencil on paper.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Smooth Fox Terrier) — airbrushed ink and pencil on paper
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Celtic Stag. It was created using ink and airbrushed ink on paper board.
Celtic Stag — ink, airbrushed ink on paper board — inspired by Celtic art and mythology
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Boy Capturing the Little Elephant. It was created using ink, airbrushed ink and colour pencil on paper board.
Boy Capturing the Little Elephant — ink, airbrushed ink, colour pencil on paperboard — created for a proposed children’s book
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Little Elephants Raiding the Village. It was created using ink, airbrushed ink and colour pencil on paper board.
Little Elephants Raiding the Village — ink, airbrushed ink, colour pencil on paper board — created for a proposed children’s book
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Thumbnail Men. It was created using graphite on paper, nails and Photoshop.
Thumbnail People — graphite on paper, nails (yes), Photoshop — inspired by the infinite value of human thumbs 
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Quetzalcoatl (The Plumed Serpent) Brings the Joy of Koko to the Word. It was created using pencil and ink on paper.
Quetzalcoatl (The Plumed Serpent) Brings the Joy of Koko to the World — pencil and ink on paper — entered in the Koko Black Creative Drawing Competition of 2009, where the brief was to illustrate what is inside the magic egg
And if you’re really interested in the details (I’d like to think that maybe one person is …)

In this illustration, Quetzalcoatl (The Plumed Serpent and god of chocolate) is depicted emerging from the first ripe cacao bean. As he emerges, cacao seedlings and flowers flourish. Midges descend from the sky to pollinate the flowers. In the background, chocolate temples have risen.

My entry was inspired by my fascination with the ancient art of Latin America (and with thanks to the animated series that kicked off that interest — The Mysterious Cities of Gold).

Surreal

An illustration by Melissa Holland called Fire Demons. It was created using graphite on paper and Photoshop.
Fire Demons — graphite on paper, Photoshop — inspired by Tibetan Buddhist iconography and psychedelic Western poster art — created for a 3D animation I created called 108
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Electric Medusa. It was created using airbrushed ink, gouache and pencil on paper board, and Photoshop.
Electric Medusa — airbrushed ink, gouache and pencil on paper board, Photoshop — inspired by Celtic art, Art Nouveau and psychedelic Western poster art — created for a band album cover and website
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Electric Medusa (rear). It was created using airbrushed ink, gouache and pencil on paper board, and Photoshop.
Electric Medusa (rear) — the back cover of the above album cover
An illustration by Melissa Holland called Head Music. It was created using airbrushed ink, silver pen and pencil on paper.
Head Music — airbrushed ink, silver pen, colour pencil on watercolour paper — inspired by Celtic art, Surrealism and 1960s-1970s album covers — created for an album cover

Words + pictures

Back when the world was young and friends were posting what they ate for breakfast on a new platform that only allowed short sentences, I challenged myself to convey a story online, using pictures more than words and  combining traditional and digital methods. 

This work is inspired by the illustrations of Tom Seidmann-Freud [you must read vintage (analog) interactive book The Magic Boat], comic art of R. Crumb and Expressionist Edvard Munch.

Drawing 1 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Oboe and Melodeon have fun writing music together
Drawing 2 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
They do some recording
Drawing 3 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
But they need a singer
Drawing 4 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
What to do, what to do
Drawing 5 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Ah hah! Oboe meets a fellow called Dulcimer, who prefers writing songs to essays
Drawing 6 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Drinking wine and beer, they talk and talk
Drawing 7 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
mostly about music
Drawing 8 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
We get on alright
Drawing 3 from my digital w9 xrk Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Yeah! 
Drawing 10 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
We do some recording together 
Drawing 11 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Dulcimer makes friends with the microphone
Drawing 12 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Melodeon sounds good, when she’s on the right side of the keyboard
Drawing 13 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
while Oboe plays guitar with his hands and records with his feet 
Drawing 14 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Timpani the friendly drummer helps us out on the tracks
Drawing 15 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
While recording, Oboe (Davros) pulls everyone up for making mistakes
Drawing 16 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
He cracks the whip
Drawing 17 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Dulcimer sings. Take 1, Take 2 … 
Drawing 18 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Melodeon tries to make friends with the metronome
Drawing 19 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Oboe’s hands and feet work faster, and faster … 
Drawing 20 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Timpani gets cabin fever … 
Drawing 21 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Harmony at last 
Drawing 22 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Hopefully Oboe remembers to press ‘record’
Drawing 23 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
We stop recording. Hurrah. 
Drawing 24 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Oboe mixes down the tracks. He goes crazy like mixed nuts. 
Drawing 25 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Mix + master = CD
Drawing 26 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
Melodeon digs out the pencils and airbrush. Hello cover art, goodbye sanity.
Drawing 27 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
All done! 
Drawing 28 from my digital work Biography of a Band. It’s the story of a band starting out, presented in an online comic strip format.
You can make up the rest 

Life drawing

A charcoal, eraser and graphite on paper life drawing by Melissa Holland called Leaning Girl.
Leaning Girl — charcoal, eraser and graphite on tracing paper — digitised and animated for a pop up micro gallery at my university
An ink on paper life drawing by Melissa Holland called Old Man Leaning.
Old Man, Leaning — ink on watercolour paper
An pencil and charcoal on paper life drawing by Melissa Holland called Bare Foot.
Bare Foot — charcoal and graphite on paper
A charcoal, eraser and graphite on paper life drawing by Melissa Holland called Old Man and Death.
Old Man and Death — charcoal, graphite and eraser on paper — digitised and animated for a pop up micro gallery at my university

This is the end. (Of this page). Thank you for making it to this point!