Sonja Burniston
Sonja Burniston
About the Maker
Sonja is a printmaker and illustrator whose work is thoughtful, vibrant and often comforting. Through printmaking she responds to words and experiences, capturing relatable humanity in the layers of warm colours that make up her work. Through her prints, she aims to share the warmth and connection she sees, and encourage positive social changes. Sonja sells her prints as part of The Poly Guild, at markets and online, and works as a freelance illustrator.
Process
I think of my images in colour layers. They usually start as a drawing, depicting a moment, real or imagined. Then I will use a lightbox to trace on top separating the image into sections. I draw all of the parts I want to be a certain colour using crayons, ink, pencil and felt tips to achieve the textures I then move onto the next colour on a new piece of trugrain or paper. Then, either expose these onto a screen to make a stencil for printing through or, if i’m working digitally, scan them in to colour and layer them in photoshop. "Once you start making, more and more ideas come to you. This creative momentum is hard to imagine when you’re stuck, but feels so good when you're in the flow again!"
