Who am I?
I’m Ben O’Brien, I’m both ‘Ben the Illustrator’ and ‘Ben Draws’, not a split-personality, more like a dynamic duo; I’m Marty and Doc, Jack and Meg, ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Whichever style it is, I observe, interpret and communicate the world, and the wonder of humankind within it. I value people and places (my favourite thing to illustrate) I love finding creativity, culture and the everyday details that make a scene feel real, where the true story lives.
I turn up to a project with two bags, one is quite smart (not with a monogram or anything, but still fairly professional), that bag has a sharp vision, perspective and an emotional intelligence. My other bag (probably a backpack) is full of sharp pencils and tactile shapes, a wild imagination and an ability to pair colours that a fine sommelier could only dream of. I don’t want my work to be overly sensitive or sentimental, but I do want it to be honest, work that feels recognisable and alive.
I relish collaboration and work closely with clients as my creative partners, helping them shape ideas visually in ways that educate, communicate and connect with people on a human level. We’re all human, and we like to feel human, right? Riding the ups and downs, experiencing life, seeing it all, that’s what I love, and that’s what I do. At it’s best, illustration can help people relate; to an idea, a story, or each other. That’s what keeps me doing this, making work with humankind at it’s heart, shaped by observation and collaboration.
Want to collaborate? Say hello!
ME? REALLY?
“WHAT DISTINGUISHES BEN'S WORK FROM COUNTLESS OTHER FLAT VECTOR GRAPHICS IS THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN HIS TRINITY OF SHAPE, COLOR AND FORM - STRAIGHT LINES AND CURVES INTERSECT AND OVERLAP TO CREATE A CLARITY AND DEPTH, ACCENTUATED BY THE ODD BRUSH SPATTER. NOTHING GETS LOST IN TRANSLATION.”
~ Steven Heller and Julius Wiedemann : Writing in the Taschen book ‘The Illustrator’
“A LIFESTYLE, PERFECTLY CRAFTED”
~ Angela Dunning : Judge awarding the illustration category winner in the Creativepool.com Awards.
“BEN THE ILLUSTRATOR” HAS A UNIQUE STYLE, DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM PEERS SUCH AS JAPAN’S TAKASHI MURAKAMI AND LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY GRAFFITI ARTISTS. HE COMBINES THIS WITH THE ENERGY OF EDGIER CONTEMPORARY MUSIC, AND WE BEGIN TO SEE THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW URBAN HYBRID STYLE WHICH MAY DEFINE THE VISUAL EXPRESSION OF TODAY.”
~ Matt Mattus : Hasbro designer, writing in the book ‘Beyond Trend’ (HOW Books).
“It is rare that you find a creative who works so incredibly hard, takes risks and is also generous with their knowledge and talent, Ben has all these things and more, A truly unique voice in the industry!”
~ Anthony Peters : Director of Made You Look, feature-length graphic arts documentary film.