Richard Phipps grew up in Buckinghamshire but went to London to work in the world of advertising – design and visualisation being his main area - before he became a full-time freelance illustrator.
Outside of illustration, Richard has been a lifelong cyclist and now collects and restores vintage bikes. He recently took up racing, but also likes more leisurely rides in Italy and France, taking in the scenery. He’s interested in carpentry, masonry and restoring old buildings. With a bit of land in southern France, he’s started growing olive and almond trees as well.
Training
Art, technical drawing and running were the only areas in which Richard excelled in school, so when he left he went to Harrow School of Art, later getting a job in the ‘Fitzrovia’ area of London where he worked in advertising.Approach
Richard uses pen and ink, and some engraving techniques too. He used to apply colour washes in watercolour paints or ink but today this is done on his Mac.Style
Thanks to his pen and ink approach, with a touch of engraving, Richard’s illustrations have a slight 19th century feel to them. His line work is strong, and he brings a lot of texture and detail into his images, which allow for greater realism and depth.