Alan Irvine

Biography

I began my creative career working in a publishing studio in London in 1979, became freelance in 1980 and since then have been a professional private and commercial artist up to this day. I have worked for advertising agencies, design houses, marketing agencies, retail, commercial and industrial companies, magazine and book publishers, TV and film companies, the military as well as many private individuals and organisations producing portraits, wall art, faux art for private collectors, caricatures, cartoons, murals...anything that involves being creative and feeding the now long-grown family. For a period of time I drew various characters in the Beano...(I like a challenge, and I loved the Beano as a boy!) I have lectured in illustration at three art colleges and run life drawing and portrait classes, which I continue to do. Because of the demands of being a freelance commercial artist/illustrator, most of my work is very illustrative and 'commercial' as has been pointed out by some more 'Fine Art' galleries but I am what my experiences and the requirements of my career have made me. I've had to adapt to constantly changing demands but because of this, I have learnt a lot of techniques, short cuts, and 'tricks of the trade'. Almost nothing is out of my reach artistically and I'm constantly looking for the next challenge. A mural on Everest anyone...?