Meet Ellie Fryer

Hi! Welcome to the Roar "Meet the Artist Series" thank you so much for taking the time to sit with me and chat about all things art, career, business, and you! So, with that in mind, would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself?

‍Hello, I'm Ellie Fryer, an artist from the South East Coast (Eastbourne) and after a few years back in London I’ve moved back down to the coast. I’ve been an artist now for about 8 years but only 4 really, as a full time freelancer.

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Roar: When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

I think, honestly, it’s always been the path I wanted to follow when I knew it could be a legitimate job. I’ve never been as in love with doing anything else, as I have with being creative. I have tried other avenues and tried to dabble in some other jobs but they all felt off in comparison.

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

I studied Illustration and Graphic Design in an Art & Design Diploma at college (East Sussex College Eastbourne) which was honestly, super integral to growing my love of Illustration and narrative image making. I also studied Illustration Animation as a BA. But I think a massive shout out to my college tutors; Mike Shepherd, Clive Goodyer and Andrew Morris, who had such a wide range of experience and skills and were just great tutors. I think it was the only educational setting I truly enjoyed. I also had a kind of light bulb moment with my first ever mural job. It was for a local, independent burger place, I undercharged massively and had never scaled up my work that large but I realised I loved working large scale on things that the general public could see, experience and enjoy.

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Roar: Tell us a little bit about the tools you use to create your work; how it works, how they help you work, and just a little about the process etc.

I always do a tiny, loose thumbnail sketch, usually in my notebook or sketchbook - I don’t think anyone else can usually understand it but it’s more of a loose interpretation of something from my brain and also a composition reminder for when I get an idea for a piece of work. Then I flesh out the design in procreate, I pretty much always create a final line work version of the exact design before moving onto a rough colour version where I do a separate layer and whack on where I think all my colours are going so I can check everything feels balanced. Then its the final colour version! I love trying to add in some textured brushes/ fades/ paper texture to counteract any flatness I feel my work has. I mainly use Procreate and Photoshop for my work nowadays for digital work.

‍I still love working on paper and canvas but I think a lot of my work is either digital commissions or intended for murals (so will be hand painted in the end). Being able to change the composition/ elements easily really works for my brain, otherwise I have a million paper versions scattered around!

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

I WFH so sometimes I do work from the sofa, sometimes I venture to a coffee shop but I do have my little, well-used desk. I’ve filled it with some fun artwork and some of my most beloved folklore reference books, some of my many notebooks (they have different purposes), iPad and laptop. I can pretty much work from anywhere when I’m doing digital work which is really great.

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Roar: How do you prepare for your working day?

I always start with water, breakfast and a coffee, integral to my brain actually kick-starting. And as the pro of being a WFH freelancer (and negative of not being a perfect morning person) I generally just try and get ready for the day and aim to start by 9:30/10am if there are no hardcore deadlines or zoom meetings. I prefer a later start and later finish for my work day. Sometimes, I just spend an entire day getting stuck into one project; maybe a round of drafts or working on final artwork or I might have emails, small, bitty jobs, some pre-design research to do - this is when I treat myself to working from a coffee shop as I’m definitely more productive when I imagine people are judging my work flow. And also a nice treat to not work in the house and have a properly made coffee.

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Roar: Tell us a little more about how you work?

I think as a bit of a technophobe and someone who started out working almost exclusively in traditional methods when I was studying I was unsure about tablets and working on software but honestly, I couldn’t imagine not working on my iPad and Procreate now, it’s become quite integral to my process and way of creating. It definitely saved loads of time scanning and re-scanning my work into Photoshop. Although, I have recently gotten back into having a dedicated sketchbook for little doodles and ideas that aren’t intended necessarily for a big, final piece; which has really taken some pressure off my brain to always think it has to create something perfect. I hadn’t realised it was suffocating my ideas for personal projects.

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Roar: Do you have pets? 

Yes! Ted, is an 11 year old, grumpy, grey poodle and Winnie is our 4 year old, peach, rescue poodle! They’re slowly becoming allies.

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Roar: Least favourite subject matter to draw?

Hmm, I think I would give most things a go… But probably spiders. Terrified of them in real life and I can’t imagine spending hours staring at reference photos of them.

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Roar: Favourite subject matter to draw?

Oh I think wildlife in general, definitely. It’s so rare that I create something without wild creatures in it!

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

I haven’t changed my approach at all but I’ve definitely seen the impact on the industry. It’s difficult to know how much work I’ve lost out on personally due to AI but seeing real companies and businesses using sloppily mashed together AI artwork that is stolen from actual artists is more than disappointing. But I think most consumers can tell and it translates as that brand not caring about anything more than profit. But, I’m incredibly lucky that the clients I have worked with and am currently, value independent artists and  the many amazing things that real life humans can bring to creative projects.

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

Honestly, I think if you care for anyone other than yourself and apart from environmental and political impacts, AI has stolen so much work from people who have spent so much time perfecting the craft of image making (and other creative practices); it’s deteriorating our ability of critical thinking which is so needed whether you’re a creative or not; and it objectively just creates bad, Frankenstein versions of ‘art’.

