*Happy faces! A group picture of Tamsyn (far left) from Illustrated Live with UWE researchers and the We the Curious team at their event about reimagining volunteering in Bristol, UK.*

Ever wanted to follow a day in the life of a live event illustrator? Well, sit tight and let us tickle those taste buds!

Earlier this year, our illustrator Tamsyn scooted off to Bristol for the day to sprinkle visual magic for a University of West of England-funded project alongside We the Curious, all about reimagining volunteering. With iPad, charger, notebook and pens in hand, she hopped on the train to bring the event to life.

“I always take a notebook and plenty of pens in case I want to make notes or have more room to work out ideas.” - Tamsyn.

You see, us live event illustrators are expert listeners and speedy translators! We come well-prepared for your event so that once it starts, we can very quickly pick out the juicy bits and convert them into illustrations which not only pop, but capture the heart of what you’re saying so it sticks with you afterwards. And yep… we’re doing it in real time!

“People were very interested to watch me draw. I showed them how I used my apple pencil, and let them into the process!” - Tamsyn.

The impact of images in real time

“At the beginning, lots of people were encouraged to write down their ideas about a topic, and it was very interesting for me to see how almost nobody drew any pictures. There was an icon drawn once or twice, but it was mostly very wordy. I thought about how indicative that is of learning at school, and how people aren't taught to take visual notes. Everything is very word-heavy and maybe not that neurodivergent/dyslexic friendly.” - Tamsyn

This is exactly why live illustration hits the nail on the head for so many of us - especially at important events where something needs to be achieved by the end of it.

In a world full of words and serious business that needs doing, visual information may not be our natural default for creating that information ourselves, but it’s kind of our brain’s default way of processing big information quickly, with lasting impact, and of course… It looks bloomin’ lovely too! As for the team at Illustrated Live, this is 100% our default method of getting the right info across, so that’s what we do for you!

Engaging communication is something we all want a bit more of in our organisations, right? Who’d have thought it could all start with a doodle?!

*Sneak peek at part of our live event Illustration for UWE and We the Curious.*

We have fun along the way as well too…

“I really loved hearing about volunteering from We the Curious, and how the group of people there make sure their volunteers are treated with respect and are shown appreciation. I also liked learning what the organisation can give back to their local community.” - Tamsyn.

Thanks for having us, UWE / We the Curious!

Fancy following some of our other illustration journeys behind the scenes and hearing more from the team? Let us know and we’ll make it happen!

If you’ve found yourself feeling curious about what kind of benefits a visual element in your next event could bring, we’re only a click away.

Get in touch!

x Illustrated Live team