Meet Emily Redfearn

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. 

‍

Hi Emily, 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. 

‍

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

Hi, I'm Emily Redfearn, based in Sheffield and working for 10 years. I have always wanted to be creative, as a kid I used to say I wanted to be "an artist and maker" which still stands haha. I was never good at anything else either growing up except drawing and being crafty, so it was a no brainer growing up to pursue it!

‍

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

I studied graphic design at college, then graphic design & illustration at Sheffield Hallam university. After graduating I started my career by working in various graphic design positions which is where I was able to build on my motion design skills and found my love for animation! Having had many different influences on my work from graphic design, branding and motion design, I found a creative aesthetic within my practice that I enjoyed and wanted to do more of. Later in my career when I joined Roar, I found that my agents (Skye and Sally) really helped shape my work, especially in terms of character design and composition work with backgrounds and expanding the world of my illustrations.

‍

Roar: Tell us a little more about how you work

I usually start by sketching out my ideas for still pieces, and start by thumbnailing and storyboarding for moving pieces. I then finish my pieces in Adobe illustrator, sometimes making frame by frame roughs in Procreate before finalising. A learning curve was mixing my frame by frame work with my After effects workflow. After effects can speed up a lot of the process frame by frame without being too obvious and can leave you more time to finesse finer details that are being moved with cel animation. 

‍

Roar: 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 use the iPad for all of my digital drawings which makes a world of difference in speed and quality, I don't know what I would do without it!

‍

Roar: How do you prepare for your working day?

Every day is a little different, but usually I start by getting changed into something that makes me feel good and feeding my dog Ernie before starting work. At lunch I always get out and walk with Ernie, which is great to get some fresh air when you're looking at a screen constantly! Then I will finish work when we get back. That is how it goes when I am hired for a project, but when I have quieter days I am a bit more spontaneous, sometimes I will work on personal projects and also try to enjoy the down time, very often I work later in the evening which is when I find I'm feeling most creative.

‍

Roar: Do you have pets?

I do! Ernie is my 5 year old dachshund 

‍

Roar: Least favourite subject matter to draw

Feet! I absolutely HATE feet and find them disgusting hahah so it would be awful to draw them. 

‍

Roar: Favourite subject matter to draw

Dogs and hands, I have always loved drawing hands and different hand positions for as long as I can remember.

‍

Roar: Tell us about someone who has impacted your career in a positive way?

I worked with Jonny Ford Co-founder of Finger Industries animation studio a fair few years back, I had been freelancing for a couple of years at the time and it was the first time I'd art directed a project I'd illustrated for. He gave me creative control and allowed me the freedom to run with the work alongside others working with me - and his confidence in me made me feel more confident too. After the project was over he gave me the biggest compliment I've ever had which was something to the effect of being the most efficient art director he'd had. That really stood out to me as such a kind moment and something that really helped boost my confidence in my freelance journey, the whole team was so lovely too!

‍

Roar: How did you handle your worst client experience?

This is a good one! STORYTIME! Back when I was studying at university I made the colossal mistake of doing a mural for a cafe I worked for at the time with an agreed fee in writing. I completed the mural and they loved it! A month or so later I amicably left the cafe job I had when I was in my final year to focus on my studies and sadly the invoice was left unpaid. Month upon month after I left I gently asked over email about it, which they put off for one reason or another every time. Eventually 8 months had passed and the guy who owned the cafe (who was notoriously aggressive even before I left) upped the anti, phoning me up to call me a c***, and threatened me that I would regret it if I continued to ask for payment for the work. I was advised by a friend to go through the small claims court as they owed me just over £500. I proceeded with the small claims court submission and as I had everything documented (screenshots, emails, texts etc.) these proved my claims. During this time the cafe started wiping me from their channels to try and hide evidence, however my claim was upheld and the cafe then paid my fee. That was without a doubt the worst experience, but it taught me a lot.

‍

Agent note: How we wish we had known you then Em, never have we wanted to know the name of a cafe so bad ………

‍

Roar: What other artistic mediums motivate you?

I absolutely love pottery! The way it feels in my hands and the detail you get in sculpting 3D compared to how I usually draw in 2D feels so satisfying.

‍

Roar: Dream Client?

Omg there are too many! I would LOVE to be commissioned by LUSH, their vibe is so me and it would be a dream. It would be amazing to collaborate on different products too like a collection of homeware and decoration. I would love to work with a sports brand like Adidas or Nike, or an animated John Lewis ad!!!  hahah so many dreams. 

‍

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

My dream commission would be to make an inflatable and/or large scale exhibition of my illustration world, in which I would create the branding, identity, floor plan, merch, prints...!! That would be so cool!

