Robert Nicol’s brutish but spirited illustrations spanning artistic mediums

Robert Nicol is an illustrator who works across multiple platforms in a consistent style that flows over his plethora of projects. Whether it be creating pieces for an exhibition for dogs, editorial illustrations for The Telegraph, or an exhibition flyer for the Barbican, Robert’s illustrations are loose and full of movement and spirit. 

After graduating from Glasgow School of Art, then the Royal College of Art and the Institute of Education, Robert now resides in north Norfolk. He’s represented by agency Dutch Uncle, which he says has been key to the process of creating a range of editorial, book and public art projects, has been exhibited at  Galerie Nouvelles Images in The Hague and, on top of all this, on the side teaches creative arts at Norwich University of the Arts. 

Aside from working on “a range of national and international illustration projects,” he enjoys “making brutish yet pleasing images dealing with themes such as sexuality and the absurd”. Brutish is a key choice of word, Robert’s illustrations aren’t exactly sweet, but the combination of bizarre narratives drawn using pleasing watercolours, or detailed pencil drawings, is a pairing the illustrator makes look natural. Robert applies his narratives to varied canvases, painting illustrations onto teapots, or making his own sculptures to convey an idea.

“I am interested in the tension between objects and the 2D image; and its connection to different modes of storytelling.”