Memories of Paris


Client: Metrolinx


Favourite things


Commission: Pet Portrait


Client: Waterfront BIA


Commission: Eilean Donan Castle


Client: Play de Record


Commission: James Gardens


Repeating pattern concept


Illustrated recipe card


Client: Metrolinx


Collage


Grandma's Garden


Client: Play de Record


Client: Metrolinx


Spot illustration concept


Cousin love


Client: Metrolinx


Tulum


Client: Metrolinx



Human Intelligence Badge


Knitting in public


Commission: Portrait


Live drawing online session


Commission: Sunflowers


Lost record stores of Toronto map


Lily pads


Client: Waterfront BIA


Client: Metrolinx


Spot illustration concept


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Things of note


During the month of January 2025 Beth Spencer of Introvert Drawing Club has been focused on the theme of drawing people, and featured my tips for how I draw people in one of her posts!

How Melissa Martin draws faces by Beth Spencer

Simplifying features to create charming characters!

Read on Substack

We now have over 100 ART HANG PARTY! replays over on YouTube! Whatever you are in the mood to draw we've likely done it, or if not, let me know and I'll it to our theme pot for a future session!

Self Portrait Project

I spontaneously started this project on my birthday in 2024 and have drawn a self portrait every day since.

Melissa Martin | Illustrator & Artist

Live Drawing

Live Drawing | Melissa Martin - Illustrator & Artist

I create live, quick portraits of you and your guests—captured in just minutes! Choose between two unique styles:Continuous-line drawing – A single, unbroken stroke for a playful, fluid look.Bold, colourful brushstrokes – Vibrant and expressive with a painterly touch.The results are charmingly unpredictable—sometimes a little wonky, but always full of character (and a solid likeness, I promise!). Perfect for events where you want fun, one-of-a-kind keepsakes.

Each portrait is hand-drawn on high-quality watercolour paper, using one of two vibrant styles:Black ink + a limited 3-colour watercolour palette (which blends to create a surprisingly rich range of hues).Bold, expressive lines in 3 colours of drawing ink for a graphic pop.Want a custom touch? Choose specific colours to match your event’s theme or opt for different paper sizes. Every piece is unique—just like your guests!

Live Drawing | Melissa Martin - Illustrator & Artist
Live Drawing | Melissa Martin - Illustrator & Artist

Live portrait illustrations bring energy and excitement to any event! My quick-drawn portraits are perfect for:• Weddings & engagement parties (unique guest favours!)
• Corporate functions & team-building events
• Product launches & brand activations
• Retail promotions & in-store experiences
• Birthday celebrations & social gatherings

FAQs

How long does a portrait take?I work quickly to capture each guest's personality - single portraits take about 5 minutes, while couples take around 10 minutes. This means I can typically create 6-10 portraits per hour (with quick hand-stretch breaks to keep the quality high!).Where are you based?I’m based in downtown Toronto.Do you travel?My rates include travel within Toronto's city limits. For events in the Greater Toronto Area or beyond, reasonable travel expenses may apply


Can you customize your portraits to my brand?Absolutely! I offer two branding options:Custom-branded paper - Supply your own 300gsm watercolour paper pre-printed with logos/brandingOn-site branding - Provide a custom stamp or sticker that I'll apply to each portraitFor best results, please ensure any supplied paper meets the 300gsm weight requirement. I'm happy to provide technical specifications or discuss branding ideas to make your portraits perfectly on-brand!

Melissa Martin - Live Drawing Portrait Illustrator

Live portrait drawing transforms your event into an interactive experience! It's not just art - it's memorable engagement that elevates your entire event!

Melissa Martin - Live Drawing Portrait Illustrator
Melissa Martin - Live Drawing Portrait Illustrator

About

Nice to meet you!

I’m Melissa Martin, a freelance illustrator based in Toronto, Ontario. My work celebrates the beauty of everyday life through vibrant landscapes, expressive portraits, and illustrations that reflect the world around us.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

Rooted in observational drawing, my art is bold, colourful, and full of energy. I love experimenting with a variety of mediums—gouache, watercolour, ink, coloured pencils, pastels, and more—to create dynamic and lively finished pieces or to have a play in my sketchbook.I thrive on collaboration and am passionate about creating custom illustration styles tailored to your brand or project. From colourful maps and eye-catching patterns to short animations and impactful branding designs, I’m here to bring your vision to life. If you’re looking for fresh, high-quality illustrations delivered on time and on brief, you’ve come to the right place!I’m always open to new projects, whether it’s illustration work, painting commissions, or creative collaborations.

Melissa Martin | Illustrator & Artist | Toronto

I’m also the host of ART HANG PARTY!, a weekly live hour-ish-long art-making session full of fast-paced drawing and a lot of fun!Thursdays at 7 PM ET on YouTube, each session features a new theme, often inspired by the community (though I occasionally pull rank 😅). It’s a growing, vibrant space where creativity meets community, welcoming artists of all levels to connect and create together.Come join the party — I’d love to see you there!

