#TheArtists: An Interview with Charlotte Trounce & Toby Triumph

We sat down with illustrator Charlotte Trounce and Toby Triumph to talk about the Artist Collection and their pocket squares.

Turnbull & Asser: How did you start your career as an artist?

Charlotte Trounce: I studied Illustration at Falmouth University. After graduating in 2011, I was lucky to get a few good commissions straight away and I’ve been freelancing ever since.

T&A: Talk us through the process of creating your artwork

CT: As with most of my artworks I began by working on rough sketches. Once I was confident with the idea, I worked on the final artwork, painting the different elements, before scanning them in and collaging the final design together digitally. In Photoshop it was easy to play around with the colour palette, finally settling on a classic blue and white design.

T&A: How would you describe your style of work?

CT: Painterly, colourful, slightly naive.

T&A: Do you have a go-to colour palette?

CT: I definitely have a few colours that I often return to - an orange red, peach, leafy green etc, but I try to mix it up depending on the project.

T&A: What was the inspiration behind the design for this pocket square?

CT: I was thinking about classic menswear and liked the idea of using stripes. I wanted to create something playful, but also quite sophisticated.

T&A: What influences your work / what artists inspire you?

CT: I’m inspired by what’s around me, whether that’s the objects in my home, or the people and architecture in London. I love to draw whilst I’m travelling too, those sketches always seem to make their way into my work in some form.

I’m most inspired by artists who have worked across multiple disciplines and therefore have had very varied but successful careers. One example is Paul Rand, an American Modernist, who was best known for working in graphic design but also ventured into illustrated children’s books and textiles.

T&A: What would you like to explore next in your work?

CT: I’ve been getting really into landscapes, after spending two weeks in the Japanese countryside drawing. I’d like to explore this more.

We go behind-the-scenes with Toby Triumph for The #ArtistCollection. Watch the video below, and shop the collection here.