Watercolour Illustrator Based in Newark, Notts

Bespoke illustrations for people, places, weddings & all the moments worth remembering.

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About WTF

Local Illustrator with 20 Years’ Experience Serving Newark and Surrounding Areas

Hi, I'm Claire 👋 I'm the artist behind WTF Illustration, and I create live wedding guest illustrations and bespoke watercolour keepsakes that help couples relive the magic of their wedding day long after the last dance. Based in Lincolnshire (with travel up to 1.5 hours each way included), I personally hand-paint every illustration, bringing a relaxed, friendly and creative experience to your celebration. Live Wedding Illustration Looking for something a little different for your guests? As your wedding unfolds, I'll paint beautiful watercolour portraits live at your reception for your guests to watch and enjoy before taking them home as a truly personal keepsake. It's part entertainment, part wedding favour and something your guests will treasure long after the day is over. I paint portraits, not people, as most illustrations feature couples or families together. This means one portrait often captures two or more guests, allowing me to paint far more people than the package name suggests. Portraits are available with or without facial features, depending on the style you love. New! Mini Round Portraits My newest package offers charming Round Head & Shoulders Portraits – a quicker, more budget-friendly option that's perfect for couples wanting to treat all of their guests to a hand-painted keepsake. Because guests are usually painted in couples or family groups, 30 portraits will typically cover around 60–65 guests. More Than Live Illustration Your wedding memories don't have to end when the day does. I also create bespoke hand-painted keepsakes to celebrate every part of your wedding journey. 🤍 Guest Sign-In Painting A beautiful alternative to the traditional guest book. Choose an illustration of your venue, the two of you, your wedding party or anything meaningful to your story. It's displayed on your wedding day for guests to sign before being framed afterwards, creating a one-of-a-kind keepsake you'll treasure forever. 🏰 Venue Illustrations A bespoke painting of your wedding venue, perfect for invitations, stationery, welcome signs or simply framed as a lasting reminder of where you said "I do". 💌 Illustrated Greeting Cards Perfect for asking your favourite people to be part of your wedding, or sending heartfelt thank you cards after your big day. ✨ Illustrated Place Cards Hand-painted name cards that double as thoughtful wedding favours, giving every guest something unique to take home. A Little About Me With over 30 years of professional design experience and a lifelong love of watercolour, I genuinely feel so lucky to spend my days painting people's happiest memories. No two weddings are ever the same, and neither are my illustrations. Every piece is hand-painted by me, and while my style is loose, modern and full of character, I'm always happy to tailor it to the look and feel you love most. My aim is simple... to blend seamlessly into your day, make your guests smile, and create meaningful keepsakes you'll treasure for years to come. If you're looking for something a little different that combines live entertainment with beautiful, personal artwork, I'd absolutely love to be part of your wedding

Get to know your illustrator

Meet Claire, your local artist and illustrator

Claire

Owner

Claire is the artist and illustrator that will bring your ideas to life

WTF services

Professional services tailored to your needs.

Live Illustration

WTF Illustration offers live drawing sessions at events in Newark and the midlands, creating personalised artwork on the spot that captures the moment and engages your guests with unique, custom illustrations.

People

WTF Illustration creates bespoke portraits and character illustrations that reflect your unique style and story. Serving Newark and the surrounding area, the service offers personalised, creative artwork tailored to your vision.

Buildings

WTF Illustration creates bespoke artwork capturing the character and charm of local buildings. Based in Newark, the service offers personalised illustrations tailored to your vision, serving clients in Newark and the surrounding area.

WTF products

Take a look at some of the products we offer.

Greetings Cards

WTF Illustration creates personalised greetings cards featuring bespoke artwork that reflects your style and vision. Based in Newark, the cards are designed to add a creative, local touch to your special messages.

Gift Vouchers

Give the gift of personalised artwork with vouchers that can be redeemed for bespoke portraits, pet illustrations, or building artwork, all created locally in Newark to suit the recipient’s style and vision.

Portraits

Create a bespoke portrait that reflects your unique style and story. Based in Newark, WTF Illustration offers personalised character illustrations tailored to your vision, serving clients in Newark and the surrounding area.

