I have profiled many paper artists and many miniaturists over the years, but today’s artist has stolen her way into my top five favorites. This is the charming, teensy paper art by Laura Sayers. The Glasgow-based Sayers layers paper to create amazingly-complex tiny people and scenes with mind-blowing details. The artist prides herself on her attention to detail, using clean shapes and bright colors to create entire little worlds.

The description of her artistic process sounds really fun.

“When I’ve thought up an idea I’ll always start with some really messy sketches – I don’t refine them too much unless it’s for a client, because I think things tend to develop as they’re cut, and getting too bogged down in a sketch can waste time. I then carefully pick out a colour scheme. I then just get snipping, not marking out any shapes but instead cutting them freely until they’re right for what I’m envisaging. I often finish off my pieces with the smallest details and textures painted with gouache and a very fine brush, and I apply the tacky glue with a pin for precision.”⁠

– Laura Sayers to The Paper Artist Collective

Sayers’ artistic process leaves so much room for spontaneity, she must have amazing instincts about shape and color and composition. What a talent!

You can follow the amazing Laura Sayers on her website and on Instagram and Facebook. And you can buy her wonderful creations on Etsy.

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Getting going on making some wonderful old Indian houses today for a customer; it’s a nice switch up from from little Englishy houses like this one (which I admit is totally made up, but I would very much like a mint green house with a red front door and a white cat please) 🏠 Wait till you see the colours in these ones 😍 . . . #home #house #miniaturehouse #papercuthouse #paperhouse #houseillustration #housebeautiful #illustrator #glasgowillustrator #glasgow #kidlit #glasgowdesign #glasgowfreelanceillustrator #best_of_illustrations #lookwhatwemade #handmade #handcrafted #illustratedbyhand #dailymini

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on Nov 14, 2019 at 5:06am PST

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🔎Take a moment zoom in and explore all of the miniature details in @LaurakSayers paper orchestra.🔎⁠ ⁠ We asked Laura to tell us about her creative process "When I've thought up an idea I'll always start with some really messy sketches – I don't refine them too much unless it's for a client, because I think things tend to develop as they're cut, and getting too bogged down in a sketch can waste time. I then carefully pick out a colour scheme. I then just get snipping, not marking out any shapes but instead cutting them freely until they're right for what I'm envisaging. I often finish off my pieces with the smallest details and textures painted with gouache and a very fine brush, and I apply the tacky glue with a pin for precision."⁠ ⁠ We are so in love! What do you think?⁠ ⁠ #paperartistcollective#paperart#paperartist#paper#papercut#inspo#inspiration#papercutting #Laurasayers #miniatures

A post shared by The Paper Artist Collective (@paperartistcollective) on Jan 17, 2020 at 7:01am PST

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A new photo of an oldie from this time last year which I made for a solo exhibition – one half of a scene all about a lost property office. ☂️ Just as the lockdown started I did a mad dash to gather a few things from the studio before it got shut… optimistically I thought we’d only be stuck inside for a few weeks! With that in mind I’ve updated a few of the prices of my original pieces on my shop including this one and its other half, as I don’t have frames or even all the pieces at home at the mo! Take a look at the link in my bio and if there’s anything that takes your fancy, cards, prints, or originals, please shoot me a message and I’ll check I have it here first 🤗 . . . #originalart #illustration #paperillustration #solitude #lostproperty #colourscheme #illustrationsforsale #clutter #miniature #exhibition #lockdownart #handmade #handcrafted #handcut #illo #papercut #papercutillustrations #PACmember

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on Apr 29, 2020 at 3:26am PDT

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A fun little piece I made a couple of weeks ago for the lovely Anna as a gift for her sister Zoe’s 21st – based on an old photo of them as kids hanging out in their PJs 🤗👯 Such a sweet idea and a pleasure to work on! . . . #papercutgift #papercutcommission #kidlit #childrensillustration #children #kids #nostalgia #handmade #papercut #paper #paperartist #illustrator #gift #illustratedgift #bespokegift #madewithlove #bespoke #sisters #oldphoto #bespokepapercuts #colourful #family #paperfamily #birthdaypresent

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on Jun 30, 2020 at 5:07am PDT

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I know I’ve shared a bunch of commissions on here recently but forgive me for sharing one more as this was particularly special! I made this piece a few weeks ago as gift for Heather who was one of the specialist nurses at The West Suffolk Hospital and celebrated her retirement last week after a long and varied career in nursing. Her colleagues came together and asked that I make something filled with personal details, so, setting it against the backdrop of Bury St Edmunds where their hospital is (a beautiful place we visited a lot when I was growing up!), I included lots of miniature references to her work and some of the in jokes from years gone by… if you can spot the sausage rolls there’s a reason why they’re included, apparently! 😂 I don’t often get to see people’s reactions to receiving my stuff, but the wonderful Jo who originally got in touch with me sent along the last photo and a few more of Heather’s leaving do! A really sweet project to have worked on during these times when our NHS is so key and indispensable 🙏☺️💙 . . . #nhs #nhsheroes #nurse #nursing #burystedmunds #handmade #suffolkillustration #nursingspecialist #papercut #retirementgift #bespokeretirementgift #gift #bespoke #custommade #commissionillustration #handcut #paperart #paperartist #helpforheroes #nhsnurse

