Drawn to Create: Meet Local Artist Lizzie Bork

Sep 26

At just 22, Orange County native Lizzie Bork has found a way to turn several passions into one creative career. Artist, graphic designer, performer and entrepreneur, Bork is the talent behind Lizzie Bork Designs, a growing business best known for live event sketching, custom illustration and brand collaborations.

Interestingly, it began almost by accident.

While studying graphic design in college and working as a wedding cake designer at a bakery, Bork was constantly sketching and doodling. During one cake tasting, a colleague showed a client some of her drawings. The couple asked if she could create a cartoon of the bride and groom for their wedding cake, then asked if she could sketch their guests live at the wedding.

Bork had never done live event sketching before, but her background in animation, fashion and figure drawing gave her confidence she could learn to work quickly. She went home, practiced with a timer every day and eventually worked her way down to creating a sketch in just a few minutes.

That first wedding led to more bookings through word of mouth, and nearly two years later, Lizzie Bork Designs has expanded from weddings and private celebrations to luxury events, retail experiences, brand activations and custom creative projects.

For guests, part of the appeal is watching their artwork come to life in real time and leaving with a personalized keepsake. Bork’s style draws heavily from fashion illustration, but capturing an outfit is only part of her approach. She focuses on the personality and energy of each subject, creating loose, expressive sketches meant to capture the feeling of the moment.

Her subjects are not limited to people. Bork sketches children, pets and other animals, storefronts, merchandise and details specific to an event or brand. Beyond live events, she also creates custom commissions, personalized gifts, stationery and illustrations for campaigns, packaging, signage and promotional materials.

For Bork, the business also brings together two sides of her personality. Throughout high school, she trained in opera and theater while pursuing her interest in visual art. Live illustration unexpectedly provided a way to combine the two.

“I get to create art while also entertaining guests,” she says.

A recent college graduate, Bork graduated with Graphic Design Honors and received Chapman University’s Legacy Award for Creative Practice. Yet some of her favorite milestones are more personal. She has been invited back by clients to capture multiple chapters of their lives, from engagements and weddings to first homes and new babies.

Having lived in Orange County her entire life, Bork finds plenty of inspiration close to home. She loves the area’s mix of energy and community, its constant stream of new experiences and, as a self-described foodie, its restaurant scene. Outside of work, she enjoys embroidery, baking, holiday decorating, music and travel.

Bork is also an animal lover who has used her artwork to support organizations including Stray Cat Alliance and the LaBelle Foundation. She hopes to continue giving back while also encouraging young artists to see that a career in the arts is possible.

Now that college is behind her, Bork is focused on growing her business, with several pop-ups and brand activations planned throughout Orange County, particularly in Newport Beach, this fall and winter.

Her biggest lesson so far is fitting for a business that began with an opportunity she never expected.

“Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable,” Bork says. “Some of the biggest opportunities in my career have come from saying yes despite that fear.”

Lizzie Bork Designs
Instagram: @Lizzie_Bork
Website: lizzieborkdesigns.com
Email: lizzie@lizzieborkdesigns.com