Live Illustration

From £375

WTF Illustration offers live drawing sessions in Newark and the surrounding area, creating personalised portraits, character sketches, or event artwork that captures moments as they happen with a creative and tailored approach.

House & Building Illustrations

From £150

Based in Newark, WTF Illustration produces bespoke artwork that captures the character and charm of local buildings, creating personalised illustrations tailored to your vision for clients in Newark and the surrounding area.

Cards

From £8

WTF Illustration creates personalised cards featuring bespoke artwork, capturing your unique style and story. Based in Newark, this service offers creative, custom designs perfect for any occasion in Newark and the surrounding area.

Why choose WTF?

Straightforward, dependable service from start to finish.

Local Expertise

Being based in Newark allows personalized illustrations that capture the unique local character and meet regional clients' preferences.

Extensive Experience

With 20 years in illustration, the business offers a seasoned perspective that enriches each custom project.

Direct Communication

Clients can easily reach out via phone or email, ensuring smooth collaboration and timely updates.

Custom Illustrations

Tailored artwork that matches your specific needs and vision, enhancing your brand or project impact.

Personalized Service

Small business approach ensures attentive, flexible service adapting to each client’s unique requirements.

Community Focus

Serving Newark and surrounding area fosters strong community connections and local support.

Creative Solutions

Dedicated to delivering imaginative and original illustrations that stand out and engage audiences effectively.

Memorable Keepsakes

Beautiful hand-painted illustrations your guests can take home and treasure long after your special day.

Testimonials

What my customers say

I booked Claire's live illustration package last minute and I am thrilled she had our date available! We booked the head and shoulders portraits and Claire was able to complete a portrait of just over 60 people in this package and added travel and a full length portrait of ourselves for a very reasonable price! We were so pleased with the portraits and our guests loved them, we had a lot of compliments about how lovely they were and that a lot of guests hadn't seen this at a wedding before. Each portrait was also so recognisable as each guest which is so impressive. Claire was lovely and I can't recommend her enough especially for the price!

— Natasha, married on 15/08/2026

Claire, what a lovely woman, and her talent for illustrating is absolutely amazing! 🥰✏️ Having Claire there was such a special touch to our wedding day, and all of our guests absolutely loved watching her work and seeing the beautiful illustrations she created. They were such a unique and personal keepsake from our special day. ❤️ Nothing was ever too much trouble, and from our very first communication right through to leaving the venue, Claire was friendly, professional and fantastic. We would 100% recommend Claire to anyone looking for something extra special for their wedding. An all round fantastic experience you definitely won’t be disappointed!

— Jodi, married on 08/08/2026

Claire is a fabulous artist who produces gorgeous illustrated portraits with attention to detail and a fun and quirky flair. I messaged Claire with a few reference photos and asked if she could create two custom portraits: one with a festival vibe of a friend angle grinding on a guitar and one of a close friends wedding (including their fluffy ring bearer). Claire’s responses were quick and informative. She made sure to show me the outlines of the portraits, and double checked key details such as outfits/glasses/faces to ensure the pictures were just right. The final portraits are exactly what I wanted and will be fantastic gifts! Be sure to book her for your receptions and events!

— Becky, 30/07/2026

I've saw that WTF illustrations had recently attended a wedding to do illustrations for the wedding party at the venue i got married at. I immediately loved her prints and thought they looked really cool! I contacted WTF illustrations to enquire if they could do some prints of our wedding photos. Claire was prompt with her response and very friendly. I wanted some additions to family photos which Claire was able to do. The prints are unique and quirky with lots of detail. They are another momentum of our wedding which we will treasure. I also requested prints for some of our guests who I know will love them as much as I do.

— Charlotte, married on 20/07/2026

Not just Claire’s work, but Claire herself. So easy to deal with, happy to go above & beyond to cover the details I wanted for our wedding favours. She was a huge talking point from all our guests!

— Dominique, married on 18/07/2026

Amazing!!! Claire was a last minute booking for us and it was no issue for her at all! She was responsive all throughout even when I wanted to change the plan slightly on the day. The guests were OBSESSED with their drawings, and she made sure to get each and every single guest. She was so friendly and approachable and I am so glad that we booked her!

— Amy, married on 24/08/2026