Where did your art journey begin?
Libby: I have grown up in a very creative environment with family members being artists, graphic designers and illustrators. My first memory of art is the art box my mum created for me when I was young - this was a child’s dream, full of pipe cleaners, chalk, colourful pens and my favourite stick on googly eyes, which would be the final and most exciting stage of bringing my drawings to life.
I studied art and photography at A-Level and then went on to study Fashion Communication and Promotion at Nottingham Trent University. The older I got the more fascinated I became with digital art. My degree taught me the way imagery can create storytelling and that’s something I always try to do when creating our designs.
Michael: When I was younger, I literally rearranged and redesigned spaces in my parents house which my mum was not a fan of at all! I enjoyed creating abstract art using different materials I found around the house…it was mainly an appreciation for art and design. I find it fascinating how you can alter a feel of a room just by turning a sofa or table. Using what is already around me is something I have found I use mostly in design. People often think they need to buy new furniture and fixtures to create a new feel to a room but really, you can use what is already there.
Tell us about the creative process behind your prints...
M&L: There is not a one-size-fits-all policy - we use various techniques depending on the purpose of the artwork. When creating designs for BLANC we begin by taking inspiration from existing interior spaces, whether this be through magazines, Pinterest or in person. When working with clients, we ask them to send over imagery of their interior and rework the composition to ensure all angles and focus points of the room can be seen. The process is always formed of layers, starting with the basic background of the room and in the same way you would fill a physical space, slowly adding in furniture and furnishing to create a finished product.
The colours of our work represents the person who owns the home and we use colour theory to create a piece that reflects its owner. Other inspirations of the colour palettes we choose are the locations of the space, e.g. our best selling Hackney piece uses vibrant tones to reflect the borough. Colour plays the biggest part in the process and usually the longest amount of time as we want to ensure the colours are not only on trend with current interior trends, but also work in harmony whilst representing the area and person it is reflecting.
Our commissioned pieces are heavily led by our clients, from the compositions we use to the smaller details ensuring the piece is personal and special to the customer. A popular technique to personalise a piece is taking into account the client's interests and occupation to include small messages throughout the print that allows them to show their guests a story of their life. The colours again are chosen by the client, using BLANC’s signature style of vibrancy whilst ensuring it ties in with their existing interior.
All our pieces, whether commissioned or new designs for BLANC are then colour tested to make sure when they are printed they match the tones created on the computer.
In The Booth w/ BLANC Prints
Hackney-based duo, Libby & Michael, launched their brand in 2021 with a mission to create dynamic and relevant designs. Inspired by different cultures, their prints connect people through art and shared experiences to unite a mutual feeling of freedom and creative expression. BLANC have designed 9 limited edition prints for Urban Outfitters based on areas around the world including Tokyo, Berlin and Copenhagen. With innovation being at the forefront of their brand, we couldn’t wait to catch up with the couple to understand their vision and find out what makes BLANC unique.
Your prints capture the essence of living in cities around the world, if you could live in any city where would you move to?
L: I think the great thing about this job is that travelling to different countries is a strong possibility and if anything, really beneficial to the business. In the future I would love to live somewhere further afield like Australia or New York but for now I would say I’m really interested in exploring cities in Europe like Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris.
M: For now, I am really happy to be living in London. I think this is where we need to be to really make our brand grow and seek out new opportunities. London is a great place for everyday inspiration from the architecture to the people you meet and conversations you have. For a starting brand, it is a great place to network with like minded people and creatives.
Favourite places to travel?
L: For relaxing I would always say somewhere like Spain or Greece - you can’t beat the beaches and the stereotypical summer holiday feeling these places give. If I was wanting to travel somewhere for creativity, I would say New York. The city is so vibrant and lively and you can’t help but feel inspired when you visit.
M: I love travelling to Cornwall. People might think this is a simple answer when you have the whole world but I don’t think we appreciate how much beauty we have right on our doorstep. We don’t always need external gratification from far away, sometimes it’s right in front of you.
Sum up your artistic style in 3 words… vibrant, narrative, energising.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
L: “Don’t try to do what everyone else is doing. Believe in your own work and find your niche.”
M: “Say less than you know, have more than you show”
3 artists we should check out…
Tishk Barzanji @tishkbarzanji
Laura Callaghan @lauracallaghanillustration
Helen Downie @unskilledworker
What’s next for BLANC Prints?
L&M: We plan to keep on designing. All of our prints are done by ourselves so we want to keep working hard on bringing out more designs that can relate to our customers. We love to keep up with current trends and societal themes and bring them into our designs through the final features and details, whether this is in books, frames on the walls or sayings on mugs.
We are beginning to expand our product range, putting our designs not only into prints but also clothing. We have recently dropped our Classic Club Tee in both black and white which uses the original sketch of our best selling hackney print.
We are also interested in exploring events that allow our customers to meet like minded people.
L: I think the great thing about this job is that travelling to different countries is a strong possibility and if anything, really beneficial to the business. In the future I would love to live somewhere further afield like Australia or New York but for now I would say I’m really interested in exploring cities in Europe like Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris.
M: For now, I am really happy to be living in London. I think this is where we need to be to really make our brand grow and seek out new opportunities. London is a great place for everyday inspiration from the architecture to the people you meet and conversations you have. For a starting brand, it is a great place to network with like minded people and creatives.
Favourite places to travel?
L: For relaxing I would always say somewhere like Spain or Greece - you can’t beat the beaches and the stereotypical summer holiday feeling these places give. If I was wanting to travel somewhere for creativity, I would say New York. The city is so vibrant and lively and you can’t help but feel inspired when you visit.
M: I love travelling to Cornwall. People might think this is a simple answer when you have the whole world but I don’t think we appreciate how much beauty we have right on our doorstep. We don’t always need external gratification from far away, sometimes it’s right in front of you.
Sum up your artistic style in 3 words… vibrant, narrative, energising.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
L: “Don’t try to do what everyone else is doing. Believe in your own work and find your niche.”
M: “Say less than you know, have more than you show”
3 artists we should check out…
Tishk Barzanji @tishkbarzanji
Laura Callaghan @lauracallaghanillustration
Helen Downie @unskilledworker
What’s next for BLANC Prints?
L&M: We plan to keep on designing. All of our prints are done by ourselves so we want to keep working hard on bringing out more designs that can relate to our customers. We love to keep up with current trends and societal themes and bring them into our designs through the final features and details, whether this is in books, frames on the walls or sayings on mugs.
We are beginning to expand our product range, putting our designs not only into prints but also clothing. We have recently dropped our Classic Club Tee in both black and white which uses the original sketch of our best selling hackney print.
We are also interested in exploring events that allow our customers to meet like minded people.