Our ‘surprise’ Christmas character

Our seventh festive studio card is now in the hands of Royal Mail. This year we collaborated with illustrator Alex Mouette to create our ‘surprise’ festive stocking filler. In case you’re new to our annual cards, we have a recurring (and simple) brief, where we ask an artist or illustrator to respond to the phrase: ‘31% Wool, 69% [insert Christmassy word/s]’.

Here I chat with Alex about the project and their creative process.

Julia: You’re currently a student, but already taking commissions – tell us about your creative pathway?

Alex: At a young, young age, I always enjoyed mindlessly scribbling with crayons I’d taken a bite out of. Over the years, this enjoyable hobby slowly evolved into something I was deeply passionate about, and I soon realized that it was a career I could be doing for the rest of my life. I immediately knew that it was what I had imagined myself doing later in life. I’m now currently studying at The BRIT School for the Digital Arts, which has taught me so much: not just in the illustration field but pretty much every other aspect of what I can make on my little computer. And it really helps when it comes to commissions and professional work like this because otherwise I would have no clue what I’m doing (not saying I still don’t feel like that sometimes LOL).

Julia: How would you describe your style?

Alex: I would say that it's very toony; it’s a style I’ve had for ages, and I’ve spent my time exploring styles to find ones that I’m particularly fond of. This does mean that my style does vary quite a lot, but honestly, I don’t see that as a bad thing; I have lots of fun trying new stuff and finding out what else I have the capacity to create.

Julia: Where do you usually create your work?

Alex: I make a lot of my art at home! I do like the idea of having different environments to make my work at so I never get bored with my surroundings but to be honest, I much prefer having a familiar view, so I always feel comfortable. It also gives me an excuse to switch off from the outside world because sometimes I do feel like it’s a bit too much for me.

Julia: You collaborated with us on this year’s 31% Wool Christmas card. Using this project as an example, what's your usual process when creating a new project from concepts to final outcome?

Alex: I usually read over the brief a few times over to make sure I’m doing the right thing and discuss with my client about what they’re hoping to have in the final piece, come up with some initial ideas, work on them a bit, and have a check-in to make sure they’re happy with the decisions that I have made.

From there, it’s a simple case of actually making the thing in the software of my/their choice and some iterations to make my client as happy with the final product as possible. It’s a tried and true method and it’s always worked for me.

Julia: How do you balance student work and professional commissions, and how does one inform the other?

Alex: I think both of them feed into each other. For me, student work is for skill-building in the software I’m learning in, and commissions are a way of harnessing those skills to make something for another human being. Having the best of both worlds is a really nice way to perfect my work all around and get some really valuable advice for going forward.

Julia: What’s been your favourite project to date?

Alex: That’s a tough question because I like a lot of what I do, but a few months ago, I created a short animated film by myself over the span of a month. It taught me a lot about what it’s like to invest in a project of this scale. I think the biggest thing I’ll take away from creating this film is really how you should manage and produce a big project such as this. Along with recreating what I did right it’s also very important to think about what I could improve on. Little mishaps here and there are a key part in learning from self-led ideas and I really am grateful that I know how to spot these mistakes and better myself.

Julia: Are there any other recent projects you’d like to tell us about?

Alex: I’ve made a few digital illustrations and other smaller projects recently but, as of now, I’m taking a bit of a break from doing big projects as I’ve got a muh-hassive one lined up for me next year. Stay tuned!

Julia: Apart from our card, what’s the most festive illustration you’ve ever created?

Alex: I remember I made a lot of Christmas cards for my family a few years ago. And when I say a lot, I mean almost two dozens’ worth. It was a bit of a challenge then, but looking back at it now, it was a great way to practice illustrating cards, and it’s almost like I was meant to make this card sooner or later, haha.

Julia: What’s next for you in 2026?

Alex: Apart from the fact that time is abysmally unpredictable, I’ve got a really big project that’s in the works for 2026. I’m also crossing my fingers because I want to go to university next year as well. I’ve sent my portfolio through and everything so it’s just a waiting game at this point LOL. But yeah, in the next year I want to do more work with commissions and all that to get a better insight into the industry. Fingers crossed!

---

Thank you to Alex for the chat (and the cute card). See more of Alex’s work on their website.