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Roar: 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.

I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with some fantastic humans. Okay so, Benita Estevez, Deputy editor at Aquila Magazine has been amazing to work with. They have given me some great briefs and direction that have been within my wheelhouse but really unique briefs! I love that it's usually a quick turnaround project as I usually spend months on projects, so it pushes me which I love.

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Roar: How did you handle your worst client experience?

I talked to my agent a lot, kind of as a bit of emotional support but also just to check if there was anything I had done wrong in the process. Then I just cracked on. Still continued to send friendly emails/ communication. Always try to be the bigger person if the behaviour isn’t abhorrent, it’s important to have and retain boundaries but honestly, sometimes it's not really to do with you so don’t let it dampen you.

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Roar: What other artistic mediums motivate you?

I love a bit of film photography, I’m an absolute amateur but it does take away a bit of my need for perfectionism as I don’t know how the image will turn out. Music always gives me a lot of energy and obviously I love books, they just give me so many ideas for narratives/ just give me different perspectives.

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Roar: Who is your dream client to work for?

Ohhh, I think now I’ve been lucky enough to work with one of my dream clients (thank you Penguin); Lush has always been top of my list. I’ve always loved their very open ethics and creating fresh, natural products. I think they have very fun branding that reflects their products and the scarf wraps are gorgeous and multi-use/ reduce waste so I would love to do some packaging and scarf designs with them!

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

I think my dream commission at the moment would be some sort of product packaging with a theme of either folklore, mythology or wildlife. I like just going over the brief and picking it apart and making any notes on the end goal, themes, colours, just everything that would affect what I could include in the direction/ design. I always then love diving into some in depth research, facts and references for the theme and then also drawing from real life, going to exhibitions (if I can) to get inspiration. Then usually 2-3 initial drafts for one artwork, different compositions, variations in theme or iconography and sometimes some colour palette options on the side. If the client is happy with a particular draft version then I make any amendments and do a rough colour version so everyone can get a feel for how the colours will be balanced in the image. If all is well then I’ll get stuck into final artwork! But I always make time at the end for any small adjustments/ tweaks to get the artwork right for the client!

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What made you want to be part of Roar?

I’m coming up on 3 years now with Roar! Roar just seemed like such a good fit; I love/ admire all the other artists that they work with and projects that they’ve created which I think is a good indicator (If you like/ aspire to an Agency’s clients/ projects/ artists). And having such a caring, insightful, hands-on (and female led) agent was such a draw. I’d never really considered an agent before, a lot to do with the fact I didn’t feel like my work was maybe ‘commercial’ enough. But I get so much support, advice and general good vibes from Roar, I’m very lucky.

Roar: No, we’re very lucky!

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Roar: Do you have any words of wisdom, or advise for those in their career?

There are so many things! I think try not to compare or model your career after others too much, it will only depress you and stunt your true potential. It’s great to be inspired but everyone has such different circumstances, motivations, surroundings you can’t possibly replicate someone else’s career and you shouldn’t! And I think if you want to be an artist/ freelance long term, then learn to have a work/ rest balance. It sounds basic but can be so hard when you don’t have consistent income to burn yourself out by constantly saying yes, constantly pushing yourself. You need to find a way to create a good balance otherwise you’ll become burnt out, or end up hating/ resenting what you do.

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

Um, I’ve always been fascinated with human psychology so maybe something in that avenue but I also think realistically, it would be working with animals, maybe in rescues/ shelters I would love to devote my time to that if I wasn’t an artist.

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Roar: 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?

I’m really lucky that the past couple of years for me have been quite consistent but that is also because not only do I have a great agent, I have some of my own house clients and I do applications for projects also. But the type of work definitely changes quite drastically each year; 2024 was a lot of hand painted murals; 2025 was almost entirely digital and 2026 at the moment is a bit of both! I think it’s hard to predict as there are lots of factors - the economic climate, business budgets, artwork/ concept trends and obviously AI has taken work from lots of creatives.

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Roar: 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?

‍At the end of last year I got a hospitality role that I only do a couple of times a month which is great as it’s just a little top up of money for me without impacting my freelance work. I have also been fully freelance with no other reliable income source which in a way gives you all your time and energy to focus on projects/ getting projects but can be stressful financially. And then I’ve also done a part time role and part time freelance which is more stable but can be tiring before you even get started on your work as a creative. Again, I think it’s trial and error to see what works best for individuals.

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Share some artists that you think we should know about

Okay well you should already know all the amazing Roar roster artists.

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@Boomranng (Makarand Narkar and Sonal Vasave) - the most amazing otherworldly visuals with such explosive colours and fluidity.

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@sophyhollington (Sophy Hollington) - linocut artist you probably already know, her compositions and characters are always so interesting and have such a folklore feel which I’m very drawn to.

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Eric Ravilious (1903-1942) - Ravilious was (and still is) a big inspiration when I started studying Illustration, from beautiful little woodcuts to illustrative landscape paintings of Sussex and the South Downs.

