Here’s a couple of recent editorial illustrations for the Grocer. One, on how manufacturers are adding AI to their ‘cooking pots’ and the other about the rise of American brands in the UK drinks market.
Art Direction: Stuart Milligan.
Climate crisis.
I’ve been drawing a lot of climate-related spot illustrations recently; it’s is a subject that weighs heavy on my mind. Whether a response to something in the media or a self-generated idea, it’s been a somewhat cathartic exercise. I’m intending to continue with these, if nothing more than to promote awareness.
Sketchbook drawings.
I very much enjoy venturing into the Peak District; there’s something captivating about it’s landscape and historic buildings. The countryside can also give me space and time to breath, something that can be difficult to find in the bustle of the city. Here are a few example pages of drawings, from my sketchbook.
Holkham Hall.
I have been working on various comissions for Holkham Hall recently, in Norfolk. Here is an example of some of the drawings that have been used for Autumnal themed literature, and guide books.
The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough.
‘The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough’ is a newly published book written by Chas Newkey-Burden, and containing around forty of my black and white vignette illustrations. It was a wonderful job to work on and really nice to create a collection of drawings for a singular project.
Building Illustrations.
I was commissioned by a London based property developer to draw a number of residential properties for both print and web, a selection of which are shown.
Tony Blair.
In an interview published in the New Statesman in July, Tony Blair said that the British public should not be asked to do a ‘huge amount’ to tackle climate change as ‘one year’s rise in China’s emissions would outscore the whole of Britain’s emissions for a year’.
The Office of National Statistics estimated the UK emitted 331.5 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022, whilst the International Energy Agency approximated China to have emitted 12.1 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2022. So, whilst this ‘outscoring’ is certainly true, what he didn’t appear to acknowledge, was the part Britain (and the rest of the world) plays in facilitating China’s carbon footprint.
China is the UK’s 3rd largest import partner. The value of goods imported to the UK from China in the last ¾ 2022 and ¼ 2023 was £66.2 billion. 10.4% of all goods imported by the UK during the last ¾ 2022 and ¼ 2023, came from China.
To dismiss our own efforts in reducing climate change, and point the proverbial finger at China, really doesn’t tell the full story. We are intertwined with China’s carbon footprint, not separate from it. And whilst reducing our own carbon footprint in the UK might not have a huge impact globally, we do have a moral obligation to do just that, particularly given Britain has been the eighth biggest emitter of CO2 since 1850, according to an article published in the Times newspaper.
Bloomsbury Publishing.
Here’s some recent character designs for a Bloomsbury publishing.
Staycation.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), global tourism accounts for 8-11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With a rapidly heating planet, we all need to take responsibility for our own individual carbon footprints and temporarily reconsider our travelling habits. One way we can do this, is to simply appreciate what’s around us. For those of us that reside in the UK, we are privileged to live in such a rich and diverse landscape; there are 33 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). So with this in mind, it really is possible to enjoy time away, without stepping on a plane.
Watermouth Castle.
I recently had the pleasure of drawing a fantastical castle, for the branding of Watermouth Caslte in Devon. The client had requested a sketchy, hand-drawn approach, complete with toboggan run and water wheel, both of which feature within the grounds. After sketching a number of different roughs, this one was eventually selected. The drawing was scanned into the computer and converted into a vector, so that it can be scaled up for large format printing.
Climate thoughts.
July 2023 is set to be the hottest month on record. A scientific study has found that the European heatwaves would have been ‘virtually impossible’ without human-induced climate change.
And yet we continue to travel by plane for our holidays.
A return flight from London to New York (per person) equates to approximately two thirds of the emissions from an average family car per year. One trip emits more CO2 than an average person emits annualy in 56 countries across the world.
It saddens me to read the number of flights from the UK in 2022 was still at 80% as those departing in 2019, before the pandemic.
We are quite frankly destroying the planet, and ourselves along with it. Surely it’s time to put a pause on unnecessary air travel until carbon neutral planes are developed. For the sake of humanity. Right now.
The Grocer.
Here’s a recent illustration I did for the Grocer magazine, accompanying an article about the challenges convenience stores face competing with larger, cheaper supermarkets.
Less news; more thought.
Like many people, I am both saddened and concerned by this government’s slow response to the climate crisis.
It appears that one prime minister after the next puts economic growth higher on the priorities list than carbon reduction. To my mind, this is complete madness. How can we have continual economic growth when we are currently dependable on finite resources? If we continue to strip our land of nutrients and suffocate the planet, it is likely we face ecological collapse.
So, I’m championing Kate Raworth’s ‘Donut’ economics, an economic model that rebalances society’s priorities.
James Purdey & Sons.
Some recent spot illustrations commissioned by heritage shooting brand James Purdey & Sons, for a client experiences brochure they were compiling.
Buzzfeed Supernatural Unsolved.
I was comissioned by HGB to illustrate the Buzzfeed Supernatural book by Ryan Bergara and Shane Majed, which accompanies their hit web series of the same name. Mostly drawings of what are apparently the most haunted buildings in the States, along with small spooky spot illustrations to be placed within the text. It was a nice job to work on. A link to the book is here.
The Grocer.
This is a commission I carried out for The Grocer magazine to illustrate a feature on supermarkets going ‘off grid’.
The Six Who Came to Dinner.
These are some chapter illustrations I drew for a new book entiled ‘The Six Who Came to Dinner’ by Anne Youngson, a Costa First Novel Award shortlisted author. I was commissioned to draw one illustration for the beginning of each of the six chapters in the book.
The Grocer magazine.
New portrait for the Grocer magazine.
Holkham Hall
To coincide with a rebrand of Holkham Hall, I was asked to produce some drawings of the architecture around the site to be used to generate a new interactive map. The map can be seen here.
The Modern Gentleman's Handbook.
I was commissioned to illustrate ‘The Modern Gentleman’s Handook’ by Charles Tyrwhitt, a book published by Ebury. A humourist take on Men’s style and etiquette.
