Trained as an interior designer, he designed houses, shop interiors, exhibition stands and fashion shows, played drums and worked as an art director before drifting into fashion and advertising photography.In 1994, he became inspired by the story-telling possibilities of digital manipulation of his photographs, and developed a style of photo-illustration.
His technique consists of taking lots of photographs, throwing them into a photo-snaffling machine, stirring it up, and sticking it all together with computer glue. Lately he’s been chopping up some 3D bits to throw in as well.He has a simple work philosophy of “Enchant yourself, and you will enchant others” which he combines with a love of detail, and a fascination with non-verbal communication.
He has had work selected for 3 successive AOI Annuals, and is currently working with major clients, ad agencies and publishers in the UK, USA, South Africa and Australia.
He also is working on illustrated childrens’ book concepts and other personal publishing projects. His first book, an illustrated version of the “Little Red Hen” story for Simon & Schuster (New York) was released worldwide in February 2004, with a new version of “The Hare & The Tortoise” for Simon & Schuster (New York) being released in February 2008.His own illustrated story concept, “Carla Chicken and Carla’s Famous Travelling Feather & Fur Show”, about a ballet-dancing chicken, has also just been completed and was released by Byron Preiss Visual Publications (New York) in February 2006.He has had a range of greeting cards, calendars and posters, “Cow Planet” being published under licence in Holland.
He is passionate about animal welfare and biodiversity conservation concerns, and a percentage of proceeds of sales from all he does is donated to animal welfare.
Freelance Illustrator South Africa, Illustration Barry Downard
Clients:BMW-Mini (UK), Budweiser (UK), Orangina (A.G. Barr) UK, BDH\ (Manchester), Planters (Kraft Foods) USA, Mercedes Truck Division (UK), Nestle/Nescafe (UK), Billington Cartmell (UK), QBO BellPottinger (UK), SAAB (UK), Vauxhall (UK), Carlsberg (UK), Ola (Unilever SA), SONY Playstation, TBWA (London), Glaxo Smith Kline, Paling Walters Targis, Simon & Schuster (New York), Mens Fitness UK, The Knowledge (The Times), New Electronics UK, The Economist, Hodder (UK), The Recruitment Business (London), Arizona Opera, Cleveland Opera, De Beers, Durex (SA), Jupiter Drawing Room (SA), Scholastic Books (Omnibus Australia), Sun International, Innoxa, Nike, Playtex, Wrangler, TenAlps PMA, London Boat Show, London Zoo, and Yamaha, amongst others.
