Debbie Knight

Debbie has always had a strong connection with nature since her childhood and has been drawing for as long as she can remember. She studied Visual Communication Design (Graphic Design) for four years at Ware College in Hertfordshire which helped her land her first creative job in children’s book publishing over 20 years ago. She currently works as a graphic designer four days a week with the remainder of her time now devoted to her love of observing & illustrating wildlife.

In 2014, Debbie moved to an old thatched cottage in the Essex countryside, where she noticed various bird species she’d not seen before. As the feeders in her garden increased, so did the photographs of feathered visitors. These photos have acted as a reference for most (not all) of her illustrations. Typically, her drawings arise from whatever she has seen whilst out in nature or from learning about particular species under threat.

Debbie’s current collection are hand-drawn on her iPad. After years of using coloured pencils, pastels and other traditional media, she has found that a digital canvas works well for her. It enables her to retain the freedom of drawing naturally yet allows for total control, ultimately saving time and materials. Debbie is very conscious of the impact that we, as consumers have on the environment, so the digital aspect of production fits with her desire to reduce this. Additionally, she ensures that all of the paper products her illustrations feature are eco-friendly and sustainably printed here in the UK.