Final Insight Magazine Scan

Here is my final magazine scan of my illustration featured in the latest issue of RNIB's Insight Magazine, November / December 2014 edition, as their Young Illustrator of the Year for 2014!

The overall theme of the latest issue is 'motivation and reward' and I portrayed that in my final illustration for the magazine, displaying the achievements and opportunities I have received this year since becoming the Illustrator of the Year for the RNIB.

As always, my illustration took most of the month to complete and was created using my favourite mediums of coloured pencils and black fine liner. You can read the accompanying article below:

Young Illustrator

Kimberley Burrows showcases some of her achievements since becoming Insight's Young illustrator for 2014.

"My piece depicts interviews with ITV Granada Reports and the Manchester Evening News, and the Mayor of Salford, Ian Stewart, tweeting that I had the 'Spirit of Salford'. It shows my artwork for John Lewis's 150th birthday which was displayed in their restaurant at the Trafford Centre. And it looks forward to my visit to the European Parliament in November, with the European Blind Union, to discuss accessibility issues with MEPS.

A big thank you to Insight for a wonderful, enjoyable year. I am very grateful for all of the opportunities that it has presented me with!"

Tweets of Support

I have received some wonderful tweets from the official RNIB Twitter accounts recently, as well as tweets of support from fellow Twitter users. I wanted to share my favourites here!

Read about the lovely @Glittered, our Young Illustrator of the Year on @MailOnline http://t.co/O6PUxYlJZm
— RNIB (@RNIB) October 16, 2014

@Glittered Well we've loved sharing your work!
— RNIB (@RNIB) October 16, 2014

Great to see @Glittered in @Femail! 'Amazing illustrations created by blind artist' http://t.co/Jxx9QaEHS1
— Louisa Muhsin (@LouisaMuhsin) October 16, 2014

Congrats Kim! RT @RNIB: Read about the lovely @Glittered, our Young Illustrator of the Year on @MailOnline http://t.co/bhdJgyB7nf #fb
— Welsh whinger! (@alandra09) October 16, 2014

@Glittered hey Kimberley, I'm a sight impaired illustrator from New Zealand. Lovely to read the article about your work this morning!
— PINKY FANG (@PINKSFANG) October 16, 2014

@Glittered I'm looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful drawings! Loved your video about makeup too, keep up the awesome work 😊
— PINKY FANG (@PINKSFANG) October 16, 2014

Fantastic to see our volunteer campaigner @Glittered featured in the @DailyMailUK for her fantastic illustrations http://t.co/6VNgHZImhy
— RNIB Campaigns (@RNIB_campaigns) October 17, 2014

Massive well done @Glittered - these look amazing http://t.co/KR0mHjJb8Z
— Morgan Vine (@Morgypenny) October 17, 2014

@RNIB @Glittered @MailOnline Amazing! What a talent.
— Soundabout (@SoundaboutUK) October 19, 2014

@RNIB @Glittered wow, very talented young woman!
— Beadjoux (@beadjoux) October 20, 2014

The newest edition of Insight Magazine is available now in large print, Braille, audio and PDF formats.

 Insight magazine will move online in 2015 with new opportunities in writing, illustrating and blogging. For more information on how you can subscribe please click here.

Final Illustration for RNIB's Insight Magazine

I have now completed my sixth and final illustration for RNIB's Insight Magazine, as their Young Illustrator of the Year for 2014. My final piece is based on all of the achievements I have made over the past year; with becoming the RNIB's Young Illustrator contributing to many of these.

My illustration features my interview with Granada Reports and my article in the Manchester Evening News shortly after I became the RNIB's Young Illustrator of the Year, my artwork for John Lewis celebrating their 150th birthday in the summer which was displayed at the Trafford Centre, Salford Mayor Ian Stewart after his very kind tweets of support earlier this year, and an upcoming achievement when I visit European Parliament in November with the European Blind Union.

My illustration took a month to complete and was created using my signature mediums of black fineliner and coloured pencils.

