Since I've found myself falling in love with illustration I have discovered a whole world that I didn't know existed. Before I started drawing and squirrelling around on social media in search of inspiration I rather naively thought that illustration was confined to picture books and editorial pieces in magazines. It was a real treat to discover that it's so SO much more than that.

My most recent discovery is zines (mini magazines / comics) made by illustrators that I love. I bought two from Frannerd and Marloes De Vries from their own online shops. Frannerd's zine 'Perfect Tree Shapes' is a travel journal of a trip that Fran and her friend took to Paris and London when she lived in Berlin. What I love about it is that it is an honest account rather than a glossy 'Photoshop' version of her trip. The illustrations are expressive and full of little details. Marloes' zine, 'Fairly Funny - Breakfast In Bed' is full of cute black and white comic book style scenes of Marloes' life. It's a little snapshot of her experiences and an amusing view on everyday situations.

Reading these made me think about making my own zine one day. I love drawing cartoons that capture a silly moment or filling a page of my sketchbook with details from my day. I've also got one or two stories that I think could fit this mould and it feels like a possible cute alternative to a more grown up picture book.

Why not have a little browse for zines yourself online and have a peek into the minds of some of these lovely creatives.