talking techniques… TALKING TECHNIQUES with
In contrast to the precision of much illustration work, Bristol’s Emma Dibben has gained a reputation for her spattered, freeform approach. She tells Jenny White why experimentation and her ‘James Bond’ brush are the keys to her unique style. Photos: Gareth Iwan Jones
E
mma Dibben’s allotment gives her more than just food; it’s a vital source of inspiration. Best known for her food illustrations, Emma works directly
from life, often using specimens grown in the allotment in Bristol. “It’s nice to be able to go to my allotment, pick
something and bring it back to the studio and draw it, then take it home and eat it at the end of the day – that’s a really satisfying cycle,” she says. “I think also it’s useful for learning more about vegetables and fruit, pulling them out of the ground with their roots on and maybe getting a bit more information on their shape. The ones that grow a bit more knobbly or misshapen are always interesting to work with.” Emma’s illustrations will be familiar to anyone who
has shopped in Waitrose (where they appear on fruit and vegetable packaging) or read Waitrose Food Illustrated, for which she illustrated a series on seasonal produce. Her work has also appeared in The Guardian, Time Out and numerous magazines including Delicious and House & Garden. Almost by accident she seems to have cornered the market for freeform, inky drawings of fruit and vegetables. “I fell into food illustration,” she admits. “When I left
Falmouth College of Arts, my portfolio only had a couple of food based pieces in it but when I went to London to show people my work, people really seemed to like those. There was one picture of beetroot that was especially popular, and then I got a couple of commissions; I started working regularly for Waitrose Food Illustrated, doing a double page spread for them every month, and it was a great way to get my work seen. It spiralled from there.” All Emma’s fruit and vegetable illustrations start out
as speedy pencil drawings. “You have to work really quickly because as time goes by the leaves flop, so it’s a good idea to take photos for reference as well. Once I’ve completed the pencil drawing I add an ink line using Indian ink. It means you give yourself a definite line to work with, whereas pencil might get covered up fairly quickly once you add colour.” The pen also adds the inky spatters that
characterise her work. “The spatters are something that happen naturally, I suppose partly because I’m drawing food that’s often quite juicy, and I’m trying to get that juicy impression across.”
Emma Dibben
“It’s nice to be able to go to my allotment, pick >
something, draw it, then take it home and eat it – that’s a really satisfying cycle”
Artists & Illustrators 47
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