My name is Bex Glover and I am a freelance illustrator, artist and graphic designer based in Bristol (UK). My work is divided between computer based design and digital illustration projects and hand rendered painting and artwork.
Software / hardware
I have a new 27 inch iMac (which I love) and an old macbook pro (which I did love, until I got my iMac which is miles faster)! I use an intuos 4 wacom tablet and a Canon scanner for scanning my hand rendered drawings. Software wise I primarily use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign for my design and digital illustration work. For my painting and hand rendered work I mainly use spray paint, markers, acrylics.
Ideal work environment
I work in a nice shared studio now which is cool, but I would love to have my own big studio - open plan and industrial with plenty of natural light. I’d like to be able to create zones for the different types of work I do, so a messy area where I could paint and hang canvases and a tidy zone for my mac and design books etc (and a chill out area). I’d like to try a standing desk for my computer work. The ideal scenario would be a studio here in Bristol and one in New York so I could split my time between between the two.
Inspiration
I get inspiration everywhere. A walk on a beach, a night in the city, meeting someone new, seeing something unexpected. Travelling to new places and experiencing new things - culture, architecture, sights and sounds. Nature is a big influence on my artwork and so being out in the elements is inspiring but I also find being in the hustle and bustle of a city sparks my imagination too. Contemporary urban/street art is a big influence on my artwork at the moment and fashion, music, documentaries, books, galleries as well as other creative people around me all play a role. I’m part of an illustration collective called The Mighty Pencil who are a really inspiring, talented and supportive bunch of people. The internet is a major portal for ideas and inspiration too of course, although I find it too easy to get distracted following trails of interesting imagery and information. These days I’m trying to balance out my time in front of a screen with more time in the physical world - woking on painting and drawing.
Admire most
The list grows and changes every day. Contemporary, urban artists such as Duncan Jago, Anthony Lister and Swoon, historical greats like Lautrec, Klimt and Rousseau. Illustrators like Emiliano Ponzi, Jon Klassen, Victo Ngai and David Downtown. In the world of design the likes of Milton Glaser, Alan Fletcher and David Carson have all had an influence on my work at some stage.