I want to say a big thank you to the Insight Magazine team for their support and for the wonderful opportunities that being their illustrator has presented to me. I have enjoyed my time contributing to the magazine immensely!

Magazine Scan: Fifth Illustration in RNIB's Insight Magazine

I have now received the latest issue of RNIB's Insight Magazine (September / October 2014) featuring my fifth illustration. My newest piece focuses on support at the time of sight loss and the various ways and formats in which to receive aid and assistance.

Young Illustrator

Our young illustrator, Kimberley Burrows, writes: "Support at the time of sight loss is extremely important, and I wanted to depict some of the various forms in my illustration (above right). The most important support network is through friends and family, along with your doctor and ECLO. Helpful information can be sourced through leaflets and online from various organisations and charities including the RNIB, Henshaws Society for Blind People and Action for Blind People - as well as via helplines."

The newest edition of Insight Magazine is available now in large print, braille, audio and PDF formats. For more information on how you can subscribe - please click here.

Fifth Illustration for RNIB's Insight Magazine

I have now finished my fifth illustration for RNIB's Insight Magazine!

The theme I had to work with this time was 'Support at the time of sight loss' - so incorporated support from friends and family, a Doctor and Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO), and helpful information supplied through the internet, leaflets and helplines.

The illustration took the majority of the month to complete, whenever I had some free time as I've been so busy recently!, and was created using black fineliner and colouring pencils.

Magazine Scan: July/August Edition of RNIB's Insight Magazine

I have now received the latest issue of RNIB's Insight Magazine - featuring my fourth illustration focused on sports and activities that have been adapted for blind and visually impaired people.

Young Illustrator

Our young illustrator, Kimberley writes: "My illustration represents sports and activities that can be adapted and enjoyed by people with a vision impairment such as tandem cycling, bling archery, goalball, sound ball tennis and cricket. I have an interest in blind archery and badminton."

Kimberley has kindly donated a painting, "Carousel", to the RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning.

The newest edition of Insight Magazine is available now in large print, braille, audio and PDF formats. For more information on how you can subscribe - please click here.

Magazine Scan: Third Illustration for Insight Magazine

I received the new issue of Insight Magazine over the weekend! Here is the scan of my third illustration. I'm really pleased with how this turned out and am very grateful to the team for taking my feedback on board from the previous issue. I think this works really well and was also very easy for me to find when flicking through the magazine!

Young Illustrator

Kimberley Burrows, our young illustrator has enjoyed lots of media attention since the last issue, appearing in the Manchester Evening News and on ITV's Granada Reports.

We asked Kimberley to create an illustration about her journey to independence.

Kimberley explains: "This portrays me in my high school uniform when I was a teenager, looking towards the future of adult life and responsibilities - food shopping independently, washing clothes, preparing meals safely and managing money and paying bills.

These are skills that I'm still learning as a severely visually impaired adult.

An enablement officer based at Henshaws Society for Blind People visits me weekly to help me learn kitchen skills such as using appliances, pouring hot liquids, chopping, peeling and spreading and working up to preparing meals safely and independently."

The new issue of RNIB's Insight Magazine is out now. You can find out more about how to subscribe by clicking here.

Fourth illustration for RNIB's Insight Magazine

I've now completed my fourth illustration for the RNIB's Insight Magazine, based on outdoor sports and activities. The illustration depicts my ongoing character (featured in all of my illustrations so far) in the centre riding a bike surrounded by an archery board, football and net, racket with a tennis ball and shuttlecock, and a cricket bat with a ball and wicket.

I wanted to use this imagery specifically to represent some of the sports that have been adapted for blind and visually impaired people; blind archery, goalball, tandem cycling, sound ball tennis and cricket. I have visually impaired friends who enjoy tandem cycling and playing cricket, so wanted to include those to represent their favourite sports and hobbies - as well as my own, which includes badminton (I don't mind playing occasionally, though I'm not very good! I much prefer to be hit by a lightweight shuttlecock than a tennis ball!) and blind archery which I have a new interest in.

