How illustrator Alyah Holmes brings vibrant worlds to life

Illustration may be an increasingly competitive field, but Alyah Holmes has succeeded in standing out. The American-Canadian illustrator and designer has managed to carve a niche for herself thanks to her vibrant, playful style, which has won her work with clients ranging from Nike and Coca-Cola to Penguin Random House and The Ellen Degeneres Show.

Represented by IllustrationX, Alyah has also been recognised by a number of awards bodies, most recently being shortlisted for both the 2024 World Illustration Awards and Communication Arts awards. We chatted to Alyah about her love of drawing, her creative journey to date, and her plans for the future.

Childhood passion

Alyah's distinctive style, characterised by bright colours and character-driven illustrations, has deep roots in her childhood interests.

"I've always definitely been attracted to bright, vibrant colours," she explains. "That's the kind of artwork that stands out to me. I do a lot of character work, and that definitely comes from being obsessed with Archie comics when I was younger. I also just liked reading about people and seeing people. And I started doodling a lot, which was always people, mostly women. So I think it all came naturally."

In other words, she always knew that drawing or illustration art was her thing. "I took art classes for Christmas and birthdays," she recalls. "My family would always ask me to do paintings for them. I was always gifted things like sketchbooks. It was definitely always my passion." But transitioning from a hobby to something you get paid for wasn't so clear-cut.

"In high school, we didn't learn about the creative avenues you can take," she explains. "And the city I grew up in was pretty small. We didn't have any creative university or college programs that really matched what I wanted to do. So it wasn't until years later that I ended up finding a program, moving away and actually pursuing it."

The joy of creation

Her persistence has paid off, though, and today her work spans various media, including editorial, commercial, advertising, packaging, branding and publishing projects.

And her enthusiasm for this work is palpable. "I can create worlds and create people, which is what I love," she says. "Like when I was younger, I used to sit there and doodle and draw people, make up their personalities and what their name would be. And now I get to do that for a career."

And it's a career that works well for the self-declared introvert. "I love that I can work from home and feel cosy and safe in my office, just drawing," she notes. "And one project is not usually exactly like the other, so it's very exciting. You get to bring stories and ideas to life. It's great to just also see your work out there in the real world as well."

Looking ahead

As she continues to build her impressive portfolio, Holmes remains focused on consistency and growth. Her future goals include maintaining a strong social media presence, although she recognises that when it comes to commissions, this is a pretty hit and miss affair.

"Honestly, you could be posting every single day and drawing every single day and maybe you're not getting as many clients as someone who has tons of followers," she says. "So it's definitely not a reflection on your work. It's more about just being continuous and posting work out there. And the more you post, you just never know who's going to come across it. You know, one person sharing your work can lead to your next big client."

With her unique style and growing list of clients, Alyah Holmes is clearly an illustrator to watch. And her journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring artists, showing that with passion and perseverance, it's possible to turn a love for drawing into a thriving career.