Overview

Born in Brighton, UK, Shadric Toop has lived in Germany, Edinburgh, and London, returning to Brighton to open a graphic design studio in 2000. Today his work is predominantly illustration. He works in a variety of media including collage, drawing, painting, and digital techniques.

Training

Shadric studied architecture at degree level but changed course when he realised his real love was the crafting of images. His illustration career complements his extensive graphic design experience and grew out of the occasional need for original image creation. He then began incorporating techniques learned during his personal image-making experiments into his commercial work.

Approach

Shadric’s project approach combines his experience as both designer and artist. On commercial projects, Shadric will actively listen to your requirements, and fully research the context, audiences, and history. Through careful listening, asking questions, and applying his knowledge of visual branding, Shadric creates strong compositions that will tell your story.

When applying himself to artistic or publishing projects, he is used to experimenting and pushing the boundaries of what is expected.

Influences

“An eclectic range of artists and designers influence my work, from René Gruau to David Hockney and Peter Blake to Sandra Cinto. My interest in illustration was kindled at an early age, through exposure to the great children’s illustrators of the ’60s and ’70s, for instance, Laurence Hutchins and Maurice Sendak.”

Client List

BBC / Bert’s Homestore / Breakin Bread Records / Factory Films / Georganics / Gorgeous PR / Glyndebourne / Grange Park Opera / Oxford University Press / Penguin Books / Seawhite of Brighton / Trading Boundaries / Varndean School

Shadric takes on illustration commissions through his design company Toop Studio. Here are his terms of trade.