B and B blog

Pick Me Up exhibition Somerset House 23 April - 4 May 2015 April 29, 2015 12:00

We popped over to Pick Me Up graphic arts festival to see what all the fuss was about and liked what we saw. All sorts of art on sale with prices from £2 to £500, well worth a visit. 

Pick Me Up plaques
Pick Me Up London art
Pick Me Up Camera art
Pick Me Up Dunce art
Pick Me Up Obey art
Pick Me Up Hip Hop Don't Stop art
Pick Me Up Pocko stand
Somerset House, London
23 April - 4 May 2015

B&B interview illustrator Stephen Timms March 4, 2015 12:00 1 Comment

We came across this great illustrator, Stephen Timms, recently. Although the style is not similar to my own, it is the darkness of his work that is attractive to me. Also he works by hand and loves a pen just like me. Had a little chat to see what being Stephen Timms is all about.

Stephen Timms self portrait

Where are you based?
Romford, Essex.

How would you describe your style?
I was heavily inspired when I was younger by comic books, this was the main source of artistic information available to me as a kid, and my style grew upon this. I remember one Christmas as a kid, I got a Spirograph, and I would sit for hours creating patterns. Then one day I thought "I wonder if I could do this without the help of the graph", and then from that day I drew everything, houses, trees, tinned food labels, if I stood still long enough I would draw something. My style has become quite distinctive, and those who know me and have worked with me, can pick my work out from anywhere. I have perfected my style as a graphic novel, whimsical style with a dark undertone.

Stephen Timms artwork

What or who inspires you?
Everything, literally everything, every blade of grass I feel, the sound of the wind, other peoples work, my mind is like a rolodex and just keeps spinning all day with ideas. There are only a few artists I look up to as inspirational heroes to me. One of them is Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragonball Z my lifelong inspirational manga program, even to this day, Paul Kidby the Discworld Illustrator, and a very good friend of mine, Eleanor Darling, who creates some beautiful realistic work. 

What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment I am working with a client of mine called Skremz, he's an English based hip hop artist. I create his logos and flyers and anything that needs designing. I am also working with RCAP at Romford, in the Workshop located in the quadrant arcade. This is a store which sells locally based artists works, and graduate students works.

Pencil or computer?
Pencil, always a pencil, I got ink for blood and pencil lead for veins. I'm a traditional man through and through, but obviously have to use computer software.

Stephen Timms artwork

What three words describe you?
Machine, Passionate, Dedicated.

What's playing in the background while you draw at the moment?
Andre Bocelli

Where do you see yourself in the next couple of years?
I am aiming to open my own studio, dealing with a range of design work. I wish to get the local talented designers and artists, and work together, as a collective. That’s the dream.

Stephen Timms artwork

Stephen Timms, Illustrator
Email: machineheart23@yahoo.co.uk
Deviant Art: http://machineheart23.deviantart.com
Linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/stephen-timms/a5/920/99a/en