Yulia Brodskaya Quilling: Lush and Vibrant Artworks

Yulia Brodskaya

In this interview we are going to tell our readers about Yulia Brodskaya, quilling artist and illustrator. Quilling or paper filigree involves the placement of carefully cut and bent strips of paper that are glued together to create three-dimensional illustrations. After creating innovative paper illustrations Yulia has swiftly earned an international reputation as the paper craft artist and was named the ‘breakthrough star’ by Creative Review magazine in 2009. The list of her clients includes world-famous companies such as Hermès, Starbucks, Godiva, Sephora, The New York Times Magazine and many others. Yulia is frequently invited as a speaker at international design workshops and schools. Her original artworks are owned by Oprah Winfrey, Ferrero, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Country Music Association and various private collectors. It’s been a pleasure for us to take an interview with Yulia Brodskaya and learn some interesting facts of her biography. Enjoy the story of Yulia Brodskaya quilling! Don’t miss the chance to get valuable tips from Yulia Brodskaya tutorial and discover the unusual world of illustrations made of paper and glue.

Way for Finding Signature Style

AP: Hey Yulia, thank you so much for finding the time to give an interview. It’s a great honor for us. Please tell our readers about your first steps in quilling. Why did you become fond of this art?

Yulia: I always had a special fascination for paper, I’ve tried many different methods and techniques of working with paper, for instance Origami, paper collages. However, intricate designs made of edge-glued strips of paper (also known as a Quilling technique) became my signature style. I started to use this style about five years ago. I was planning to create a small brochure with my hand-drawn illustrations to be sent out to potential clients and I was looking for an eye-catching image with my name ‘Yulia’ for the cover. I created a number of hand-drawn variants, but I didn’t like any of them… And then I remembered an image from some school book showing a paper strips standing on edge. So, I tried to make the letters using this technique and apparently the attempt was successful. I had immediately switched to paper illustration completely and I haven’t been using any other medium since.

AP: So, experiments and recalls were the keys to finding signature style. And what way have you chosen for cultivating your talent in quilling art? Is it possible to get formal education in quilling?

Yulia: I don’t think there is such thing as a formal education in quilling. I wasn’t even familiar with this term until someone told me that what I do is called ‘quilling’. The first time I saw it was in some old black and white book that one of the tutors showed me years ago back in Moscow. It showed various treatments that can be done with paper (folding, cutting, shaping etc.), and paper strips standing on edge among other methods.

Yulia’s Quilling Techniques

AP: Are there any secrets of quilling art you can share with our readers? What kind of equipment and quilling techniques do you use? Describe us a bit of your creative process.

Yulia: I use cocktail straw and cocktail sticks for my work. When I first started to quill I didn’t know anything about the technique or that there are special tools, shapes etc. I used whatever I found around me and I still use the same ‘tools’, I’m so used to my cocktail straw now.

AP: Your creative approach is amazing! It really helps you to discover unique quilling techniques. The creative process is always unpredictable. What has been your most difficult creative challenge in quilling so far?

Yulia: Quilling is time consuming art. That’s the main struggle! I could do huge artworks but this doesn’t really work because every small artwork takes very long.

Quilling Tips and Tricks

AP:  Quilling is relatively new art and finding valuable quilling tips is really essential. What is the best piece of advice you would give to quilling beginners?

Yulia: Here they are:

• Make sketches first.
• Don’t feel constrained by using basic shapes/methods – feel free to experiment.
• Try to find your own/unique style/look within the chosen medium and technique.

Dear Yulia, thank you so much for finding a time to tell a life story to our readers. The popularity of quilling art is growing rapidly, and it is really excellent there are experienced quilling artists like you who can share unique professional tips with people. We have great confidence that you’ll make numerous discoveries in quilling. We wish you inspiration and fresh ideas in your creativity. To learn more about Yulia Brodskaya quilling feel free to visit his personal website with lots of quilling artworks.

Contact information:

• Yulia Brodskaya Quilling

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