An illustration of a football match where players in red kits celebrate a goal. In the foreground, a player in a light blue kit sits on the grass in defeat.

Chester Holme’s football-themed illustrations make the crowd go wild

Words: Rebecca Fulleylove
—
Date: 2 June 2016; Work
Illustration

Illustrator Chester Holme feels at home when it comes to drawing sport and, more specifically, football. His portfolio is a rich mix of reds, blues and greens and is full of illustrations relating to the beautiful game. Highlights include an A1 football print of Gazzas for Group Stage an exhibition at Patterns of Play in London this month and a couple of spot illustrations for Season Annual a new publication dedicated to the Premier League by three passionate designers.

A graduate of Kingston University, Chester’s also created work for Pickles magazine, Lok Zine, and the Royal Opera House. Still early in his career, it’s great to see his portfolio chock-full of personal projects like his film posters and speculative illustrations. His saturated, colour-block style suits his full-bleed crowd shots and posters well and the character variations and expressions in these busy illustrations keep the audience interested.

An illustration of a referee holding up a red card to a football player on a pitch. Behind them, a dense crowd of fans in red and yellow striped shirts shout and gesture in anger. — Above
Left
Chester Holme: Speculative illustration
Right
Chester Holme: Patterns of Play

An illustration of several football players in white shirts and blue shorts against a bright green background. The figures are shown in various dynamic poses, including kicking balls, celebrating and one person lying on the ground. — Above
Chester Holme: Patterns of Play

An illustration of a dense crowd of football fans, mostly wearing red shirts and scarves. A few people wear blue, and some hold up phones or eat snacks. — Above
Left
Chester Holme: Pickles
Right
Chester Holme: Season Annual

An illustration of a football player, Pugh, kneeling on a pitch with arms outstretched. Behind them, a crowd of fans in red and black stripes hold a banner that reads “HE SCORES WHEN HE WANTS”. Below the main text, the words “League One” and “Championship” are crossed out, leaving “Premier” visible. — Above
Chester Holme: Season Annual

An illustration of a football stadium split down the middle. The left side shows a quiet pitch being prepared by staff, while the right side shows a match in progress with a crowd in the stands. — Above
Chester Holme: Pickles

An illustration of a person reclining on a lounge chair in a dark library. They hold a glowing blue object over their face, while red-backed books line the shelves behind them. — Above
Chester Holme: Speculative illustration

An illustration of a supermarket with yellow floors and white shelves. People wander through aisles labelled with festive foods such as “Pigs in Blankets”, “Mince Pies” and “Turkey”. — Above
Chester Holme: Jack Wills

An illustration of a grey concrete apartment block with many broken windows. A small figure sits on a ledge, smoking a cigarette, above the word “highrise” written in orange. — Above
Chester Holme: Personal project

An illustration of a concrete wall with a small, barred window. Bold white text across the top reads “ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ”. — Above
Chester Holme: Personal project

Further Info

www.chesterholme.co.uk

About the Author

Rebecca Fulleylove

—

Rebecca Fulleylove is a freelance writer and editor specialising in art, design and culture. She is also senior writer at Creative Review, having previously worked at Elephant, Google Arts & Culture, and It’s Nice That.

Chester Holme’s football-themed illustrations make the crowd go wild

Share Article

Further Info

About the Author

Related content

Georgie McAusland on refusing expensive tools to get more “squish and texture” into her drawings

Why the retro brand identities of Biabum studio have illustration built into their DNA

Mona Chalabi’s illustrated book about wealth inequality will make you talk to your friends about money

From wax seals to postal stamps, Aplomb perfume’s packaging has the intimacy of a handwritten letter

It's Nice That Newsletters