Velvet Ink
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Luxury Illustration

VELVET
INK

Where Imagination Meets Craft.

12+
Years
300+
Commissions
48
Countries
Begin a Commission View Collection
Est. 2012
"Art as a second language — spoken with ink."
Artist at work — VELVET INK studio
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Fine Art
Craft

The Artist

A voice written
in line and colour

Elara Voss is a London-based illustrator whose work inhabits the space between fine art and editorial urgency. Drawing from a background in printmaking and classical figure drawing, she brings a rare technical command to every commission — whether a cover for a literary quarterly or a private artwork destined for a collector's study.

Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Vogue Italia, and Harper's Magazine, and her personal series on myth and memory has been exhibited in galleries across London, Paris, and Tokyo. She works in layered watercolour, fine digital, and mixed-media, each medium chosen deliberately for its emotional weight.

"I am interested in the moment before a story is told — the intake of breath, the held hand, the unseen threshold."
Watercolour Digital Editorial Book Covers Print & Screen Fine Art Prints Mixed Media

Mediums & Styles

Three disciplines,
one unwavering vision

Each medium is a different voice in the same conversation — chosen not from habit, but from the demands of the work itself.

Watercolour Illustration

Watercolour

Traditional wet-on-wet and layered glazing techniques on cold-press cotton rag paper. Each piece lives in the beautiful unpredictability of the medium — blooms, granulation, and all.

Arches 300gsm Winsor & Newton Wet-on-wet Glazing
Digital Editorial Illustration

Digital Editorial

High-resolution editorial work built in Procreate and Photoshop, drawing on a custom-built brush library developed over years to simulate traditional media while embracing digital flexibility.

Procreate Photoshop 300 DPI+ CMYK Ready
Mixed Media Illustration

Mixed Media

Collage, ink wash, dry pastel, and photographic texture layered into works that feel accumulated rather than made. Often reserved for personal series and gallery commissions.

Ink & Collage Dry Pastel Photo Texture Gallery Scale

Portfolio

Selected works

View Full Collection
Illustration — Nocturne Series
Nocturne Series
Personal / Fine Art
Editorial — The New Yorker
The New Yorker
Editorial
Book Cover — Tender Ghosts
Tender Ghosts
Book Cover
Vogue Italia — Spring Feature
Vogue Italia
Magazine Feature
Collector Commission — Dreams of Water
Dreams of Water
Private Commission
Harper's Magazine — Winter Edition
Harper's Magazine
Editorial
Book Cover — The Violet Almanac
The Violet Almanac
Book Cover
Personal — The Moth Series
The Moth Series
Personal / Print
Atlas of Forgotten Things — Book Cover
Atlas of Forgotten
Book Cover

Editorial Clients

Words they gave us
rooms to illustrate

From quarterly literary journals to global fashion houses — Velvet Ink's work has graced pages that matter.

The New Yorker
Literary / Cultural
Vogue Italia
Fashion Editorial
Harper's Magazine
Literary / Opinion
Granta
Literary Journal
The Paris Review
Arts & Literature
Penguin Random House
Book Publishing
Faber & Faber
Book Publishing
Frieze Magazine
Art & Culture
The New Yorker ◆ Vogue Italia ◆ Harper's Magazine ◆ Granta ◆ The Paris Review ◆ Penguin Random House ◆ Faber & Faber ◆ Frieze Magazine ◆ The New Yorker ◆ Vogue Italia ◆ Harper's Magazine ◆ Granta ◆ The Paris Review ◆ Penguin Random House ◆ Faber & Faber ◆ Frieze Magazine ◆
Illustration process — VELVET INK studio
Studio, London N1

The Process

From brief to
final render

Every commission follows a considered sequence — no shortcuts, no compromise. The work reveals itself at its own pace.

01

Brief & Dialogue 3–5 days

An in-depth conversation to understand the project's emotional intent, audience, and constraints. This stage is as much listening as it is asking.

02

Sketch Concepts 1 week

3–5 thumbnail compositions presented for review. Drawn loosely in pencil or rough digital — structure before refinement, always.

03

Colour Study & Approval 3–4 days

A tight colour study of the approved sketch — palette, mood, and tonal relationships resolved before committing to the final render.

04

Final Render & Delivery 1–2 weeks

The finished work, delivered as high-resolution files (TIFF + PDF) with full commercial usage rights as specified in the contract.

Commission Pricing

Three tiers,
one standard of craft

All commissions include 2 rounds of revisions. Usage rights vary by tier. Lead time: 3–6 weeks from deposit.

Tier I
Sketch
£380
Single illustration, line art or monochromatic wash. Personal use only. Delivered in 2–3 weeks.
  • 1 final illustration (A4 / Letter)
  • Pencil or ink line art
  • 2 concept sketches provided
  • High-resolution TIFF delivery
  • Personal use rights
Enquire
Tier II
Colour
£950
Full-colour watercolour or digital illustration. Editorial or commercial use included.
  • 1 finished colour illustration
  • Full watercolour or digital render
  • 3 sketch concepts
  • Colour study approval stage
  • Commercial use rights (single title)
  • Print & digital formats
Begin Commission
Tier III
Premium Editorial
£2,400+
Full editorial suite for magazine or book projects. Multi-piece series, bespoke briefing process.
  • Up to 4 illustrations
  • Full series concept development
  • Priority 3-week turnaround
  • Extended commercial use rights
  • Art direction collaboration
  • Layered source files included
Enquire