TikTok artist creates art based on London travel

An aspiring artist has gone viral after creating a comic series on TikTok, from clips of quirky conversations people hear while travelling in London. 

The Portuguese creator, called @velzy_dahl on the platform, has no artistic background but caught the attention of viewers when she started her collection in April of this past year called: The London Overheard Series. 

People send in comical conversations they hear while commuting, by DMs or emails, which Dahl then converts into artwork. 

And she has proved a huge hit on the platform, with some of her posts getting 100,000 likes.

@velzy_dahl This and rain after a heatwave #childrensstory #childrensliterature #watercolor #fyp ♬ Second Chances – Gregory Alan Isakov

Dahl’s inspiration came when she overheard a funny conversation about a dinosaur on the tube between a mother and daughter, which she thought to create into a story for her younger brother. 

She said: “I decided maybe there’s other people who have silly stories that they’ve overheard, and I’d be happy to illustrate them.

“Part of the reason why I started doing this series is because you talk to so many people.

 “I never expected anybody to look at it — so the fact that people are commenting or following, I’m very shocked.”

She thought to make it shorter, like comics, and posted on TikTok from there, while studying a Chemistry PhD program that she quit last week for creative purposes.

She is interested in fantasy and uses varying sizes, which she uses to create a whimsical feel in her stories in her work.

Inspired by artists like Quentin Blake, she has done a piece where there are little gnomes inside an escalator, and also one where a giraffe is stuck inside Big Ben.

Dahl said that she saves the comments in a spreadsheet and every week randomly chooses which one to use for the inspiration for her work. 

She accepts a free-flowing schedule when it comes to finding time out for this hobby, but is also quite passionate about the quality of her work.

Dahl said: “A lot of when I’m done is dictated by if it’s been a few days, I should probably post today. It keeps me in check.

“I feel like I’m never fully satisfied with it, I always go back and change things.

Amid growing talk of AI, Dahl emphasised it can have a critical influence on the world of art.

She said: “It’s very intimidating when AI can take anyone’s art, without permission or licensing.”

Alongside this collection, Dahl has started creating zines, which are small books collated of self created work.

Upon being asked about her future goals, she said that she wishes to become an illustrator and hopes for her series to get published as a book. 

She said: “That would definitely be my life’s biggest dream.

“I hope it gives people a laugh or something to brighten their day.”

Feature image credit: Aishani Johal