You can read more about sports for blind and visually impaired people by visiting British Blind Sport, the International Blind Sports Federation and Metro Sports Club for VI People.

Third Henshaws Blog Post: Illustrations for Insight Magazine

My third blog post with Henshaws has now been posted to their website and online blog!

My latest entry details my illustrations for the RNIB's Insight Magazine and includes photos of the drawings I have completed so far - including my illustration from the current issue!

This entry follows on from my previous Day in the Life blog entry, where I briefly mentioned that I'm a keen illustrator and produce drawings for RNIB's Insight Magazine as their young illustrator, and will continue to do so for each issue throughout the year.

I explain how I entered and won the Young illustrator of the Year 2014 competition before Christmas with a piece that depicts my next steps in life, and the media whirlwind that followed shortly after completing my second illustration - thanks to the power of social media!

You can view my blog post with Henshaws by clicking here or on any of the above images. My next blog entry will be posted in a fortnight and will go into detail of how I illustrate as a severely visually impaired person, including how I organise my tools and manage and distribute my time between drawings.

I'm now finishing off my fourth illustration and will post it here when it's completed!

Second Illustration in RNIB's Insight Magazine

 Here is my second illustration in the RNIB's Insight Magazine.

I'm quite disappointed, I have to admit. I spend a month at a time working on my illustrations - from planning how I want it to look, to choosing the colour scheme - and then spend 20 minutes at a time, for an hour a day, in the knowledge that it will be completed by the end of the month to then e-mail off to the team.

My illustration has taken up only a quarter of the page, with an advertisement of a Brailler filling half. I didn't notice my illustration at first when I was scrolling through the PDF version for the first few times (must be something wrong with my eyes!) so I increased my computer's magnification. When I finally found my illustration, I suddenly felt deflated and like my whole month's effort was for nothing. I also felt like a hinderance to their advertisement.

The young columnist doesn't get any ads on her page, so I'm not sure why I do - though the last issue's ad wasn't as noticeable as this one. It's so difficult to illustrate as a severely visually impaired person, as I can't see my illustrations in their entirety, having only 10% vision in one eye. Whereas if you were to write an article, there are so many tools to help you; voicing each key you type and reciting back what you've written on screen. There are barely any tools to help with drawing, aside from lighting, but I struggle on because I find it satisfying and fulfilling to complete something that is an obstacle for me.

I'm not the best person at Photoshop but I managed to come up with an alternative version without an ad to obstruct the page.

I'm heartbroken and know my mum will feel the same way when she sees the final result, as she knows how much time and effort I put into my drawings. I'm thinking of sending her this version and pretending it's the real thing, to avoid witnessing her disappointment too.

I hope that the Insight magazine team will take my feedback on board, and hopefully give me a bit more space in the next issue to present my illustrations properly.

Third Illustration for Insight Magazine

I've now completed my third illustration for Insight Magazine's March issue!

The theme is 'preparing for adult life' and my illustration was created using coloured pencils and a fine liner. It portrays me in my high school uniform when I was a teenager, looking towards the future of adult life and the tasks it includes - food shopping independently, washing clothes, preparing meals safely, managing money and paying bills. These are skills that I'm still learning as a severely visually impaired adult. I currently receive help from an enablement officer based at Henshaws Society for Blind People, who visits me regularly to help me learn kitchen skills such as using appliances, pouring hot liquids, chopping, peeling and spreading, and working up to preparing small meals for myself safely and independently.

The February issue of Insight Magazine will be sent out very soon, so I will post a scan of my second illustration and my small article when it's released!

Magazine Scan: Illustration For Insight Magazine

I received my issue of RNIB's Insight Magazine in the post recently, and have scanned my illustration and small article to share with my readers. The article says:

Kimberley Burrows from Manchester is Insight's new Young Illustrator. Above is her winning take on the theme "Next Steps".

As winner of our competition for young illustrators, Kimberley will be producing artwork for Insight throughout 2014. Kimberley was born with sight problems due to being born prematurely. "I mainly suffered from cataracts that weren't noticed until I was 4 years old. Now I have plastic lenses and only a bit of sight in one eye," she says.

