Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Victoria @victorialouiseillustration

1) Tell us a little about yourself. What are you doing now and where do you come from?

Harking from sunny Southend on sea, a little town along the Great British seaside, I moved to Australia to live the dream 3 years ago and have settled in beautiful Sydney! I have a part time day job 3 days a week and dedicate the rest of my time to drawing beautiful faces (every face is beautiful) and building my presence in the world of art!

2) What are your topics of interest? What do you post on Instagram the most?

Most of my posts are illustrations, but I also like to post about lifestyle and different / new products and art supplies I have purchased. I love sharing a new discovery with my followers! I try to be engaging as possible in my posts and will always talk with everyone who comments – I love the interaction! I also like to post quotes I might find inspirational, or talk about struggles I have and how I overcome them in my comments. I like to think I can encourage and inspire other artists!

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

Soo. I have always been an artist at heart. I’ve always painted and drawn for as long as I care to remember. In April I was presented with an opportunity with BBC Worldwide to produce an image of David Attenborough to be used on a pop up channel in New Zealand. As an artist this was an unreal opportunity! I realised this was something that I truely feel passionate about and decided to ride the publicity from the BBC and start taking my art seriously… And so my Instagram account was born! my Instagram name is straight to the point… Victoria Louise is my name… And I think illustration speaks for itself 🙂

4) What are some apps you use to edit your photos? Share with us your photo-editing routine!

I have actually begun to use my dlsr camera to take pictures as the picture is much better quality… They still tend to go through editing apps on my phone though! My two favourites are Afterlight because of the endless amounts of filters and edits available, and Instasize to add a frame to all my pictures… All of them square with a frame of the same width… I like how neat and clean it makes my account. With my illustrations I will often clear up the background using photoshop, removing any smudges and maybe colouring them in a slightly different colour to make them pop when compared to illustrations by other artists. I think it’s important to make my account different to others… Instagram has a lot of artists out there! Im enjoying classy black and white shots currently 🙂

5) Any Instagrammers whom you really like? Which Instagrammer inspires you the most?

I follow quite a number of art sharing accounts, I find the different work they share inspiring! My favourite is Creative Movement, they post some wonderful work and conversation starters which facilitate communication between artists, which I really enjoy! I also follow two small accounts that stick in my mind – blacklineedit and 100faces. Both are graphite artists too and I just really enjoy how they present their work!

6) If there’s one thing your fellow Instagrammers just gotta try now, what’s it gonna be?

Really paying attention to when and what you post and being engaging and having conversations with people! So many accounts just do not engage with followers.. It feels almost as though they are a ghost sitting in a tall tower! I think it’s important to be a real person and build connections 🙂

7) What’s your favorite part about being an influencer?

Inspiring other Instagram users is probably my favourite thing about being an influencer! Also it’s pretty great sharing my artwork with people and getting such incredible feedback 🙂

8) What are some of your top tips to brands for running campaigns? How do you maintain authenticity?

Hashtags are literally my lifeline. I’ve found so many great artists through various hashtags I use and they’ve also helped me build my followers no end. I pay attention to the kind of market I want to target and choose hashtags to suit them also. Another thing I always pay attention to is the time of day I post, I have learnt what time I get most activity. If an image is topical, I will choose to post around tv shows and news reports etc. For example at the end of the series of tv show Peaky Blinders last week, I posted an illustration I did of the main character and used hashtags relating to the show to maximise exposure. I also make sure I post regularly but never the same content. Authenticity is so important in my book. I will be engaging in my posts, encourage conversation, make genuine compliments to other artists, and speak from the heart as often as possible.. I guess that’s what being an artist is all about!

9) What would your advice be on the importance of quality and original content?

Original content is so important. No one wants to follow 5 accounts posting the same thing. I’ve unfollowed accounts for the same reason! I think use others for inspiration but find a way to make it your own. Quality is equally important! Composing an interesting and well thought out image… No one wants to look at a half assed attempt! Posts should be inspiring and engaging and make the user stop and pay attention.

10) What do you like best about partnering with brands?

Having the ability to share how great the brands are with others! Influencing and inspiring them. I also love the value I am able to add to the brand and playing a small part in the brands growth is wonderful.