Morvern Graham

Illustration BDes (Hons)

Morvern is a Scottish illustrator and printmaker, who enjoys creating work using traditional techniques and embracing texture to create characterful outcomes.

About

photo of girl sitting on pile of rocks near pine tree

I am an Edinburgh based illustrator and printmaker, who grew up on stories of strange and wonderful creatures from the landscapes of my home.

Throughout my degree, I have enjoyed exploring my practice through traditional techniques and my love of storytelling.
My work focuses largely on printmaking, drawing upon irregular and textural qualities which I embrace and celebrate in my final outcomes. I aim to create work with a comforting simplicity, incorporating storytelling using both imagery and narrative. During my time at DJCAD, I have created work aimed towards publishing, editorial, and advertising industries, developing my skills in transferring my work across multiple platforms.

I often draw on inspirations from my Scottish and Scandinavian background, exploring folklore and traditional stories within these cultures. During my final year, these influences led to the creation of The Huldufólk, an illustrated book inspired by traditional tales told in Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Other themes of folklore and nature can be found within my work; exploring the characterful and playful imagery these themes bring.

The Huldufólk

The Huldufólk. An original book was written and created during my final year. Inspired by Icelandic and Faroese folklore, the story follows a curious young girl and her grandfather, who begins to tell his granddaughter a story about the mysterious creatures who live in the land.

Image shows an illustration of a bearded man, wearing a fisherman's hat and patterned jumper.

An original monotype print. Created as a part of The Huldufólk. I wanted to showcase the gentle and characterful qualities of Papa; the grandfather in the story, whose voice acts as the narrative for the book.

Stitches - Glasgow Womens Library

2 sets of 3 monotype prints. Each trio of prints join to form a single image. The left shows a pair of hands knitting a length of material which is revealed to be a castle. The right shows a figure clothed entirely in knitted patchwork.

These mono-prints were created in collaboration with the Glasgow Women's Library. The prints aim to explore the idea of searching for safety in an environment of domestic abuse through the use of knitting. The disjointed nature of the illustrations highlights this idea.

LINDE - Product Design

A set of 3 coffee bags with unique illustrated package designs. Each design showcases an animal; a deer, an owl and a wolf.

A set of 3 product designs for a series of speciality coffees. This was an independent brief, allowing me to explore my illustrations in the medium of branding and package design.

Penguin Books

A book cover design. The book is titled 'Diary of a Young Naturalist'. The illustrations shows a figure crunching in the centre, holding a bird on his hand. The figure is surrounded by trees and nature.

A cover design submission for the 2022 Penguin Book Competition. Diary of a Young Naturalist is a wonderful and insightful look into nature through the eyes of a neurodivergent teen, and I thoroughly enjoyed creating this cover illustration.

Please head over to my website to find more information about myself and my work. If you have any questions or just want to reach out, I would love to hear from you!

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