Meet Bell Hutley

Get to know our amazing roster of artists

Welcome to the Roar Meet the Artist Series for 2026! At the start of the year we sat down with our roster of artists and asked them a lot ( A LOT!) of questions and they were lovely enough to take the time to answer as many as they wanted so you the reader could get to know them and their practice better.

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Hi Bell, thank you so much for taking the time to sit with me and chat about all things art, career, business, and you! So, let's get started.

Hi, i’m Bell Hutley, London based and I have been working professionally for about 6 years

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When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

I've been doing art since day dot! I was always drawing and painting, and then when I was 16 my art teacher told me that they thought illustration would be my thing. That's when everything clicked.

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Tell us about the journey to get to where you are today?

I studied at Shillington, and have been fortunate to collaborate with great brands that have shaped my journey, from Fortnum and Mason, Lulu Guinness, Thyme hotel and Alexandra Tolstoy, but when I think about what has shaped me as an artist, I realise that artists are the biggest inlfuence on me. I love Leonora Carrington, Frida Kahlo, Aubrey Beardsley, William Blake (and so many more!) and the two men who made illustration a tangible career for me; Ralph Steadman and Jamie Hewlett.

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Show us your working space! Do you have a studio, or do you WFH?

‍I built a studio in my garden and it's amazing! I have also spent the past months creating a bespoke mural inside and outside.

Roar: We LOVE the murals and it's some of our favourite work of yours.

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Tell us a little more about how you work

‍I use inks, acrylics, watercolours, wall paints and usually a bit of photoshop to touch things up and help prep final files.

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If you use any tools, programmes (think wacom, tablets etc) tell us a little bit about that, how it works, how they help you work, and just a little about the process etc.

I'm sort of old school, I create on paper and then I'll touch it up on photoshop to finalise the image.

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How do you prepare for your working day

I have coffee, go for a run, then head straight to the studio. I will write my daily to-do list and get the boring bits done, then will clear the desk and get creating! I am always working on personal projects as well as commissions, and in the evenings I will do pottery with my boyfriend or work on my children's book that I am writing at the moment.

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Do you have pets

I want a dog badly but this is stewie.

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Least favourite subject matter to draw

hmmmm I find people pretty hard!

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Favourite subject matter to draw

The Forest floor.

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How has AI impacted your career (if at all) and have you changed your approach to the way you work because of it?

Wedding stationery requests have gone down a lot.

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What would you want to say to anyone who thinks that AI is a harmless tool esp. if they are a commercial "artist"

It's in our nature to create and make, and without a human mind there is no true art across all industries.

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Who is an art director that you appreciate? Perhaps they gave you your first job and/or they let you have free control over the project? Gave you invaluable advice etc.

Lulu Guinness

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How did you handle your worst client experience?

I shut up and got on with it.

Roar: We wish we had been there to step in for you x

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What other artistic mediums motivate you?

Fine art, films, fashion, and most especially, nature.

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Who is your dream client to work for?

It was Vampires Wife….But now they have closed, my dream is to get my illustrations published is a dream (Folio society).

Roar: OMG YESSSSSS

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What would your dream commission be and how would you approach / tackle it if it ever came to fruition?

My dream would be to work with Folio society, specifically on an edition of Alice in Wonderland. If that happened, I would lock myself away until I produce the work of my life.

Roar: Gosh we couldn't agree more.

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What made you want to be part of Roar

Skye, she is what every artist wants behind them. She literally understands what artists want and how they think. No one speaks the language of creativity like her and she's got an amazing eye and is kind to the core.

The Roar artists are just so frigging cool, everyone has there own punk / rock / bad ass style and have grit and skill I love being apart of a roster of raw amazing talent.

Skye @ Roar: Genuinely cried a little, you beauty. We love you.

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Do you have any words of wisdom, or advise for those in their career (any stage)

Give your craft the time and respect it deserves. I want to be doing this until I'm 90, so focus on being the best you can be.

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If you were not an artist, what do you think you would be doing?

A Writer.

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How have the past years been as a working artist, have you found a difference in the type or consistency of work that has been commissioned over the years?

It’s been up and down, I am currently working a lot but it has been trickier than it has been in the past and I find that I am having to hustle harder.

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Do you have another job other than the work you do as a commercial artist and do you think this helps or hinders your professional practice?

I design homeware and murals, I hope it helps not hinder my illustration.

Roar: Never! They are one and the same, creative practice is creative practice.

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Share some artists that you think we should know about

Tuesday Riddell.

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What's your earliest art memory of why you wanted to become an artist?

Very very young, about 6 - 7 years old. My sister is an artist so I followed suit!

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What is your favourite way to decompress from your work and can you tell us a little bit about your version of work/life balance?

I love pottery and painting in front of the TV.

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How many drinks (cups, bottles etc) do you have on your desk at one time? (for example, I currently have tea, water, vitamin water, coffee and a can of diet coke).

I have one coffee, 3 pints of water (with lemon) and one or two teas.

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Have you ever felt imposter syndrome, and what do you do to fight those thoughts?

Big time I still do!

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What fictional character do you relate to and why?

Alice from Alice in Wonderland, we’re both curious.

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If you had to suggest a book that helped you in your career what would it be and why?

Alice in Wonderland

East of the sun west of the moon

The Complete Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.