Owen Davey

I think a lot of my peers will have expressed their love for Owen Davey's work and I'm ashamed to admit that it's only recently that I've started really liking his work. In the past year I've developed my digital skills when working with shape and texture and since then I've begun to like illustrators who also explore shape and texture. Owen Davey has a really strong tone of voice and his work has been applied to a number of areas of illustration and has even worked with pattern which I've become interested in. He has a strong mix of scenes and motif work and his illustrations are used by advertising, editorial and publishing clients across the board. What I really love his his use of subtle texture within his work. This is something I've become to experiment with in my own work this year so his illustrations have become a great inspiration. In his 'Mad About Monkeys' book and other nature inspired work the animals are broken down in to block shapes then characterised with colour and texture. He captures the look of the animals but in his own unique tone of voice. His work is something special as its something that can be enjoyed and appreciated by both children and adults. His 'Mad About Monkeys' book is a great example.

I found a great interview on the Folio website with Owen Davey:

How do you feel being part of an agency represented as a freelance illustrator has helped with your work?

I think agencies are great for removing some of the stresses of being a freelance illustrator. They are essentially support networks that can help you price jobs, back your corner when a client is taking advantage, or that you can even talk to about your work. I think Folio also helps me secure larger clients, who can sometimes be scared to work with solo illustrators.

How do you feel your personal work feeds into your commissioned work?

To be honest, I don't get a lot of time to do personal work, but whenever I get a very free brief, it gives me a chance to play with developing my style. For me, it is important to constantly try and improve my work, so these instances are invaluable.

Describe your working style in five words.

Stylised. Friendly. Retro. Colourful. Narrative.

Working within illustration and creativity can have its highs and lows. What are your three constraints and three motives to work during the day?
Motives: Bigger and better jobs. Money. I love illustrating.

Constraints: Differences of creative opinions with clients. The amount of hours in a day. Internet speed.

Who and what keeps you inspired?

Life and my contemporaries.

When for you does illustration have more power than words?

When it is used correctly. Describing a scene or a character can take pages and pages in a book or one concise image. Describing ‘Friday 23rd May, 2014’ would take half a book to explain with images. It’s all about understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your medium.

What would be your dream commission?
Millions of pounds to illustrate a book of cool stuff.

What three things are most valuable to you in your studio?

Internet – I could not do my job without it.

Computer – I could not do my job without it.

Paper & Pencil – I could not do my job effectively without them.

We’ve seen a transition in your working method to more of a vector-style technique. What were the reasons for this?
My shift towards more vector-style work is to add versatility and to allow for a more polished feel if clients require it. It can add a more corporate feel to my work, which I felt I initially lacked. I still use the more ‘homely’ approach at times, but it’s nice to expand my creativity to as many areas as I can.