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on Jul 7, 2020 at 4:41am PDT

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I’ve got a few more tiny folk on my desk this week so here’s the lovely Park family strolling along, made at the start of this season ✂️✂️✂️ Ready for a wee break and some long awaited family wanders in a couple of weeks time! 🙌 . . . #familyportrait #paperportrait #paperfamily #handmade #bespoke #bespokegift #paper #paperartist #miniature #papercut #dailymini #tinythings #poundcoin #miniaturepaperart #small #littlepeople

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on Jul 20, 2020 at 5:19am PDT

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Thanks you for the really kind response to the bespoke pieces I posted last Friday! Here’s another full picture of @caligrafiabilbao and @bodonicaneli’s family portrait along with the rough sketch that I started off with 🐈 I’m actually now all full up for commissions that are due in June but if you’d be after something for a later date then drop me an email as I’m always up for a chat! Thank you again for all the support, it really does mean a lot and I’m very grateful to be able to keep doing my thing during these months ❤️ . . . #familyportraits #familyportrait #miniature #papercut #papercutportrait #paper #tinythings #forrest #cats #castagram #framed #rosegold #homedecor #home #family #familyofthree #walkinthewoods #leafy #pattern #paperartist #illustrator #paperillustration

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on May 19, 2020 at 4:50am PDT

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My big hands are working away on a lot of different things this week 👏 Here are some leafy bits that are coming together for one of the projects ☺️🌿 . . . #leafy #green #paperflowers #paperleaves #miniaturepaper #handcut #handmade #paperartist #papercut #paperartistcollective #wip #inprogress #illustrationinprogress #illustration #bespoke #gifts #wedding #anniversary #rose #paperillustration #confetti #nature #natural #botanicalillustration

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on Jul 14, 2020 at 3:50am PDT

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Here’s a few close ups of the new piece of work I shared on Friday for Edinburgh Futures Institute’s Smart City project 🌱 If you swipe over to the end there’s a quick video of the sketch I put together to plan out what all the elements were going to be and where they were going to go – a bit more thorough than I usually am when it comes to planning things but it definitely did me some favours to take time with that stage! When it came to making the paper side of things it wasn’t as easy as copying and pasting the little elements to get the mirrored image… unfortunately the shadows would have been off if I only made one half and photoshopped it, so everything was cut out twice, as close in likeness to the other as possible 😅 I got a bit snap happy so there are a few more behind the scenes photos to come! If you look for Edinburgh’s Living Lab on Medium you’ll be able to see the collection of articles which have all been beautifully illustrated by a collection of brilliant illustrators; chuffed to be included alongside them 🤗 . . . #edinburghlivinglab #edinburghfutures #smartcity #smartplaces #smartspace #farm #farming #windmillhillcityfarm #cake #papercut #papetartist #paperartistglasgow #editorialillustration #editorialpaperillustration #editorialpapercut #illo #illoagency #paperartistcollective #pacmember #handmade #designedinGlasgow #environmentalillustration #sustainableillustration #ingredients #foodillustration #foodart #edinburgh #creativescotland #illustratorsinscotland #kidlit

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on Jun 15, 2020 at 4:40am PDT

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A very little camera I made as part of a piece for the lovely Adam and Jules for this Valentine’s Day just passed 🥰 I’m working away on my talk today for next week’s @glugedi event (still tickets going if you want to come!) amongst some other new things that have popped up this week that I’m pretty excited and grateful for – I’ll update you on them soon! 🙏 . . . #glugevents #glug #glugedinburgh #camera #papercamera #papercutcamera #miniature #paper #handmade #tinythings #dailymini #paperartist #glasgow #illustratorglasgow

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on Feb 20, 2020 at 3:59am PST

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Hope you’re having a nice relaxing bank holiday Monday so far! 🌞 I’m working on a new project today but looking forward to a day off at the end of the week when we should have been on a little Scottish island holiday 💔 Instead my new plan is doing the above ⬆️ and attempting to get back to being the avid reader I used to be as a school kid with a big fat copy of The Goldfinch by Donna Tart which I’m slowly making my way through during this time 😬 Would love to hear what you’re reading at the mo! . . This wee postcard is available as a pack of 6 different designs via the link in my bio – many thanks to those who have kindly ordered some already! ❤️📚 . . . . #postcards #reading #bookish #bookworm #kidlit #kidlitillustration #bookstagram #books #readingcorner #bankholiday #holiday #relax #papercut #paper #papercutillustration #paperartist #paperartistcollective #pacmember #notonthehighstreet #wearenoths #etsy #shop #buypostcards #illustratedpostcards #postcardsforsale #shopsmall #independentbusinessowner

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on May 25, 2020 at 3:41am PDT

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Finished off this little make-shift space guy this morning 🪐💫 Now comes the job of putting him in a scene…🧑🏻‍🚀 . . . #spaceman #starman #astronaught #astronaughtcostume #space #papercut #handmade #paperartist #illustrator #glasgowillustrator #paper #glasgowpaperartist #designer #best_of_illustrations #miniature #characterdesign #lookwhatwemade #spacemanillustration #fancydress #children #childrensillustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #kidsbooksillustrator

A post shared by Laura Sayers (@lauraksayers) on Feb 13, 2020 at 6:26am PST