An artist has shared a new series of vibrant, wander-lust inspiring illustrations done at a range of diverse destinations that he has visited around the world. Having successfully captured the imaginations of thousands of followers online, the artist has now shared tips for other creatives hoping to fund their travels by creating their own work.
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The new illustration series is called, “Little Cities”, and was produced by 23-year-old self-taught artist Maxwell Tilse. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Max moved to London two years ago, before he began backpacking to different destinations across Europe. His habit of keeping a travel diary of drawings quickly evolved into Max creating and selling hand drawn postcards of the places he visited.
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“As the weeks rolled past and I visited more and more places, the diary became bigger and bigger. I was drawing almost every day and I just fell in love with the process. Eventually my drawings got better. Other travellers bought them from me for a warm meal or a few dollars here and there. Instagram and social media were fundamental in getting my work out there to a larger audience. I could post a little drawing from the road, upload it, and someone would almost always ask if it was available to purchase,” Maxwell told Lonely Planet Travel News.
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Maxwell is able to carry all of the materials necessary for creating artwork easily while on the road, allowing him the freedom to make more stock as he is on the move. The new series measure approximately 5 x 5 inches and are done in Indian ink, promarkers and nib. The vast majority of Maxwell’s work that sells, does so to people overseas that he hasn’t met.
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Knowing that many other artists dream of travelling the world, Max offered some tips based on what he has learned throughout the past few years. “My advice is just to draw. Draw and draw until you develop a clear unique style and are able to produce work at a relatively speedy rate. Travelling through countries where you can stretch your funds just that little bit further is a must. I spent two months in Morocco where the cost of travelling is a fraction of the cost in Europe or North America.”
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The next destinations on Maxwell’s travel bucket list include Bulgaria and Istanbul. More of his art is available to view on his website.
