Jacob Stead

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Conceptual

Editorial

Food & Drink

Infographic

People

Sport & Fitness

Illustration by Jacob Stead of a red-haired person viewing a love letter collage

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Close-up blue eye with water drops by Jacob Stead

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Illustration of woman holding umbrella in rainy landscape by Jacob Stead

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Dallas Zoo entrance at night with animals and forest by Jacob Stead

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Wellness items like supplements, dumbbell, healthy foods, and fitness tracker

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Unique color palettes

Conceptual with a recognizable style

What clients like most about Jacob is that they know what to expect – his style and professional manner are always consistent, while his ideas are refreshing and inventive. You can tell from his work that he enjoys expressing himself through concepts and pictures, having honed his raw talent studying at both Leeds College of Art and Design and then UWE Bristol for his BA in Illustration. In music and art, Jacob admires sincerity and energy, which is why he’s so inspired by folklore, folk art, folk music and even folk horror movies. He’s fascinated by the strange and supernatural stories and landscape of Britain.

Approach

Jacob has streamlined his working process using Photoshop to create digital illustrations. He often uses a reduced palette of three gradient colours, which he spends time honing to ensure natural blends and just the right atmosphere.

Key Software

Photoshop

Style

Contemporary, bold and instantly recognisable, Jacob’s work uses strong forms, contrast, colour and hints of texture to catch the eye. Light-hearted and often with a touch of humour, he appeals to the imagination.

Impressions

Interview

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Interview

What led you to become an illustrator?I’ve always enjoyed drawing and expressing myself creatively, so when I found out that drawing for a living was a possibility, it seemed like the perfect job.Did you study illustration in college ? I studied Illustration at UWE, Bristol.Where did you grow up?I grew up in Bradford, West Yorkshire in northern England.Do you have a childhood memory relating to drawing/art that you hold dear?I had a Wallace & Gromit plasticine model kit that I was pretty proud of and posed them for photos, and now I have a studio two minutes from Aardman studios!Where do you live now and what drew you there?I’ve lived in Bristol since studying here, with a few years break when I lived in Amsterdam. I was drawn to Bristol because of the reputation of the course, but really liked it as a place, it’s not too big or chaotic for a city and has an independent DIY spirit in lots of ways, especially art and music. Describe your studio for us I work in a shared space at a gallery and studio space called Spike Island, with a few friends who all work as 3D digital artists. We have a corner of a big open plan space which I believe used to be a loading bay during the buildings former life as a tea factory. If you were funded for a dream artist residency, where would you go, and what would you create?I’d really like to spend some time developing linocut, and maybe instead of staying in one place, I could do a tour of the UK, exploring folklore and local customs.What career advice would you give your younger self? Just relax a little, experiment a lot and keep feeding inspiration.What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?I like to get away from the city and go for a walk and spend time in nature, or stay home and write music.How do you separate your work life from your home life?I leave everything at the studio and rarely work later than 6pm, so I think I’ve got a pretty healthy work life balance at the moment. I also try not to reply to emails etc. out of ‘office hours’ unless it’s really necessary.Do you adopt any environmental habits/practices to be more sustainable?I don’t drive, so I cycle everywhere and do my best to shop plastic-free as much as possible, and I went vegan around eight years ago. Luckily I live in a city that makes it easy to live and shop in a more sustainable way.Do you collect anything? I regressed into my 12 year old self and collected and painted Warhammer for a few years, but I think I burnt myself out spending so many hours painting goblins. Recently I’ve been spending all my spare money on synthesisers. What is the first record you bought?I think the first album was ‘Conspiracy of One’ by The Offspring, but the first single was, embarrassingly, probably ‘Blue’ by Eiffel 65.Who is your art hero? I’ve been really enjoying Eric Fraser’s work recently, he’s known for his bold and quite dramatic black and white scratchboard and gouache illustrations and his editorial work for the Radio Times.Who is your music hero? My hero would be a hybrid of Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and David Tibet.If you were not an illustrator, what would you be? I’d like to say a musician but in reality, probably something far less interesting. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? I’d probably go back to India because there’s so much rich history, culture and scenery to explore. I practice a form of tantrik yoga called Kasmir Shaivism and would love to explore more of the temples and areas in which it originated.What is the last show you binged?I just discovered ‘Ladhood’ about a group of friends growing up very close to where I did, at the same time, so that was great for the nostalgia. Nathan Fielder’s ‘The Rehearsal’ is an insane meta journey that I would definitely recommend.What was the last concert you went to?I saw Jaubi recently, a band from Pakistan who play Indian classical music.What is your favourite book?‘Cosmic Trigger’ by Robert Anton Wilson really changed my thinking towards spirituality and my approach to life in general. It’s all about adopting different belief systems and freely switching between them. It taught me to not grip too tightly to any set of beliefs.Do you have any tips/advice for other illustrators?I see a lot of quite successful illustrators who tend to promote an idea that to make it, you have to work into the early morning every night and all weekend, so I’d really like people to know that it isn’t sustainable over time, and you can have a successful career as an artist and a healthy work-life balance. Personally, I make my best work when I give myself enough time and room for ideas to spring up spontaneously.