Roar: SO COOL!!

‍

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

I really want to draw some comic-style pieces as an extension of some of my animated work, making them into a bit of a scene-by-scene sequence. That would be really fun!

‍

Roar: What made you want to be part of Roar (if you've been here since the start thank you for sticking with us!)

I always admired the Roar roster and Skye, from afar I didn't know anyone personally but knew the work everyone made was amazing and the quality was so high. I was happy to be a part of it in any capacity, originally I messaged Roar when Skye had a call out for some motion help, which led to her seeing my portfolio and wanting me on board. It was one of the happiest moments of my career feeling the confidence Skye had in my portfolio (which I didn't feel myself at the time). I was so happy to be in partnership with Roar knowing the mentorship I would be getting as much as the opportunities.

Skye @ Roar: MY HEART IS FULL

‍

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

Don't stop emailing, messaging, turning up to events, drawing for your dream projects, putting yourself in rooms with people ect... eventually something will come from it!

‍

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

I would definitely be a photographer, a makeup artist or a nail tech

‍

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? 

Honestly every year is so different to the last, I'm not amazing at seeing trends in the work I get because it always feels so varied. Animation has always been more consistent than illustration alone - but I've found less bigger animation projects have come in this year so far, but I'm still hopeful for the rest of the year as I love those kinds of projects. I do worry that AI is a factor that many commissions will be given from artists to AI, which I have seen happen across several large agency projects that have come out in the last year or two.

‍

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 have noticed there are more AI pieces used in references for client inspiration, whether I have missed out on projects from AI being chosen instead I will never know! Generally I have noticed a divide in illustration to (some but not all of) graphic design which defends AI a lot more than the illustration side of the industry, which is a shame to see when it happens. As a lecturer however it is good to see the next wave of illustrators and animators having a more critical view of AI and the ethics around it.

‍

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

I would recommend that they look at how AI is trained; scraping the internet without permissions to generate anything it is asked for, even if it is ripping off somebody else's work. I would ask them to think about the environmental impact, and above all else the laziness and audacity it takes to try to be part of the creative industry while leaving the creativity down to a robot that generates crap. 

‍

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? 

I lecture Illustration from time to time at Sheffield Hallam, but don't have another full time job. One Christmas a few years ago I took a temp job as an Elf which was fun haha and also helped after a quiet run up to Christmas after a big house move.

‍

Roar: Share some artists that you think we should know about

Steph Hardy is amazing and is both a lovely human and amazing illustrator! Rosie Roche is also an amazing 3D artist I love. Or8's design does beautiful screen prints and is amazing. Alex Foxley, Mute animation studios, Lauren Hall... so many more too!

‍

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?

I love walking with Ernie (the pup!) and getting fresh air, that really helps me reset my brain after looking at screens a lot. Also playing games really helps me unwind!

‍

Roar: How many drinks do you have on your desk at one time? 

I like a few drinks on the go haha it tends to be a Pepsi max and a camomile tea, to sort of cancel each other out haha

‍

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

Yes for sure! I try to tell myself that someone else's journey is going to be completely different to mine. I don't know how others' work has evolved to the place they're at, I only see the final result. I also look back over projects that I feel proud of or that gave me confidence at the time I made them, that really helps me boost my self esteem! 

‍

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

I used to really enjoy James Victore books, as they always felt really disruptive but also honest in a world where we only see the polished end product. James always focused on allowing for mistakes to happen and just running with your creativity because there are no rules. He's a breath of fresh air!

‍

Some quickfire random Q’s

‍Roar: Your fave’s:

‍

Book: Pride & Prejudice

Film: 101 Dalmatiants

TV Show: Bobs Burgers

‍

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

I really relate to Tina and Louise from Bob's burgers - Tina's anxiety with Louise's chaos hahah!

‍

Roar: What do you listen to when you work? 

An eclectic mix of whatever I'm fixed on at the time! At the moment it's a combo of Pink Panthress, Confidence man, Charli xcx and "2000s it girl" playlist and a bit of Kate Bush haha. 

‍

Roar: Share your favourite recipe or favourite takeout? 

Spicy chilli prawn pasta, red chillies, basil, tons of garlic, paprika, bit of Saffron for a Persian edge, tinned toms, honey, big prawns + spaghetti

For some extra YUM: Eat with parmesan + garlic bread 

Agent: YUMMMMM

‍

Roar: Country you would love to visit

Iceland

‍

Roar: Any last thoughts for the readers? 

I hope you liked getting to know me better! 

‍

‍