Luke Scriven

One of Luke’s favorite pieces of advice came from his grandmother, who encouraged him to draw and paint as a child. “You have to use the white of the paper to your advantage,” she told him. Add his expert watercolor techniques and knack for capturing an expression in a few gestural marks, and Luke is able to generate narrative just like his heroes Maurice Sendak and Tove Janson. He has a BA Hons in Animation from Southampton Solent University.

Approach

Luke begins with a series of line drawings in pen that are usually more complex than his finished image. Working on a lightbox, he traces the main lines and transfers them to watercolor paper where he builds up the image traditionally using paints and waterproof pen. Once complete, the image is scanned, cleaned up and delivered digitally.

Style

Luke’s soft, simple, scratchy, scrawly images are clear and accessible, with nuance introduced through his skilful use of light and shadow.

Client list

ITV, Armani, Tatler, FCB Inferno, Condé Nast, Ogilvy and Mather and Aberdeen City Council are among Luke’s clients.