Liam O'Farrell — Watercolour Architectural Illustrator, UK

An outstanding talent with ink and watercolours, Liam O’Farrell has a traditional painterly style that is ideal for books, newspapers, magazines, annual reports and more. Architectural and lifestyle illustration are areas he specialises in, but full bleed or spot illustration, he can hit the right tone for just about any brief.

Now based in Somerset, Liam decided he’d become an artist when he was 10 and every decision thereafter has pointed to that goal. Taking an HND in Technical Illustration at Portsmouth Art College, he moved to London, working in design and illustration and rising to the top of his game. His favourite artists include Spencer, Lowry and Wallis.

Approach

After a discussion with the client Liam will deliver a detailed drawing to make sure there’s no confusion about what he’ll be creating. He’ll then use inks and watercolours to render the image, with postproduction work done in Photoshop – adding or boosting colours. That said, his work never looks Photoshopped.

Key Software

Photoshop

Style

People tend to recognise Liam’s old school illustration style straight away. It’s not cartoony, and it’s not serious, with architectural and character elements to it as required. Often he lets his painting sit on a stark white surround for a great deal of impact, making the addition of typography a breeze for art directors.

Client list

Some of Liam’s clients include Patagonia, Tatler, Knight Frank LLP, The Times, Liberty London, Perspectives in Architecture, BBC Books, Macmillan, The Big Issue, One Housing Group and Meed.