The Times: Biker Tribes
2009
Illustration, Editorial Design, Art Direction
A selection of Biker Tribes illustrated for The Times (London) 'Great Outdoors' supplement
BMX Bandits
From a distance, people often think that there is something seriously wrong with Benjamin's face. It's only when they get up close, and look past the baggy jeans, hooded top, and low-slung BMX, that they realise he is 43. Benjamin works for a design agency in East London and carries a record bag. He rides on the pavement, and if people get in his way he will shout something like “gnarly!” or “yo!”. And the weekends, Benjamin and his friend Jeremy used to like going to London's South Bank, to hang out with teenage skateboarders. They haven't been for a while, though, ever since Jeremy caught a gnarly air and wiped out, big-time. The doctors say he might need a new hip.
The Sit up and Beg Biker
They don't go very fast, these bikes, but Emily didn't buy hers to get around quickly. She bought it because she liked the leather saddle, and the pretty basket. At first, she used to cycle around staring at the clouds, but the dentist won't let her do that any more. Emily's boyfriend constantly nags her about cycling in ballet pumps, and says she ought to wear some neon lyrcra, because the dynamo conks out whenever she stops at the lights. Emily always smiles, sweetly, but she's quite happy in her muted flowing asymmetrical skirts. Although her hems do get caught in the chain.
The Folding Commuter
In his shirt-sleeves, sensible helmet, shiny black shoes, suit trousers and restraining cycle clips, there's something about Nigel's overall cycling look that faintly screams “pervert”. Not that he cares. For him, cycling isn't about fun. It is simply an efficient way to get from his suburban semi to the station, and then from Liverpool Street to the office. Nigel has no interest in cycling culture, and is fond of telling people that being on a bike is no reason not to follow the Highway Code. All the same, he is inordinately proud of his Brompton folding bicycle. When his wife borrowed the clip-on mini-pump without telling him, he sulked for the whole weekend.
The School Run Mum
Flora was a hippy in her teens, and she's damned if she's going to start driving a car now. Why bother? She sets off at 7.50 every morning, pulling out into the middle of the red route with a smile of fixed serenity, and forcing all those smelly old buses move at a more reasonable speed. Poppy, on the plastic seat, is proud as punch, although Merlin, in the trailer, is becoming less keen as he gets older. “Please Mum,” he usually begs, “drop me around the corner so that nobody sees, eh?” The other morning, Flora asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. “A climate criminal,” he said.
The Urban Speedster
Clive has a pink, all-in-one lycra leotard, and doesn't see why he ought to be ashamed about that. His bicycle cost many thousands of pounds, and is made of the same sort of stuff as badminton racquets. Clive rides his bicycle every day but, at the weekend, instead of cycling at high speed to his job in the City, he'll cycle at high speed to a bicycle shop. Here, he will spend many more thousands of pounds having bits removed from his bicycle, and replaced by other bits that are almost, but not entirely, exactly the same. Clive's bicycle lives in the living room, in front of the television. He has no wife.