Melissa Martin | Illustrator & Artist | Toronto

When I’m not playing in my sketchbooks, I’m wearing my marketing hat over at Halfsquare Designs —a digital marketing agency I founded in 2018. We specialize in graphic design, website design, and social media content creation, helping businesses bring their visions to life.

Melissa Martin | Illustrator & Artist

Ways to support me:💖 Visit my shop!☕ If you enjoy the art I make and like joining ART HANG PARTY! leave me a tip here!✉️ Want to see more of what I’m up to on a weekly basis? Sign up for my Newsletter!📣 Want to help me? Share my work on social media or send a link to your friends! Tag me!🎟️ Do you like to draw? Join us for ART HANG PARTY!🍿 I make lots of art related videos over on YouTube you can check out!


Contact

Let's connect!I would love to hear about your creative visual communications needs to see how I can help you achieve your goals.

Phone
(416) 827-3677
Email
[email protected]

Services

  • Illustration

  • Live Portraits at events

  • Fine Art

  • Commissions

  • Licensing options available

  • Branding (see Halfsquare Designs)

Open to sponsorship opportunities

Social media.

Send me a message.

Knitting & Public Transportation:
An Illustrated Guide

Once upon a time back in the days of commuting 45 minutes on the subway to and from work I was big into knitting. Here are the lessons I learned and tips I have to pass along. Hope you enjoy!


1. Seating. You have to be prepared for impossibly tight, cramped situations. Of course, if you can tuck yourself into one of those lovely little two-sweaters against the window, that's fantastic and you can snug yourself in and get ready to knit.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

Also, the end of an open three-seater is also ideal, as if like me this morning a rather plump lady decides to squeeze herself into the open middle seat, you can simply scooch over and hang ever so slightly over the edge of the seat.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

If you have no other seating options, never fear. Following the next two points will help you no matter how cramped you are!

2. Form. Form is incredibly important when knitting on transit. And it's quite simple. Tuck your elbows in. That's it, that's all. So long as your elbows stay glued to your rib cage, you're all set.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

3. Needles. Forget about those long straight needles we're all used to. No matter how tightly you tuck your elbows in, if you're going to knit with straight needles, you're only going to drive yourself and everyone else around you crazy.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

Circular needles my friends. Circular needles.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

Before I became a regular transit knitter I saw this girl knitting a regular scarf with circular needles, and I just had to ask her why, because I couldn't figure it out. She told me it's so she doesn't bump the people beside her, and plus she can slide the scarf onto the wire when she puts it in her bag and no stitches will fall off. Genius!

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

So yes, I am forever grateful to that lovely knitter for sharing her words of wisdom (as all knitters are likely to do if you take the time to ask us a simple question).

3. Pattern. Now of course what you ultimately chose to knit is completely up to you (as is everything else I'm recommending here, really), but I would strongly suggest you keep it simple.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

Simple here meaning nothing that requires you to constantly read a pattern for every stitch. For example, I'm currently knitting a sweater that had a somewhat complicated colour pattern. It's a honeycomb pattern that alternates between two colours knit in the round, but it's pretty repetitive so I only have to consult the pattern at the beginning of every other row or so.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

But it ultimately depends on your comfort level with what you're working on.

4. Be friendly. The chances of a fellow knitter sitting down across from you on a crowded subway are slim, so in the rare instances when this does happen, look up and smile. The simple acknowledgment of each other will ease any awkwardness that you or people around you may be feeling.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

Also, if you catch someone consumed with your work, don't be alarmed. I often glance up to find the man across from me staring intently at my hands, or the woman half a car down sideways-glancing at me, and when I catch their eye, I smile, because I want them to know that it's ok.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

I know that what I'm doing is unconventional transit behaviour, but I'm extremely proud of my talent, and so I don't mind if I can provide a little distraction for someone from the monotony of their morning commute. Also kids love to watch you knit. I once had a boy about 10 stop dead in front of me while I was working with double-pointed needles and ask how I was doing that. Turns out he is a knitter himself (cutest thing ever, btw), and so I slowed down my work and showed him how it's done. His mother thanked me for taking the time to show him, because she is not a knitter herself, and he said he would go home and give it a try.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

So just be friendly, because you never know, you might just brighten someone's day.

Melissa Martin | Toronto based Illustrator

I used to be as obsessed with knitting as I am currently with drawing and painting, so that should tell you how much I was knitting back when I wrote this guide! (I think I was actually on the subway when I wrote it!)

Do you knit? Do you go from one obsession to another like I do? Do you know anyone who needs an illustrator?

Daily Self Portrait Project

Every day since my birthday in 2024 I have done a self portrait in a rarely-used 5-year Hobonichi Techo journal.Some days they are quick 30-second single line drawings, other days they are fully-observed portrait paintings.Regardless of how long each self portrait takes I find the practice incredibly rewarding. Not only are my observation skills improving when it comes to capturing likeness, but I find I am a lot gentler and much less critical on my appearance.Here are all the self portraits I have made since May 7, 2024!(this page will be updated monthly)

FEBRUARY 2025

JANUARY 2025

DECEMBER 2024

NOVEMBER 2024

OCTOBER 2024

SEPTEMBER 2024

AUGUST 2024

JULY 2024

JUNE 2024

MAY 2024