10 Smaller Artists You Should be Following on Instagram

I think we’re all a little frustrated by Instagram’s algorithm, not least because it means that it’s harder to find new people to follow. I wrote a few weeks ago about supporting fellow artists, so I’m putting that into practice and sharing with you 10 smaller artists you should be following on Instagram.

When I say “smaller” I’ve chosen some of my favourite artists who have under 2,000 followers as an arbitrary figure. Some of them are well established elsewhere, some of them aren’t, but they are all worth a place in your feed and people you might not have stumbled across otherwise.

1.Laila E.

I love the texture and character in Laila’s pencil drawings. They’re joyous and playful.

 

2. Tess Smith Roberts

I only started following Tess quite recently, but I would now count myself a solid member of her fan club. There’s just something wonderful about the hand coloured textures of her illustrations that takes me back to being 7 and desperately wanting to be able to draw better, in the best way.

 

3. Kate Peebles

Kate’s illustrations have a lovely energy and movement to them. Plus her use of pastels is right up my alley at the minute – pastels for spring how groundbreaking I know!

 

4. Janice Chang

I just love Janice’s style and how she weights different elements of the human body both in her illustrations and her sculptures. Having a style that can extend beyond media is impressive, and lovely to witness.

 

5. Marie Pellet

Marie’s folklore-ish paintings are wonderful, as is her use of Instagram’s grids. In particular I love her illustrations of plants and animals.

 

6. George Morton

George’s use of colour, especially in his portraits, is bold and beautiful and super inspiring as someone who generally avoids it.

 

7. Anne Marie Rogers

If you’re into illustrations that tell a story and create endearing characters you need to follow Anne Marie Rogers to check out her mini comics and rough sketches.

 

8. Claire Leach

The detail in Claire’s pen drawings is absolutely stunning. I really need to pick up one of her landscape scenes. I’d highly recommend if you’re looking for something serene but endlessly fascinating.

 

9. R. Fresson

The texture of R. Fresson’s illustrations reminds me of Tintin and the old picture books I used to love as a child, brought into the present day with more diverse and stylised characters.

 

10. Christina Gransow

Christina’s layers coloured pencil illustrations are so well constructed whether they’re of landscapes, buildings, people or grumpy cat.

 

I’m always on the lookout for more great artists/illustrators/makers to make my life a little brighter, so who else should I be following?

Natalie