Irish illustrator Peter Donnelly has plenty of accolades to his name. The award-winning illustrator is a successful children’s book author but has also worked extensively in advertising and branding, with clients that include giants like McDonald’s, Guinness, and Coke.
Over twenty years of hard work he has developed a very recognizable style influenced by a love for mid-century design, folk art, and vintage print. “My clients are quite varied, from branding jobs and editorial to children’s book publishing,” he relayed in an interview with Inky Goodness. “My style seems to be able to cross over and work for different clients. There’s a good vibe element to my work which I suppose appeals to people so it helps to sell products.”
According to Donnelly, some of his most enjoyable and successful commissions have been a direct result of side projects. “Personal work is the key to growing as an illustrator,” he says. “The freedom to experiment outside of a brief… a chance to make mistakes and discover happy accidents. Keeping a sketchbook is a big part of that.”
As for the workflow itself, he says: “I spend about 40% of my day at my drawing desk and the rest working digitally on a Mac. It’s constantly back and forth which is nice and keeps my process interesting.”
Here are some of his delightful artworks:
