If you’re someone who is well-versed in the world of visual arts, just mentioning „painterly pop culture portraits“ would immediately bring to mind the work of Sam Gilbey. With a client list that includes major names like Disney, Marvel, Sony, and Universal, Gilbey’s unique and hyper-realistic style has undoubtedly contributed to his success in his nearly two-decade-long career.
His illustrations have been featured on billboards, comics, books, magazines, licensed prints, exhibitions, movie packaging, TV, and film. And he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
But before we delve into what’s next for him, let’s take a closer look at the man behind the artwork and how he landed some of these dream clients and projects.
Gilbey has been drawing since he was a child, but his educational background focused more on Fine Art before he transitioned into illustration. After completing his A-level in Fine Art, he pursued a dual honours degree in Visual Arts and Music at Keele University.
It was only a few years later that he realized he could merge his passion for commercial pop art with a painterly style and turn it into a career. Starting off as a website and graphic designer, Gilbey gradually shifted towards illustration, eventually committing to it full-time around nine years ago.
One of his first gigs as an illustrator involved creating painting tutorials for magazines like Computer Arts, where he broke down his process step by step. This experience not only honed his skills but also taught him the importance of meeting deadlines and diversifying his client base.
When it comes to influences, Gilbey cites Thomas William Chantrell’s Star Wars poster as a major inspiration, along with artists like John Romita Sr. and animé such as Akira. He continues to find inspiration from his Instagram followers and the community of artists he has connected with online.
Overall, Gilbey’s journey from a young artist to a successful illustrator exemplifies the power of passion, perseverance, and adaptability in the creative industry. Gilbey was immediately drawn to Corel Painter when he started working digitally while finding his own style. He credits this to his experience with painting in traditional media and his Fine Art qualification. Nowadays, he mostly paints in Photoshop and occasionally in Procreate on the iPad. His love for classic illustrated movie poster art from the 1980s, Marvel comics, and fine art, particularly David Hockney’s influence, has shaped his unique style. He compares developing his style to starting a band, starting with cover versions and eventually creating something unique.
Gilbey views every project as a challenge, whether it’s a deadline, a tricky brief, or understanding the client’s perspective. He believes experience helps in interpreting client feedback and finding solutions without compromising the essence of the artwork. Collaborating with clients is an enjoyable process for Gilbey, as he values their input and suggestions for improvement.
Freelancers often face challenges with overlapping projects and deadlines. Gilbey has found that working on multiple projects simultaneously helps him stay focused and maintain productivity. He recommends working in short bursts on different projects throughout the day to maintain a fresh perspective.
To reassure himself as a creative, Gilbey suggests saving regular versions or screenshots of his work to track progress. This can help overcome moments of doubt and see how far he has come in the creative process. „It’s incredible how that extra push can really help you keep the momentum going and continue making improvements until you’re completely satisfied with it.“
Gilbey is a big fan of film, which is evident in his portfolio. Some of his favorite projects involve creating cover art for physical media, especially for reissues of classic films like True Romance and The Karate Kid Trilogy. He mentions that making new cover art for kung-fu movies starring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Jet Li, and others has been a highlight for him.
One of his standout projects was creating a steel book for Spider-Man: Far From Home in collaboration with Sony Pictures and Marvel through Poster Posse. He describes it as a dream come true and a moment he will never forget.
In 2023, Gilbey worked on two significant projects for UK billboard campaigns for the BBC and Channel 4. Despite the intensity of working on both projects simultaneously, he looks back on that period fondly and appreciates the support he received from his agency and agent.
Although he rarely has time for passion projects due to his busy schedule, Gilbey acknowledges the importance of personal projects in developing and refining one’s unique style. He emphasizes the value of creating work that showcases your individual voice and style to attract potential clients.
Gilbey also recalls a memorable moment early in his freelance career when he had the opportunity to interview filmmaker Edgar Wright. After sending Wright a fan art piece he created for Shaun of the Dead, he received immediate positive feedback and continued to receive support from Wright, who even introduced his work to Simon Pegg.