The Illustrated World of Beth Lester

I don’t know about you, but one of my favourite festive activities is visiting a range of Christmas markets across Norfolk.

Whether you want to start your Christmas shopping, treat yourself or support local artists, makers and illustrators, these markets continue to celebrate the art community across our county.

From wooden ornaments and Christmas baubles to watercolour paintings and illustrations, there is a gift for all your loved ones waiting at the stalls!

I recently caught up with local illustrator, Beth Lester, to discover her journey as an artist, her views on the use of AI in the creative industry and where you can find her this Christmas!

When did your journey as an illustrator begin?

I've always been passionate about drawing and initially pursued a Fine Art path during my A Levels. However, I found myself struggling when my work felt disconnected from what I wanted to express. That changed when my teacher introduced me to illustration. I quickly realised it was far more expansive than I’d imagined, not just children’s books, but a diverse field full of styles, purposes, and creative possibilities I hadn’t considered before.

It was this discovery that led me to study Illustration at university.

What impact do you hope to have through your work?

A lot of my work features dinosaurs and the natural world, both past and present.

I hope to educate people on lesser-known dinosaurs, and how they can look vastly different to the ones we see in popular culture like films and TV.

My illustrations are designed to be engaging and accessible to all ages, not just kids, inviting curiosity and enjoyment from anyone with a love for nature.

How do your interests outside of art influence your work?

If I’m not drawing dinosaurs, I’m probably watching a documentary about them!

I'm also inspired by my love of plants, often filling my sketchbook with botanical illustrations whenever I find time to visit a park.

Describe your creative process!

First, I normally draft the illustration on Procreate on my iPad and once I have a composition I am happy with, I’ll copy it onto paper.

I use a range of black fine liner pens to create the linework. Once that has dried I then go in with alcohol markers where I build up colour from light to dark. When I’m happy with the illustration, I then photograph it and edit it in Photoshop by adding highlights and shadows and any colour correction needed.

This can then be used online or printed into a new product for markets or my online shop!

How do you adapt your style for different client needs or projects?

When illustrating covers for classic novels aimed at adults, I adopted a more realistic approach, using muted and limited colour palettes to reflect the tone of each story.

Whereas my work for a children’s activity book used bolder colours and simplified imagery to engage a younger audience through playful and accessible illustrations.

How do you overcome any creative blocks?

I have a list of illustrations I haven’t had time to get around to, so when I have days when I can’t think of what to draw, I’ll look back at this list and see if there are any ideas that can get me over that creative block.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

My proudest achievement is having the pleasure of illustrating an activity book for the Natural History Museum London. It has loads of fun activities for kids that teach them about the fossilization process.

I’d say my favourite work so far is my sticker collection which is a set of 10 dinosaur stickers. I’m really happy with how this turned out and was a new product for my shop.

The rise of AI has divided the creative industry. What is your take on this controversial piece of technology?

I am strongly against the use of AI imagery where it replaces the need to hire an artist, it's an easy and cheap shortcut which results in soleless art.

I can see the benefits of using it to aid in learning, but it should be used sparingly.

What do you love most about the creative community of Norfolk?

I feel like there’s always something creative going on in Norwich, whether it's an art market, music, or exhibitions, I never feel too far away from the creative community.

When doing art markets everyone is so supportive and kind; I find it is such a great way to connect with new people and find inspiration.

Why is it important to support the local art scene/ community?

When you support local artists and communities, you support someone's passion, hard work and dream.

It can be difficult to stay away from big corporate retailers, but when you buy from local artists, you know that they have put 110% effort into making the best product possible.

What advice would you give to any aspiring illustrators?

I found networking daunting, but it was the most useful thing to do when seeking commissions and an audience.

I managed to get multiple commissions from my first networking event as a newly fledged graduate.

Even if you don’t get a commission straight away, you may be contacted later when the right project comes up.

Have you got any plans for the rest of 2025 (and beyond!)?

I will have some new products to launch for Christmas!

I will be at Local Makers Market on 8 November to show off my new festive gifts. My hope for 2026 is to be involved in lots more art markets around East Anglia.

To keep up to date with the work of Beth, you can check out her Instagram (@beths.sketches)!

And, if you want to find her this Christmas, you can visit:

- The Local Makers Market at The Shoe Factory Social Club on 8th November

- PTA Christmas Market at Hellesdon High School on 16th November

- Sparkle Market at Roarr! On 7,11,14,17 and 23rd December