Brazil 2014 – FIFA World Cup
Client:
BBC / MOTD
Role:
Illustrator
A once-in-a-lifetime commission for the BBC, which required me to create a portrait for each of the 30 man squad that would be representing England at the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Each illustration was hand signed by its respective player during their final training camp at St Georges Park. The images were used as part of the regular Match of the Day programme, and also appeared on CBBC as part of their MOTD Kick-about series.
Adidas ‘Finale’ match ball
Client:
Adidas Football
Role:
Illustrator
Each year Adidas produces a ‘Finale’ ball for both the knock-out stages and the final match of the UEFA Champions League. The ‘Finale Wembley 13′ was the 8th such ball to be released. Adidas felt the occasion would lend itself to a series of bespoke prints, celebrating each ball together with the location of that specific final. I was lucky enough to be approached by Adidas and asked to take on this particular project
Steph – England’s World Cup Captain
Client:
BBC North East
& Cumbria
Role:
Illustrator
Narrated by Gabby Logan and featuring Gary Lineker, this documentary profiled England Women’s captain Steph Houghton as she prepared to lead England in their bid for World Cup glory in 2015. Having already produced artwork for the men’s team in 2014, I was delighted to be asked back to create an image for the opening sequence of this documentary.
Kicking & Screening – New York
Client:
Futbol Artist Network
Role:
Illustrator
& Advocate
Since 2009, Kicking & Screening has held more than 20 events globally, it has featured well over 100 films from around the world. Screenings are often complemented by art shows, live music, and panel discussions exploring the films underpinning themes. Special guests have included legendary soccer players, filmmakers, sports writers, artists, team owners, and political dignitaries.
Champions Draw – BT Sport
Client:
BT Sport
Role:
Illustrator
A group of 12 artists were hand picked by BT Football to cover every UCL game from the Group Stages right through to the final itself. Individual match days were picked at random and given to each of the artists, the brief was left intentionally loose to encourage each artist to add their own personality and creatively to each game.
Fantasista Exhibition – London
Client:
Private commission
Role:
Exhibitor
& Advocate
An exhibition that examined how the unlikely partnership of football and art have far more in common than one would imagine. Looking beyond the cliches of ‘the beautiful game’ and digging into how the sport itself is ‘artful’. These various perspectives were offered at the Cello Factory, which is a private gallery situated next to Waterloo station in London.
Killa Villa – Another Dimension
Client:
Killa Villa
Role:
Creator
& Collaborator
Killa Villa is a creative community with a shared passion for classic soccer shirts and 90’s hip-hop. The Inter-Galacticos jersey was inspired by the Beastie Boys song ‘Intergalactic’ and the equally iconic Real Madrid kit worn by such luminaries as Luis Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane, Roberto Carlos and David Beckham during the early 2000s.
XI – North American Soccer Quarterly
Client:
XI Quarterly
Role:
Feature Illustration
I was commissioned to produce an illustrative spread for the first issue of XI. The inaugural issue was entitled “Coming to America”, which focused on how immigration has, and continues to shape US soccer. Each issue of XI investigates a single aspect of soccer culture in eleven eclectic and thoughtful ways.
Portrait of
an Icon
Client:
Daniel Storey / Sir Bobby Robson Foundation / Ockley Books
Role:
Illustrator
I was particularly pleased to have my artwork included in Portrait of an Icon. The book was in aid of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a charity close to my heart having lost my own father to cancer when he was just 56. Written by Daniel Storey, with a foreword by Jamie Carragher, the first print run sold out in just 15 hours and attracted the support of such legends as Marco van Basten and Rafa Benitez.
Mavericks & Disruptors
Client:
SoccerBible
Role:
Feature illustration
When I was asked to illustrate a famous ‘disruptor’ for Issue 4 of Soccerbible, one name immediately sprang to mind. I had always felt the most shocking thing about Harald Schumacher’s assault on Patrick Battiston in 1982, was not so much the foul itself but his detachment to the incident afterwards. Standing on the edge of his box, almost irritated by the lengthy break in play.
Calcio’s Greatest Forwards
Client:
Pitch Publishing Ltd / George Rinaldi
Role:
Cover Illustration
With insight from some of the finest Italian football broadcast and newspaper journalists, including a foreword from iconic Italian football writer Gabriele Marcotti, Calcio’s Greatest Forwards devotes a chapter to each of the 21 best strikers to have graced L’Italia since 1929, delving deep into the back stories of Serie A’s finest attackers.
‘Club 99’ Project
Client:
Scott McRoy
Role:
Illustrator / Squad Member
Pro Evolution Soccer will always be the computer game of choice for football fans ‘of a certain age’. However, what is less well known is the list of players known to have been afforded the honour of a maximum ’99’ statistic. Club 99 is the name of this exclusive group, and the pages within this limited edition book were an illustrated homage to those members and the attributes that granted them an admission ticket.
The Worlds Greatest Football Illustrators
Client:
Four Four Two Magazine
Role:
Featured artist
Essentially a Who’s Who of football art curated by Four Four Two magazine with 32 artists featured in total. It was great not only to be included but to see so many familiar names, whether it be artists I’ve worked with in the past, people I’ve met personally or simply artists I admire. Football writing has long since been recognised, so it was refreshing to see visuals given an equally high profile too.
deCoubertin Publishing – Various Titles
Client:
deCoubertin
Role:
Cover Illustrator
In the final months of his life, Everton Legend Dave Hickson sat down to record his life story, from being scouted by the legendary Dixie Dean to playing in front of 70,000 plus crowds. I was extremely proud to be asked to design a limited edition cover for his book which also features the work the work of artists Paine Proffitt and Zoran Lucic.
Patterns of Play – Exhibition
Client:
Private commission
Role:
Exhibitor & advocate
The ‘Group Stage’ exhibition took place from 9th – 12th June to coincide with the opening weekend of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France. It included tributes to players, nations, culture and iconic moments. My own submission was Euro 92 dark horses Denmark, specifically Kim Christofte wheeling away in delight having secured a place in the final vs Netherlands.
The portfolio of Steve Welsh 