Illustrator Richard Ellis’ joyfully large-breasted and bare-bottomed characters

Date
30 March 2017

Manchester-born, Melbourne-based Richard Ellis balances two practices. He works a day job in graphic design, but at night he turns into a chucklesome illustrator who draws large breasted, bare bottomed characters in a innate sketchy style.

“I am originally from Manchester and moved to Melbourne from London 18 months ago because London and I were no longer seeing eye to eye, in other words; I was drinking too much,” Richard tells It’s Nice That. “I’ll be back though once I finish my masters in NutriBullet yoga.”
Studying in Salford, Richard completed a degree in graphic design with a major in illustration. “Without sounding like a child prodigy, I have been drawing my entire life. On paper, canvases, walls etc…” he explains of his multidisciplinary practice. “My work has very much become part of who I am, there’s great comfort in knowing I’ll continue to create it, even though it’s very much a love/hate relationship.”

Within his day job Richard says he “tries to take myself seriously, but halfway through the day I often find myself drawings a picture of someone blowing a kiss up a dude’s bottom via french horn”. The hilarious tangibility of Richard’s work border the lines of fine art in what he describes as “abstract illustrations”. The disposition of the illustrator’s characters are “interpretations of people I meet, people I know and the awkwardness that I perceive in day-to-day interactions,” he explains. “I keep my graphic design work and art very separate, but who knows what the future holds.”

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Richard Ellis

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Richard Ellis

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Richard Ellis

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Richard Ellis

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Richard Ellis

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Richard Ellis

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About the Author

Lucy Bourton

Lucy (she/her) is the senior editor at Insights, a research-driven department with It's Nice That. Get in contact with her for potential Insights collaborations or to discuss Insights' fortnightly column, POV. Lucy has been a part of the team at It's Nice That since 2016, first joining as a staff writer after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design Communication.

lb@itsnicethat.com

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