Artist Spotlight: Ellie Heywood

A sample of Ellie’s diverse capabilities.

Welcome to another edition of our Artist Spotlight! To highlight the incredible talent within the calligraphy community, I’ve been connecting with artists who inspire me and inviting them to share their stories through a short interview. Today, I’m excited to introduce you to the amazing Ellie Heywood.

Ellie is a talented designer and fine artist from the UK. I found her work through Instagram sometime in 2016 and have been captivated by her drive and explorations ever since.

In studying your work, it’s clear your creative abilities are incredibly diverse — from graphic design to elegant scripts and abstract calligraphy. You seem to do it all!

Hey Ellie, thanks so much for chatting with me! I’ve been a longtime admirer of your work. Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into lettering and typography?

Thanks so much! I’ve always considered myself an artist, though the way I create has changed over time — from fine art to graphic design, photography, digital art, and even video work. Drawing and painting have always been central to what I do and have stuck with me from a young age. My dad was a huge influence — he taught me how to really see the world, which has been such a valuable skill across all the design work I do. I first became interested in typography at the start of my degree at Leeds College of Art. In our first term, we studied the anatomy of type, and I became fascinated with how letterforms function as design elements. That naturally led me to explore hand-drawn lettering, and eventually calligraphy, combining my love of drawing with visual communication. I’ve never had formal calligraphy lessons; I learned mostly through books and online resources, so in that sense, I’m self-taught.

What’s the lettering scene like in Leeds, UK? It looks like you’re connected with some incredible artists. Could you tell us more about Goat Collective?

Honestly, the lettering scene in Leeds is pretty small — there are a few good sign writers — but the overall art scene is fantastic. I’ve met so many talented students and graduates here, and I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with them over the past few years. Some of them have become close friends, which is how Goat Collective started. We were all students at Leeds College of Art, living in the same halls, and bonded over our shared passion for creating. Our conversations would often lead to ideas for new projects, and we realised that together, we covered a wide range of creative disciplines — from photography and illustration to graphic design and filmmaking. Now we work on both commercial and personal projects, sometimes as small teams, sometimes with the whole collective. It’s amazing to work with your friends on things you love.

130 Vicar Lane mural design by Goat Collective

Your blackletter calligrams were the first pieces that caught my eye — they’re stunning. What inspired you to start creating those?

Thank you! Blackletter is one of my favourite styles to work in, and I always seem to return to it. It started when I was practising connected lettering using some new ZIG calligraphy pens. I began writing the word “highlight” repeatedly to get the feel of the shapes — it’s a great word to practice because it has nice ascenders, descenders, and different letterforms. That repetition evolved into the calligram style I use today.

Your feed shows such a wide variety of styles — what inspires that creative diversity?

Yeah, I love experimenting with different lettering styles — mainly because I admire so many of them. I just want to try everything! Blackletter is a favourite, but I also enjoy pushing it into new forms, whether that’s creating abstract patterns, intricate calligrams, or clean, structured compositions. It’s a very versatile style.

Do you have a favourite project you've worked on so far?

One that stands out is the branding I did for my friend Tiar Johnston, an independent fashion designer. I was able to use the calligram style I’d developed and apply it to a commercial identity. It felt really good to see that style used practically and professionally — and now it’s part of her branding!

Calligram designs by Ellie Heywood

If you were stranded on an island and could only have one writing tool with you, what would you pick and why?

A paintbrush — no question! It’s my favourite tool anyway, but it would also be the most versatile on an island. I could use natural materials for paint, write on rocks and trees, and even use the back end of the brush to draw in the sand. Total multi-tool!

Are there any big goals or dreams you're currently working toward with your artwork?

My big dream is to become a mural artist. I’m already working on a couple of collaborative murals, and I’d love to expand that — ideally, travelling the world, painting walls, and connecting with other artists and communities. That’s the ultimate goal!

What can we expect from you in 2017?

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure — things change so quickly and new opportunities come up all the time. But I plan to keep developing my calligraphy and other art practices. Goat Collective has some exciting projects in the pipeline, so you’ll see new work from us in the coming months. We’ll see where the year takes us!

An abstract pattern by Ellie Heywood

Lastly, if you could give one piece of advice to aspiring lettering artists, what would it be?

Practice every single day — until the words start to lose meaning, haha. Watching other artists work has been a huge part of my learning process, and there are so many great videos and tutorials out there, especially on Instagram. Also, don’t be afraid to critique your work. Compare your lettering to others, break down what you like, and tweak your style bit by bit. That’s how real growth happens.