Behind the Scenes of My Live Illustration Collaboration with HP!
I had a sneaky preview of HP's upcoming releases recently and as someone who's not a tech girlie (I actually think tech has a personal vendetta against me), I got completely sucked in.
Full disclosure, I have Insta #ad content with HP [please engage when your fave creators do collabs!! It means the world], but these words are all mine. This one was about my day with them, and this one about the desktop I worked with on the day.
The day centred around the launch of a whole range of products, and rather than just boringly displaying them, HP asked me to create an illustration (to be painted live) inspired by the theme: "The Future of Work, in the Real World." The point of this was to show off some of the camera features, and for it to be interactive (SMART!).
After some back and forth with the client, the concept we landed on was something that felt both aspirational and relatable: a bougie working breakfast. Silver tray, coffee, fresh pastries, flowers (a sunflower! An easter egg for my community!). The kind of morning that makes you feel like you've got your life together. But it became my interpretation of modern work: where creativity, technology and everyday life exist, side by side.
One of my favourite parts of working with brands is this process. People often think live illustration starts onsite when I pick up my brushes, but it starts before that. By understanding the brief, thinking about the audience, and finding a visual concept that brings the brand's message to life in a way that's engaging and memorable, but still *mine*. Don’t forget if you’re an artist, you should have a signature style/energy that comes through.
Now the tech. (btw this isn’t an ad, I really do think the desktop had cool functions.)
If I'm filming a tutorial or a masterclass, my camera is either pointed at my face... or my keyboard. I end up using my phone, then sending it to my laptop etc etc.
The HP OmniStudio X 27 has a Surface View camera, and when I started using it during the demo, I was like "UGH, where were you when I filmed my masterclass?!". The camera tilts depending on whether you want to show yourself or your work, and via AI, refocuses from your perspective.
For artists, educators and anyone creating content around what they're making on their desk, it's a clever feature. And because it's an all-in-one desktop (not just a monitor), it has actual power behind the functions.
So yeah… I’m still thinking about the desktop 😅
I left the day reminded of why I enjoy working with brands so much. The best collaborations are about taking an idea, understanding the story behind it, and translating it into something people connect with (and ideally can interact with).
To the HP team - thanks for trusting me with your vision (and for almost convincing me I'm a tech person).
If you're reading this and are planning a product launch, media event or brand activation and are looking for a creative way to bring your story to life, I'd love to chat.
You can explore my corporate and brand event illustration services here.