<p>Sky is up against seven other finalists to win the chance of seeing her work come to life across the side of an iconic 14-metre-long National Express coach, which will transport passengers around the country for a year.</p> <p>Chris Hardy, Managing Director at National Express, said: “I am extremely pleased with the high standard of entries we have had in for this competition. Shortlisting them down to just eight was a tricky task.</p>

<p>“The online public vote is open until 15 July so we would encourage people to choose a favourite. This competition heavily supports our Youth Promise, which we feel very passionately about. We are a big brand with a national reach, and we want to use this to give young talent a platform that they can be proud of.”</p> <p>19-year-old Sky said she was delighted to have been shortlisted in this competition by the UK’s largest coach operator: “I travel by coach to my home city of Bristol all the time so the possibility of seeing my work on one is very exciting.”</p> <p>Artists were given free rein to showcase their individual styles in their entries, which were then whittled down to a final eight. The final designs are now open to a public vote on the National Express website which will close at midday on Monday 15 July.</p> <p>Speaking of her design, Sky said: “I love the combination of ocean blues, greens and purples and thought this colour scheme would look striking on a National Express coach."</p>

<p>“I had planned for the entire design to be patterned fish scales, but the design naturally developed into a school of fish. I liked the idea of seeing them travel in the direction of the coach, journeying along with its passengers.”</p> <p>Working towards a career in the animation industry, Sky said of her work: “I have a fairly cartoony style. I use strong shapes and lines in my work and would like to focus on designing characters for animations in the future.</p> <p>“I am heavily influenced by Tom Moore, the director of Song of the Sea. I love the designs of the characters in the film and the strong focus on folklore in the designs.”</p> <p>Along with the main prize, the artist with the most votes will also receive a free 12-month coach pass, £500, two tickets to Hampshire's Boomtown Fair in August featuring artists including Lauryn Hill, The Streets, and Chase &amp; Status, and a one-to-one development day with an established artist resulting in their work being showcased at this year’s High Vis Festival in Birmingham in September.</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.nationalexpress.com/en/driving-design" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vote online for Sky's competition entry.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-animation-games" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Find out more about studying BA (Hons) Animation with us.</a></li></ul>