Meet Madelyn Sher | Illustrator & Surface Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Madelyn Sher and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Madelyn, why did you pursue a creative career?
Art is such a crucial part of my identity, I don’t know who I could possibly be without it. I’ve had my moments of wondering if I should be doing something else with my life, but no matter how hard I’ve second guessed my career path, I always find that I am my most authentic and successful self when I am creating. It’s really hard to take the leap and actually commit to pursuing a creative career because we’re told by so many people that we’ll become starving artists, but the deeper I immersed myself into the creative world, the more I realized there are way more possibilities than I could have imagined.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m an illustrator, but to get more specific, I’m a surface designer! I make a lot of repeat patterns for all types of surfaces like fabric, gift wrap, you name it. I also do lots of non-repeat designs for things like greeting cards and packaging, which I do a lot of hand-lettering for. I love all aspects of illustration though, so aside from just surface design, I also do a bit of book, editorial, and advertising illustration.

My style is cutesy and cozy with juicy color palates and lots of natural leafy elements. I like to say my work is meant for people of all ages because I do lots of children’s/baby illustrations, but I also do illustrations that would fit in at an elevated clothing store or on a can of craft beer.

I went through a bit of a journey to find out that surface design was my thing, but looking back, it’s what I was doing all along, I just didn’t know there was a title for it. I’ve been drawing all my life, so once I got to high school I took my art classes very seriously. Back then I was a hyper-realistic surrealist who only used colored pencils (I know, I was insane). After that I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do so I went to community college and studied psychology, but quickly learned it was not for me and went back to my roots. I transferred to the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2020 where I eventually graduated with my BFA in illustration. When I first got there, I thought I wanted to be a concept artist for Disney or something like that, but SCAD quickly showed me many more options for what to do with my skills than what I had known of before I began there. I quickly fell in love with both publication design and surface design and haven’t looked back since!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The SCAD Fashion Museum! There is so much amazing work there that tons of highly talented people have put their blood sweat and tears into, you just have to see it. It’s so inspirational to see what people have made.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are sooo many people in my life that I’d love to thank for helping me throughout my creative journey, but I must first and foremost thank all of the wonderful mentors I’ve had. From grade school teachers and college professors, to artists who just have a kind heart and were willing to share their knowledge with me; these are the people who made me who I am today. Thank you all for spending so much time helping me to become a better artist. These people have put so much time into helping me, and many other artists grow, and they are so wonderful for that.

I would also like to give a shoutout to my family and friends, who have never once made me feel like I was going down the wrong path. It’s been nothing but love and support from them and I can’t thank them enough.

Website: madelynsherillustrations.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madsher.art/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelynsher/

Other: Behance: https://www.behance.net/madelynsher

Image Credits
Brigid Ashe-Moore