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@hybriddesire (Lee Hybrid Desire) - Lee has such an energetic and beautiful way of portraying faces and figures, I just love her use of colour in her pieces as well.

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@bridiecheeseman (Bridie Cheeseman) - Bridie’s work just brings me so much joy, I love how she interprets places and characters and she has such a fun and unique way of composition which is so inspiring.

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

To be honest, I don’t think I thought about being an artist as an actual job as a kid, I wanted to be an author or a vet. Drawing and creating was always something I was obsessed with. But only when I went to college did I consider it as a genuine and viable option - I loved being given a brief and parameters and then creating a narrative image that encompasses everything to solve the problem!

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Roar: 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?

It’s very boring but I love a big long walk. Either along the seafront or on the Downlands or even the little cuckoo trail near me. Anything cemented in nature where I’m completely away from screens and just getting some fresh air always reduces my cortisol.

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I have such a better balance nowadays. If I need to work a weekend day for a deadline, I’ll try to take a weekday off the following week or give myself a morning off. I try to actually remember to rest and socialise as I know it gives me so much energy back when I am working. And sometimes I do overdo it when I have overlapping deadlines but now, I always make sure to book in some fun and rest to balance it out.

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Roar: How many drinks (cups, bottles etc) do you have on your desk at one time? 

By the afternoon I usually have my bottle of water, an iced coffee and usually a carbonated drink of some kind.

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

Oh, absolutely! It has been a slow process to try and diminish that feeling. Aside from getting reassurance from my agent, and a couple of my most trusted friends, it’s just constantly reminding myself that I’ve worked really hard; I always try to create fun/ interesting/ meaningful work and I always try to be a friendly person to work with and that’s why I get to work with people and brands that are so great. It doesn’t always work but that feeling is definitely more manageable.

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Roar: What fictional character do you relate to and why?

I think maybe Gromit from Wallace and Gromit. I like to think I have some of his character's loyalty and protectiveness. I definitely relate to his eye rolls as I’m not always the most patient and I would describe myself as having the same problem solving skills. And also, who doesn’t love dogs.

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Roar: If you had to suggest a book (or more than one) that helped you in your career what would it be and why? 

The first book I think of is a little book a friend gifted me for my birthday back in college - ‘The Picture Book (mini edition) - Contemporary Illustration edited by Angus Hyland’ was just a great starting point at diving into the world of illustration and discovering some prolific illustrators. And then ‘The Wrong Place’ by Brecht Evens is just an amazing watercolour graphic novel and gave me so much inspiration for narrative, composition and colour.

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Some quickfire random Q’s, what are your faves: 

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Book: "A Little Life’ by Hanya Yanagihara is completely emotionally devastating and needs a lot of trigger warnings but it’s a book I haven’t stopped thinking about since I read it a couple of years ago.

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Film: ‘Little Women’ directed by Greta Gerwig is just great and one of my comfort films.

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TV show: ‘Ted Lasso’ even if you’re not a football fan it is funny, wholesome, and honest. It’s such a great show."

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Roar: What do you listen to when you work? 

Either I listen to ‘Off Menu’ podcast or I listen to all my music on shuffle but at the moment I’ve been listening to Raye’s new album “This music may contain hope” on repeat.

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Roar: Share your favourite recipe (if you cook) or if you're not a cook, maybe your favourite takeout? 

Something I love making when I don’t know what to cook is a throw-together coconut lentil dhal. I don’t really follow exact amounts. You want dried red lentils, ground turmeric, tinned coconut milk, red onion, several cloves of garlic, red chillies, fresh ginger, tomatoes, cumin seeds, garam masala. The lentils go in a pan with water, coconut milk and turmeric. Chop your tomatoes, chilli, garlic, onion and ginger. Fry off your cumin seeds and then add the above. Add the garam masala and cook down for a few minutes. When the lentils are soft, tip the other mix in and season to your liking with a bit of salt. And you’re done! You can add so many elements to it to bulk out the meal and it’s just really delicious.

Roar: YUM!!!!!

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Roar: Country you would love to visit 

Bulgaria looks really beautiful, and has so much rich heritage I would love to explore.

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Roar: Something you've been itching to draw but have not had an opportunity yet

I think project type. I would love to work on some branding and packaging. But concept wise, some more food based projects or a big mythological narrative piece would be great.

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Roar: What is something you feel people should know earlier on in their career? 

I think there are big gaps in the educational system to set up students for real life, let alone as a freelance creative. I think for one, doing research on how to manage your own finances/ do your own taxes as a freelancer. I think also realising that as a freelance creative you are not only an Artist, you also have to be Admin, Project Manager, Content Creator, Marketing and Financial Planner. If you can try and gain some of these skills early on I believe that not only do you have a really diverse skill set to manage and help boost your career; these are skills that are adaptable and applicable in so many ways.

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Roar: Favourite snack?

Apple and peanut butter.

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Roar: Any last thoughts for the reader?

Support independent artists! Be kind always and have a lovely day!

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