Artist 35: Nick Taylor

Its Nick Taylor, Screenprinter, illustrator and digital artist. Music lover Nick really takes an interest in the world around him and it shows. His work instantly evokes the excitement of a mysterious flier for an unheard of band, and is combined with a finesse that truly conjures up the urban world of ephemera and the underground. He not only juggles skills competently creating some truly striking imagery but also has that additional level of refinement to knock it back and desaturate giving it a skilful crispness that mingles the dilapidation of a faded pasted wall with the edgy current flavour of a skilled illustrator. His work is tactile and fun whilst being deliberately cool. Its a real pleasure to see work by such a visually eloquent artist, with that in mind read about him here!


Who are you: 
Hello there. My name is Nick Taylor and I am an illustrator based In Worksop, Nottinghamshire. 

What do you do: 
I like to illustrate things, screenprint stuff and generally marvel at the world of visual art. I am about to embark on a new facet to my career, of which I am very excited, which involves sessional teaching with adult learners, enriching lives, spreading the word of visual arts and making some awesome things in the process!

How did you start: 
I have always drawn since I can remember and art has always been the cornerstone of my education. I finished my degree in Fine Art - Printmaking at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2002 and after a post-university period of uncertainty, I discovered the amazingly vibrant world of contemporary illustration. I balance my illustration work with a dayjob but hopefully this won't be forever...

A Personal statement about you or your work: 
I combine hand drawn and digital elements with the aim of creating a seamless blend of the two. I often start the image making process by collaging drawings and printed ephemera, then use Photoshop in much the same way as a silkscreen, layering colour, texture and pattern to bring the composition together.

I love/am inspired by photocopies, tea drinking, type specimen books, the tactile quality of printing by hand, walking my dogs, stained glass, the constant search for fresh and exciting music, Will Bradley, the amazingly diverse world of illustration, halftones, Alan Aldridge, my lovely wife-to-be, Pantone charts, Penguin books, charity shops, Barney Bubbles, letterpress, the talented people selling their wares on Etsy, finding vinyl treasures and sharing my passions with likeminded individuals!