about me

I’m Lonnie Willett, an Animation and Illustration graduate from Cambridge School of Art. I’m skilled at working in ink with a brush and dip pen, in digital illustration, animation and stop motion and in using software such as PhotoShop, TV Paint and Premiere Pro.   

My final major project, Moonlight Mile, is a sci-fi whodunit set on a commuter spacecraft, the space age equivalent of a train or a bus. The idea came to me when I was flying on a commuter airline between Shanghai and Tokyo. I took space travel and imagined it as a mundane aspect of the daily routine. I was also inspired by the 1974 film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, set on a New York subway train and other murder mystery stories. 

I have worked on a number of live briefs. In the summer of 2025 I undertook a work placement at Settle Stories, a charity dedicated to using the power of storytelling to promote empathy and help people understand themselves and each other. One of their projects is Stories for Schools – short, illustrated videos for use in schools to teach morals and values. I produced illustrations for two videos for them. I also worked on other live briefs as part of my course. And I undertook digital media work placements whilst at school: at Dubit, a children’s digital media research and development agency, and at Rowley SFX, a special effects company, both in Leeds.

I am inspired by a range of creative forms from around the world, from European art history to Hollywood cinema and Japanese manga. Initially inspired by Dada and Surrealism, in particular the collage of Hannah Hoch and the paintings of Renee Magritte. I became interested in the Japanese comic tradition after learning at a manga academy in Tokyo. My favourite manga is Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter X Hunter. Narratively, I’m inspired by Greek and Scandinavian mythology. My character design draws a lot from the sprite-work of fighting games like Street Fighter III: Third Strike and Vampire Savior.

Click here to view an up-to-date CV.

contact

If you’d like to find out more about my work or collaborate on a project, please get in touch.