Miles Reilly
Illustrator Miles Reilly talks how to get spotted by a creative agency
Whether he’s live drawing at gigs, sketching scenes of Dublin, scribbling food illustrations or documenting Ireland’s trad musicians, Miles Reilly’s line drawings are expressive, observant and rooted in the moment. “Draw your interests,” says Miles, “the more specific and personal, the better.” Below, the illustrator shares his key tips for getting creative work: don’t wait for it to come to you, and just ask.
What I do
My creative practice
I'm an illustrator specialising in live drawing at events. I carry that same energy into posters, band merch and food illustration.
Influences and inspiration
Childhood Summers in France reading Tintin and Asterix gave me a lifelong love of clean, expressive linework, which I still chase today in illustrators like Quentin Blake and Robert Crumb.
My training
I studied Painting at NCAD Dublin, then did an intensive drawing course at London’s Royal Drawing School, but most of what I know now has come from drawing constantly and making a lot of mistakes.
Favourite recent project
I was delighted to be asked by Charles Hendy of The Mary Wallopers to draw folk legend Margaret Barry for the first annual Margaret Barry festival in Dundalk. She’s a fascinating woman who I researched deeply, watched documentaries about and drew repeatedly at different stages of her life. I overthought it, drew her in multiple styles and eventually hit the right vibe for the festival poster – Charles using his handwriting to piece it together.
A day in the life
By day I work in metal patination, colouring brass with chemicals and a blow torch; illustration happens in the evenings, usually short bursts from around 9pm once the kids are in bed.
How I got here
Starting my creative journey
After graduating in Fine Art, I spent a few years in between the fine art and illustration worlds, taking on freelance jobs and not knowing where I fit. A comic fair in Hackney changed that: sitting down with working comics artists and publishers showed me what was actually possible.
Landing my first few jobs, clients and/or commissions
I entered an art competition run by the Irish band The Mary Wallopers during the pandemic, which led to me illustrating their songbook and later designing merchandise for their first big tour. That work got me spotted by an Irish agency, who brought me onto Smithwick's, an Irish beer brand, for a campaign supporting trad music sessions across Ireland. I collaborated with their team, illustrating designs and hand-lettering each pub's name for t-shirts worn by staff nationwide.
During the pandemic, I struck up a friendship with Michaela Zelenanska, the owner of Arch Deli, a wine bar in East London, and offered to do posters for them. That relationship accelerated my love of drawing food and posters, and it taught me the actual approach I still use: look for where your work could genuinely fit, and if it makes sense, just ask. I created a series of colourful posters for wine tastings and supper clubs over three years and developed my approach further when Michaela opened a second wine bar, Swirl.
Biggest challenges along the way
Finding purpose in the work takes time – whatever it is that actually drives you to keep doing it. A harder, more practical challenge has been capturing things quickly and being happy with the result without overworking it.
My social media and self-promotion vibe is…
I think spending more time filling the sketchbook rather than the grid would be wise. You don't need to feed the beast all the time. I've toyed with the idea of making reels or footage of how I work, but I'd rather spend time making the work. Mostly I get a kick out of tagging whatever pub or business I'm working with – that's about the extent of my strategy on Instagram.
Three things I've found useful in my career:
- My backpack. I've worn one obsessively since school to hold my sketchbook and materials on adventures. I feel strange without it. Good Ordering, based in East London, fits an A3 sketchbook perfectly.
- Ink and materials. I'm obsessed with art shops and hoard materials. I've got a Caran d'Ache Gouache set I've been using for over a decade and Ecoline inks are my favourite. I recently visited the Quentin Blake Centre of Illustration and bought a dip pen – I’m excited to get back into dip pen drawing.
- The Howard Stern Show got me through school and art college. I loved how silly it was, a four-hour show I could work alongside. More recently it's been Mike and Vittorio's Guide to Parenting, two Irish comedians based in London. I generally feel overwhelmed with content so in reality I might scroll through Instagram, then revert back to graphic novels, books, and magazines.
Courses, programmes, initiatives, access schemes or job boards I've found helpful
After college, I did an illustration course at Ballyfermot College in Dublin; it was a great way to stay focused while working full-time and it gave me a real boost. I also collaborated with a friend and took part in book fairs in New York, London and Dublin, which introduced me to zines and pushed my interest in comics.
During the pandemic, I did two online courses with Perienne Christian, one of my tutors at the Royal Drawing School. Even on the move, the online course worked extremely well.
My greatest learnings when it comes to making money and supporting myself as a creative:
I think it's important to do the work you enjoy rather than wait for it to arrive; the work will appear from doing the work. My full-time job allows me to be selective; I don't have to take everything that comes along. If the environment isn't creative enough on its own, find a way to crowbar something interesting into it.
My advice
My most useful career tips
Find your niche by doing the work. Draw your interests – the more specific and personal, the better. Build in things that aren't about output: gardening, an instrument, regular life drawing; they all keep you observing and paying attention even when you're not actively working.
What I'd say to someone looking to get into a similar role
Draw from observation, keep a sketchbook, apply to competitions, buy loads of books you won't read