NEXT UP IS THE AMAZING ARTIST, ILLUSTRATOR AND TATTOO ARTIST SARAH MAXELL!
You might have already seen some of the amazing illustrator and tattoo artist Sarah Maxwell’s work via Instagram
After first finding fame via tumblr, Sarah’s striking artistic style has won her projects for the likes of Nike and Huffington Post amongst many others and we’re absolutely stoked to have her as one of our custom helmet artists for 2023!
Go check out the inspiration behind Sarah’s amazing MOTO 3 design and her work below and don’t forget to check her out on her instagram for more work and increds tattoos!
AND DON’T FORGET!…
All 4 of the Bell custom painted helmets are up for grabs at this years Camp VC event where we’ll be raffling them off! So if you were lucky enough to get a ticket to this years sold out event make sure you grab a raffle ticket onsite to be in with a chance to bag one!!!
Where are you from originally and where do you live now?
I’m originally from Austin, Texas, but currently I’m living in London!
What first got you into tattooing/ art ?
Definitely watching cartoons and anime growing up. I’d hole up in our little laundry room with a tv and draw comics from the shows I’d watch and it just kind of blew up from there. From a very young age I knew I also wanted to go into tattooing- I just wish I started younger rather than last year! For the most part, illustration and tattoos sort of go hand in hand together so it was easy to get into it once I put my mind to it.
What do you love the most about having such a hands on job?
I’m a very active person with my work- often I get called a workaholic due to how many projects I’m working on at one moment. I’ve always been this way but I do love what I do- I never find work boring which has been something I’m very grateful for. Lately I think it’s really nice seeing something I make in the flesh (literally I suppose in regards to my tattoos!). After working for so long digitally with my art it’s been a satisfying change to work on projects that are more tangible.
Where do you most get your inspiration from?
The story behind my pieces come from personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings- but aesthetically it’s inspired by my interests in life. I feel like I’m so chaotic in that department because the range is so wide; from manga/anime to medieval history to streetwear to queer culture…. it all blends together in the end with an added flower or two thrown in. That’s a very shortened summary of my secret recipe.
How would you describe your style of work?
I feel like this is always a challenge for me because my style is influenced by so many different elements that have just fused together over the years (as I mentioned previously). I suppose i
Have any other artists in particular been an influence on you?
Too many to count in just a couple sentences! In different stages of my life I’ve been influenced by so many artists. To name a few that have seemed to be a constant all throughout: Masamune Shirow, Katsuhiro Otomo, Nobuteru Yūki, Moebius, John William Waterhouse, and Gustav Klimt. Basically all are manga artists (apart from Klimt and Waterhouse). I fell in love with their aesthetics and compositions, the stories they’d depict, and most of all the genres in which they’d fall under- sci fi, fantasy, and fairy tale.
What has been your favourite recent project you’ve worked on and why?
To be honest I have been loving all the tattoos I’ve been doing. I had practiced for so long (years actually) and come so far to get where I am with it. Everything is finally paying off and I can see the sketch literally come to life. Everyone has been so lovely and it’s been such a great experience so far. I just can’t believe people want my drawings on themselves forever- it’s such an honor to do each one.
How does your life inspire your work?
I started off illustrating queer love because at the time when I was in uni there wasn’t anyone else really doing it. All there was was tumblr back in the day, and it was pretty much all fan art/doodles which you’d only see time to time. It was a constant disappointment not to see it around more, and so I decided to draw things for myself and other’s that felt the same. It was that sense of queer longing that got me going, and in my work my own experiences and emotions came through. It basically felt like a diary at the start. I got famous on tumblr soon after for doing comics based off of my feelings for this girl (who actually is now my future wife) and since then illustrating those thoughts and feelings just catapulted my career to where it is now.
Tell us all about your awesome Bell helmet design!
When I was first asked to do the helmet I instantly knew I wanted to do something with my flash designs in mind. I had drawn a comic last year which I have been steadily tattooing on my leg over the past few months. I really loved the anemone flowers I drew and decided on using them for the helmet, and mix in a lil fantasy with the swords. I wanted to create something “soft” and “strong”, which is sort of the vibe of VC for me. Women deal with toxic masculinity (and other things) in the motorcycle community and I wanted to create a helmet which would make someone feel a “vicious” badass rider while at the same time still showing off their feminine/tender side.
What materials did you use to create the helmet?
The first step I took was printing out some floral sketches and laying them out, then drawing the swords and hearts in the blank areas I had. Once I had the design layout secured I printed everything off on transfer paper which helped me glue the design on to the helmet as a template. From there I painted all the line drawings and filled in the hearts. Once the design was done I just had to scrap off any remaining glue that was used for the transfer paper and polish off any other bits of detail I missed!
What was the process you used to paint the helmet?
It was pretty straightforward once I had the design lay out on the helmet. I just used the smallest brushes I could find and used signer’s paint. I had a tip from a friend that mentioned using a drop of fairy liquid to help thin out the paint.
How long did it take you to create?
I worked on the helmet here and there when I could throughout a month and a half in between holidays and other projects. I think combining it all together maybe a week!
