AYA Illustration is a live illustrator in Devon. At a wedding, Zhanna draws portraits of the guests while the celebration carries on, and every guest goes home with an original made from scratch. The portraits are freehand, fashion-inspired and quick, and they are shown in a pop-up gallery where guests collect their own.
From speed drawing to a signature style
Zhanna came to live illustration through fashion drawing. In 2021 she found an online course taught by an established fashion illustrator, and one of its modules was live event illustration. She loved it for two reasons: speed drawing, which she enjoys as a challenge, and drawing people, because portraiture had always been her biggest passion. She has been teaching herself to speed sketch people ever since.
In 2024 she enrolled on the Illustration course at Falmouth University, and her course projects are on Behance. The course taught her what she wanted to do, and in December 2024 she registered her trademark, which was the official start of AYA Illustration. Her first presentation of the solo venture was at the Barbican Arts and Crafts market in Plymouth. It began badly, with no visitor wanting a free portrait, until other makers at the market agreed to sit. Her first live wedding was Claire and Graeme’s at Bickley Mill in Devon.
Why live illustration
Live event illustration is entertainment in which an illustrator creates bespoke artwork during the event, capturing guests and special moments as they happen. Zhanna describes the reaction she hears most: guests telling her it is something different, that they have never seen it before, and that it is a smart idea. For a couple it replaces a generic wedding favour with something made for each guest, and it gives a drinks reception something to look at.
The style
Her style is fashion-inspired, sketchy and bold, with a keen eye for detail. The signature is the linework. She is fascinated by the energy a single line can carry, the movement, the character and the personality, and she treats it as part of what makes each illustration recognisable.
Every portrait is freehand, so it captures the features, the expression and the pose of the person in front of her. She never uses pre-printed templates or generic faces. Even when working fast on A5 paper, she pays attention to likeness, so that guests can recognise themselves in the drawing.
Before illustration
Zhanna has drawn for as long as she can remember, and she recalls her first drawing lesson in kindergarten as the moment she fell in love with drawing and painting. Her route here was not straight. After school she qualified as a teacher, and a few years later she moved to the UK and began looking for a creative career. She trained as a make-up artist, enjoyed the artistry, and concluded it was not the path for her. Fashion illustration was where the creative thread finally held.
A day with AYA Illustration
Zhanna arrives with her assistant, who is her husband, and sets up an illustration station before the ceremony. During the drinks reception she introduces herself to guests and takes quick reference photographs. Guests do not sit or pose. They carry on enjoying the celebration and are free to come and watch, which is what usually happens.
The first illustration is the bride and groom, framed and displayed for everyone. She then works through the guests, and every finished piece is displayed on the table for collection. She reckons on about eight single people, or four or five couples, in an hour, depending on detail such as patterns, accessories and poses. She does not draw digitally at live events.
Her habit is to talk to the guests as she draws. For many, live illustration is something they have never seen, and the curiosity gathers a small crowd around the station. The best moment to begin is the drinks reception or the wedding breakfast, when the light is good and the portraits give guests something to talk about.
The Signature Suite
The Signature Suite is her full-day wedding experience, priced at £850 and suited to a guest list of about 45 to 55. It includes early arrival for set-up before the ceremony and a full day of illustration of up to seven and a half hours. She stays until about seven in the evening, or until the first dance, and takes a short break for a meal.
The suite includes an A5 framed portrait of the bridal couple and A5 freehand illustrations of guests, with up to ten remaining guests, or five couples, illustrated after the event. Personalised paper carries a custom stamp with the couple’s names and wedding date, each illustration is embossed with the AYA logo, and matching biodegradable clear sleeves come with it. The price excludes travel and accommodation where they apply.
Extras and larger weddings
Further hours can be added at £150 an hour, which covers eight individual guests or four couples. If some guests are not finished on the day, she completes them in her studio afterwards at £10 for a single portrait and £20 for a couple, sent by special delivery within a week.
Other options include a post-event A4 bridal portrait in mixed media, hand-painted from a favourite photograph, at £200 excluding postage and frame; branded paper printed with the couple’s initials, the date and decorative motifs at £100; A6 mini portrait place cards at £20 a portrait; and a white mount set at £1.20 a set. Her advice is to tell her the total number of guests. Once guests see the portraits being made, she says, most of them want one.
How she works
To make the most of the sketching time she draws one or two people, or a family of three or four, in each portrait, with no repeats. Everyone drawn must be at the event, and she does not draw from photographs on phones or from wallet photos. The number of portraits varies by event, but she keeps a steady pace and completes an appropriate number for the time allowed.
A shorter booking of three or four hours is available only for weddings at venues in and around Plymouth, or within half an hour of it. Outdoor weddings are fine so long as the station is in shade or under cover if it rains.
Who she is for
She describes her ideal couple in five parts. They value original, bespoke artwork, with every portrait freehand. They care about likeness. They like expressive, distinctive linework. They value the magic of live art, where speed is part of the craft. And they want entertainment that feels thoughtful and personal. Typically she makes around eight to ten individual full-length A5 portraits an hour, which is what lets more guests take part.
The same service is offered for corporate events, from conferences and networking evenings to product launches and company celebrations, where guests and colleagues watch their illustrations appear and receive a personalised keepsake.
Where she works
AYA Illustration covers Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Bristol, Gloucestershire and South Wales. For venues further than 50 miles from Plymouth, travel and accommodation fees apply.
Planning the space
The station is simple: a table, a little shade and room for the display of finished portraits. Zhanna works with professional-grade materials and paper, and she and her assistant bring everything they need. Nearer the wedding she talks through the arrangement of the space and any special requests, such as which guests to draw first, so that the ceremony, the reception and the portraits fit together without anyone feeling rushed.
A VIP list is worth agreeing in advance. She can take quick photographs of the people on it before the ceremony, which lets her use the time on site to draw as many guests as possible, and it means the family and the closest friends are among the first to receive their portraits.
Booking
A couple starts by sending the date, the timings, the venue, the number of guests and any add-ons, and receives a final quote. If they go ahead, Zhanna sends a contract with a payment link for a 30% deposit. She gets back in touch nearer the event about the space and any special requests, and the balance is due one month before the wedding. She recommends booking 10 to 12 months ahead.
What couples say
Couples describe the same things. Claire and Graeme Durrant, whose wedding was her first, said the communication was fantastic, the service outstanding and that everyone loved their drawings, which were presented on embossed card with their initials and the date. Jamie and Georgina Aitchison found her after a long search through illustrators, loved the style, and said their guests were impressed by their portraits.
A fellow supplier who worked alongside her at a wedding praised how quickly she creates detailed, atmospheric images, and how guests lit up when they saw them.
See more
The AYA Illustration listing carries the full record, and the magazine issue shows her portraits across ten pages. For how a live illustrator compares with a painter, read the guide to choosing a live wedding artist, or see every live wedding artist.