-
Ten music tribes illustrated for Q magazineEditorial Design, Illustration, Music2012 -
Illustration, Publishing, Music2008 -
A series of clean, colourful images towards a safety information card for Brake Bros delivery vehicle drivers.Illustration, Graphic Design, Art Direction2010 -
'The Pact Between Men' is an aspirational mini site within Johnnie Walker's Asia Pacific website, tracking the progress of four friends walking the path to greatness together.Illustration, Web Design, Branding2010 -
Three 'things you'll only do once' for Esquire magazineIllustration, Publishing, Design2008 -
A series of images commissioned by Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe / Y&R promoting Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class Suite, mixing cliches of English landed gentry with familiar aspects of New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Hong Kong and Tokyo.Illustration, Advertising, Design2008 -
101 dumbest moments of 2005Illustration, Publishing, Design2008 -
A series of artworks commissioned by distillers William Grant & Sons to create a fresh brand identity for a new 'triple malt' called Monkey ShoulderIllustration, Branding, Marketing2008 -
Six consumer profiles with an emphasis on footwear, commissioned for Outdoor Insight magazine.Editorial Design, Illustration2012 -
A mutating careers market is as inevitable as climate change. ES magazine commissioned this series of 4 professions from the future.Art Direction, Editorial Design, Illustration2011 -
A set of small, simple illustrations commissioned by Oxford University Press for a lively, colourful book called Switch, aimed at 12-16 year old English language students in Spain. The images show different stages of preparing a salmon salad.Illustration, Publishing2010 -
Illustration commissioned by Penna plc to illustrate a series of ads recruiting surveyors, technicians and sales executives for Ecolab (world leader in pest control). This one takes the form of a natural history display cabinet, with specimens lovingly collected and pinned down for scientific examination. The final sample Cockroachus Historicus has been brutally crushed: unlike the competition, Ecolab takes no prisoners!Illustration, Advertising, Design2008 -
Cover illustration for The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, which tells the story of a group of working men who are joined one day by Owen, a journeyman-prophet with a vision of a just society. Owen's spirited attacks on the greed and dishonesty of the capitalist system rouse his fellow men from their political quietism.Illustration, Publishing, Design2008 -
Lion Hudson commissioned a set of sixty illustrations for 'Simply the Bible', a clear and simple introduction for anyone who finds the Bible a bit daunting, or simply wants a brief overview.Editorial Design, Illustration2013 -
Lion Hudson commissioned a set of sixty illustrations for 'Simply the Bible', a clear and simple introduction for anyone who finds the Bible a bit daunting, or simply wants a brief overview.Editorial Design, Illustration2013 -
Illustrations of four archetypal bankers commissioned by Square Mile magazinePublishing, Illustration, Character Design2010 -
How not to behave at a wedding (commissioned for Men's health letters page)Illustration, Publishing, Design2008 -
Image commissioned by Penguin Press for the cover of a book called “Scotland's Books” by Andrew Crawford, a history of Scottish Literature. It features a casual, utterly impossible gathering of seven Scottish writers past and present: Louise Welsh, Ali Smith, R L Stevenson, J M Barrie, Robert Burns, Irvine Welsh and Sir Walter Scott.Illustration, Publishing, Design2008 -
Illustration of delegates at the international conference on eco-sanitation in Nanning, peering down a two-ended urine diverting toiletIllustration, Publishing, Journalism2008 -
Celebrating 200 years of Charles Darwin and his book about the origin of speciesIllustration, Publishing, Journalism2008 -
One of a series of stamps commissioned by Royal Mail to celebrate the Scout Centenary in 2007 by depicting 'life-changing' moments. In this design, an 18-year-old Explorer Scout walks 50km to raise money for Cancer Research, the greatest (and most meaningful) adventure in her life so far.Illustration, Design2008 -
A series of character studies commissioned by OgilvyOne for a large insurance client. 'Rick' is a relaxed, amiable kind of guy offering jargon-free advice and information about Rothesay Life policies.Illustration, Branding, Character Design2008 -
Portrait of the evil Mexican Mr Ramirez commissioned by Esquire magazineIllustration, Publishing, Design2008 -
A set of small, simple illustrations for a lively, colourful book called Switch, aimed at 12-16 year old English language students in Spain. The images show different stages of preparing a potato bake.Illustration, Publishing2010 -
Portrait of Craig Barrett (CEO of Intel) whose dry wit, calculated reticence and love of horse-riding invites comparison with Clint EastwoodIllustration, Publishing, Design2008 -
Airfix model kit of an English Cricketer, commissioned by The Wisden Cricketer.Illustration, Publishing, Editorial Design2008 -
Portrait of Jef and Jos, brewers of Kriek Belle-Vue, commissioned by Duval Guillaume Brussels on behalf of InBev and used as a KBV beermat.Illustration, Branding, Design2008