"My illustration was created using pencil crayons and fine liner, and represents me and my next steps. That includes training for a guide dog, completing my braille course and mobility training with a long cane," Kimberley explains.

As a member of the new young people's campaign group ENVISION Kimberley has also added "a picture of the Houses of Parliament to signify more campaigning in the future."


I was also approached to help with a short article introducing and explaining the campaigning network of Envision. Some of my quotes were included in the article and can be seen below.

Article reads: A campaign group for blind and partially sighted 18-30 years olds was launched by RNIB in November. The development is being led by the young campaigners themselves to ensure it focuses on their issues. ENVISION, which stands for English Network of Visually Impaired Spokespeople for the Improvement of Obstacles Nationwide, first met in June to discuss the aims of the group.

The goal is Envision is "to make a difference across England for other young sight impaired people, tackling a whole range of difficulties that are encountered on a daily basis," said 25-year-old Envision member Kimberley Burrows.

"We launched our English network along with the first campaign that we will be focusing on - the difficulties surrounding leisure and retail. There are a wide variety of issues to address in our campaign, and me and the rest of Envision are excited and enthusiastic to get started. Envision have a series of teleconferences lined up in the near future, to begin discussions detailing the next steps that we want to take with our campaign," she added.

A lottery funding application has been made to gain support to set up and develop this network before it is rightly taken over and directed by its members.

You can hear the views of the young campaigners in a YouTube video produced by RNIB at http://bit.ly/1bJPeWK

For more information about the network please e-mail campaigns@rnib.org.uk or call 020 7391 2123

I had lots of fun designing my illustration and writing my short article for Insight magazine, and I am extremely thrilled with the final results! You can learn more about RNIB's Insight magazine by clicking here, view exclusive online content here and can subscribe here (braille, audio e-mail and print formats are all available).

Insight's new issue is out now!

Second Illustration for RNIB's Insight Magazine

I have now completed my second illustration for RNIB's Insight Magazine! The next issue will be focused on accessible technology and digital communication, especially in the form of computers, smartphones, tablets, apps and functionality.

I decided to depict my iPad and my favourite apps and features. These include accessibility functions such as zoom and voiceover, iBooks - which is fantastic with its accessibility and customisation of the text size, background colour, font type, inverted options and is even handy as an audiobook if you have voiceover selected from the general settings in your iPad, the internet, games, Facebook and Twitter. All of these apps have a very clean, easy-to-use layout and each one is important to me for its specific use. I will also have a small paragraph explaining my favourite apps and features, with my headshot, along with other members of Envision.

This next issue of Insight magazine will be available in February 2014. For more information about the magazine and how you can subscribe, please click here. 

RNIB's Young Illustrator 2014 Competition for Insight Magazine

I entered the RNIB's Young Illustrator competition earlier this week, after spending most of the month working on my entry, and checked my e-mails just now to find out that I won! I'll be producing an illustration for every issue of Insight magazine in 2014 as the prize, as well as having my article included in next month's issue regarding the English campaigning network we've set up. alongside the RNIB.

The theme was "next steps", so I wanted to make it personal and show my own next steps for the future; completing my braille course, training for a guide dog, more campaign work (hence the image of Parliament) and mobility training with my long cane. I'm so thrilled, and very grateful to everyone at RNIB's Insight magazine for choosing my entry!

Short Article for Insight Magazine

I've been approached by the RNIB's Insight magazine to write a short article regarding the campaigning network we recently set up in London. As I came up with our network name, ENVISION (English Network of Visually Impaired Spokespeople for the Improvement of Obstacles Nationwide), they thought it would be fitting if I wrote and submitted the article on behalf of the campaigning group.

I'm extremely thrilled and honoured. I've never written anything for a magazine before, so this will be a new and exciting experience for me! I'll be sure to post the article here when it's been published!

You can read about my experience in London, my visit to the Houses of Parliament and the RNIB HQ here and listen to my interview with Insight Radio here.