GEORGI SMITH - LDN STREET CARTOONS

First off, can I say I am BEYOND excited to introduce this girl to you guys!

If you're a regular here, you'll know how much I love finding illustrators who create fun art, and these LDN Street cartoons by Georgi Smith are just that! I've known Georgi a long time and for as long as I can remember she has always been into the gritty, urban side of art. The first I saw of her most recent work was over on her Instagram when she posted up an illustration of Cleveland, if you haven't seen it already check it out here - its brilliant! We caught up with Georgi to talk about The Simpsons, illustration and what her plans are next!

Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself...

So I'm Georgi, 22, born and bred in NW London. I've always had an interest in the creative world and always had so many ideas bursting from my brain but never was able to put them to life. Until now! I spent the latter of my education studying business management and that was really my main focus for me for a number of years. 

Once I completed my degree I knew I wanted to do something on the creative side. I now work for a fantastic company which has a group of sister companies which I am heavily involved in the design aspects. Although it is interesting and challenging, it still has its corporate limits. Which is why I decided to apply my skills outside of work on my own little projects! And I am so glad to see the response from my first Simpson Series, which is almost finished. Makes it all worth it. 

What got you into illustrations?

Illustrations are like my portal, where I can transform the ideas I have in my head, onto a computer screen and paper. Im not too good at drawing and as soon as I started using illustrating programmes I realised I could pick things up quite quickly. There are so many people who have influenced me over the past year or two from my best friend at uni who hand draws very intricate designs, to my boyfriend who produces amazing graphics and videos and my brother who is on another level with his design work. So really, I wanted to find the outlet that I could call my own, that I could boss. And what better way to do that than combine London photography with our most loved cartoon characters! 

What were your ideas behind these illustrations?

Like most Londoners, we love to show off our city. I wanted to show a more nitty gritty view of London, including London Underground, whilst mixing it with characters or people I could really see in certain situations. The ideas come to me when I see something simple, and I can just imagine a cartoon character in the picture. So of course I get my camera out, take a snap, and get illustrating. 

Why the Simpsons? 

From the age of about 11 theres been 2 things that have been consistent in my life: The Simpsons and grime. The Simpsons has such a huge fan base, which I can totally appreciate so why not! The characters have SO much to work with, as they all have catch phrases and specific personalities it is so easy to put them in situations. I'm definitely saving the best till last in this series.  

What else can we expect from you in the future?

Well, as I mentioned, I am a huge fan of grime. I am looking to do a grime series next featuring some underground clothing and memorable bars from certain mixes, heavily involving my favourite crew. I have a lot of ideas about future series I can produce, I wish there was more hours in the day! I'm also jetting off to LA in August, so I'll be looking to do a wicked project then. 

Will you be making prints? ;-)

I certainly will be. I had a few done for samples and they came out pretty good so I'll definitely be printing all of my characters as soon as the series is finished. Of course my good friends at Talk Casuals will be receiving these ASAP! I'm looking to team up with my brother on the selling side of things as he also has some amazing products, and I'm sure you will be seeing more of us both very soon! 

I fully cannot wait to see the final pieces in this series, and I can't wait to see whats next! Make sure you give Georgi a follow on her Instagram to be the first to see her work, but we'll be keeping you updated here on the blog. Her and Mike are definitely ones to watch...