See how Brown Bear captured life of dogs.

Brown Bear Illustration is a Belfast-based freelance illustrator specialising in a variety of black and white and coloured hand drawn styles. His work can adapt to a wide range of briefs from poster and logo design to caricatures, comics and commercial stuff. One of his recent projects captures the most beloved living creatures – dogs. 

 

Picture Desk: Most of your illustrations are black and white. What is the reason for this?

Brown Bear: I think black and white drawings can look stunning! As a lot of contemporary illustration really bounces out at you with all varieties of colour, I like the idea of slowing down the looking process and reducing the noise of colour. I think black and white can jump out from the crowd more so when the palette is reduced. Also colour doesn’t really fit my personality that much!

Picture Desk: What is your source of inspiration when drawing?

Brown Bear: It really depends on the brief, but I source most of my inspiration for images from Google. I like to have a real image to work from, then I make a collage of various images in Photoshop and work up a drawing from that.

Picture Desk: What would you say is difference between colorful and black and white illustrations?

Brown Bear: Colourful illustrations are juicy, exciting and full of energy, whereas black and white illustration feels more dark and gothic. I also think of traditional still life drawing, Dutch engravings and etchings. It is also cheaper to print in black and white than colour, which is great if you’re make a small run of zines!

Picture Desk: One of your projects captures life of dogs. Why have you decided to draw them?

Brown Bear: My illustrations of dogs are stills sourced from funny viral videos of dogs making funny or strange facial expressions or movements. I like the idea of reflecting the fun of the internet back into my work but in a way that you wouldn’t know they were literally taken from a popular or trending video. So I try and keep it as ambiguous and strange as possible by taking my favourite frame of the video and drawing it with no other explanation.

Picture Desk: In your illustrations, you can truly capture the face and features of a dog. Have you studied them or lived with them? Do you personally have a dog?

Brown Bear: I owned a Chihuahua for 7 years, she was quite large for her breed. She wasn’t the typical handbag dog you might see being carried around London! But she was very energetic and fun and always loved a run. I think one of the first illustrations of animals was actually inspired by a photo I took of her on a beach before she passed away. Sad times! But she was great! R.I.P Musha!

Picture Desk: Do you plan to enrich your collection?

Brown Bear: Yes I am always on the lookout for funny viral dog videos which win my heart over! There are almost too many to count. So watch this space!

Picture Desk: What are your future plans?

Brown Bear: I am currently waiting to hear back from the art editor of Vice magazine to work on some editorial illustrations for their website. I have no idea of the topics he’ll pick for me, but I’m excited to find out! I’m also working with an illustration agency in Belfast called UsFolk, who are putting together some top secret projects over the next year! Things just seem to come out of nowhere in illustration depending on who sees your portfolio. So fingers crossed something fun comes along!