Drawing ghosts – a workshop
An online workshop with Illustrator Sian Ellis in which participants will learn how to draw ghosts. Whether cartoonish, cute, terrifying or ominous we’ll cover all the basics of how to capture a spirit in visual form. In this workshop we will study examples of ghosts in art throughout history before creating a hand-drawn haunted illustration of our own. Sian is an award-winning illustrator based in Sheffield and known for her playful ghost illustrations. She is the creator of the quarterly zine ‘Tell the Bees’ a catalogue of tales from folklore, fiction and history. Each zine is themed from Folklore in Film to Britain’s Weirdest ghosts. She also creates detailed maps and zines of geographical areas illustrated with local folklore, ghost stories and strange places which have been featured on the BBC and The Week Junior.
Artist Bio:
Sian Ellis is a Sheffield-based illustrator and mural artist known for her bold, playful, and highly distinctive visual style. A self-taught artist who describes herself as “just a northern lass who hasn’t stopped drawing and painting for 30 years,” Ellis has built a vibrant career producing illustrations, murals, and graphic artwork for businesses, organisations, and creative spaces across the United Kingdom.
Her client list includes well-known names such as Barker and Stonehouse, Brewpoint Brewery, Jersey Zoo, Whirlow Hall Farm, Yellow Arch Studios, and Pieminister. Through these collaborations she has created a wide range of commissioned works, including mural paintings, window displays, event posters, article illustrations, flyers, social media graphics, book illustrations, and illustrated signage.
Ellis’s work is characterised by strong lines, intricate hand-drawn details, and vibrant digital colouring. Her pieces often combine humour, storytelling, and a lively sense of character, resulting in artworks that are both visually striking and immediately recognisable.
Alongside her commissioned work, Ellis also produces a collection of artist prints, jewellery, and small objects d’art. Each design begins as a hand-drawn illustration—often rendered in meticulous detail—before being digitally coloured and prepared for print. These works are available through her online shop and at independent markets and stockists across the UK.
Ellis remains enthusiastic about new commissions and collaborations, and welcomes enquiries from individuals, businesses, and organisations interested in creating bold and playful visual projects.
Curated & Hosted By:
Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience
don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day
