Of Dragons, Fairytales and Finishing Touches: Meet Emily Hare

Emily Hare’s world is filled with mythical creatures, magical landscapes, and a deep love for fairytales and folklore. Her distinctive fantasy illustrations have captured the imaginations of thousands of readers and collectors, but like many artists, her journey hasn’t been straightforward.

From early detours and discouragement to the breakthrough moment of publishing her own book, Emily’s story is one of persistence, rediscovery, and finally finding the space where her art could thrive.

A Path Through Fantasy and Folklore

Like many artists, Emily started young. “Since I first picked up a pencil? 48 years!” she says. But professionally, it’s been about 30 years since she began selling her work. Things only started to click in her late twenties, when she began taking on illustration jobs and slowly rediscovering her love for fantasy art.

She briefly studied on an art foundation course after school, but didn’t pursue university. “At the time, conceptual art was all the rage,” she explains. “My illustrative and fantastical bent was not encouraged.” While people around her advised against illustration, she now sees that as misguided advice. “It’s where I’ve found my happy place.”

Emily’s artistic voice developed over time. Early commissions, like pastel pet portraits, didn’t excite her. It wasn’t until 2017, with the release of her first self-published book Strangehollow, that everything changed. “It was the first time my art was able to support me fully without freelance or non-art jobs on the side.”

Building Strangehollow

That first Kickstarter for Strangehollow remains a career highlight. “It was so popular and did so well, none of my book projects since have matched how successful that one was,” she says. But there have been no disasters to balance it out, thankfully.

Emily draws heavily from childhood influences: fairytales, folklore, fantasy films and TV. “The Sinbad movies, Jason and the Argonauts, Labyrinth, Legend – muppets! The Storyteller in the 80s. All of these shaped what I make now.” Nature also plays a big role, especially in inspiring the creatures that populate her worlds.

Her favourite subjects? “Dragons and unicorns – almost anything folkloric or mythical.”

Making the Magic

Watercolour is Emily’s current medium of choice. “It’s a challenging medium, but exciting,” she says. “The longer I use it, the more things I’m able to achieve.” She has also worked with oils and occasionally dabbles in sculpture.

Emily works from home and sticks to a structured 9–6 schedule, thanks to her husband’s influence. “When I was on my own, I’d sometimes work until the early hours. But being more structured is far better for me – I get much more done.” She’s most creative in the afternoons and early evenings.

A typical day starts with a walk, followed by admin and then diving into whatever she’s working on creatively. Music, podcasts or familiar films often accompany her – though for the initial composition stage, silence is best. She keeps a glass of water nearby, not a mug, and while she’s not much of a snacker, a piece of toast or apple in the afternoon does the trick.

Finishing Touches

Emily’s ideal creative day? Not a dramatic breakthrough or a burst of inspiration – but the satisfaction of finishing a big piece. “Adding final touches to a painting is my favourite part. Long past the ugly phase and into the refining. I love that.”

Her passion for world-building, storytelling and folklore has found its perfect outlet in the books and prints she creates – and her followers continue to grow as she shares glimpses of that world.

If you love fantastical art, folklore, and creatures that look like they might breathe if you blink, Emily Hare’s work is well worth exploring. From dragons to delicate details in watercolour, she brings stories to life with imagination and care.

Find more of Emily’s work here:

🌐 Website: www.emilyhare.co.uk

🔵 Bluesky: @emilyhare.co.uk

📸 Instagram: @artbyemilyhare

📘 Facebook: @artbyemilyhare