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InspirationIllustration

Strong narrative illustrations by Luke Brookes that use bold pops of colour and composition

With a strong graphic and narrative style, much of Luke Brookes' illustrations use bold colour and composition to weave an interesting story.

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Illustration of a man in a dark suit and red tie with white hair, making a peace sign gesture, set against a large circular backdrop of the American flag

Since he went freelance in 2012, the Midlands illustrator has been dishing out a wealth of editorial work for clients as impressive as The Telegraph, AOL, Variety, Radio Times, Little White Lies, Computer Arts, National Geographic Traveller, New Scientist Magazine and IKEA.

Although he works across many mediums, Luke has found a specialism in editorial: "I like the challenge it brings – being as succinct as possible, making the message or story of the piece as clear within the illustration as possible. I also find that the tight deadlines of editorial help me to be less fussy with my ideas and go with my instincts and avoid over-working something."

Luke tends to use a combination of pencil, black ink and digital media; although lately, he has been experimenting with using digital alone, and using a vast library of handmade textures and brush strokes. Discover more of his recent work at www.lukebrookes.com.

Two hands pulling apart a light bulb that emits yellow light and white pixelated fragments against a green background
A man dives headfirst into a wine glass filled with red wine against a turquoise background
Illustration of a man's head in profile surrounded by tiny workers on scaffolding and construction platforms against a bright pink background
Pop art style portrait of a face in red, white and cream with yellow geometric shapes overlaid, against a teal background with partial yellow text
Illustration of a golfer in a red shirt and blue trousers mid-swing, forming a circular white brushstroke around their body against a beige background
Woman with flowing red hair wearing a turquoise dress floats among falling leaves against a starry night sky above snowy mountains
Tarot cards arranged overhead including The Tower, The World and The Emperor, illustrated by Luke Brookes in bold colours and graphic style
Woman with flowing hair leans over a balcony holding fabric, looking down at a person in pink surrounded by toys and buildings below
A man in a white shirt and tie sits at a desk looking worried as a large Guy Fawkes mask looms menacingly above him in the darkness
Stylised profile illustration of a face wearing sunglasses with bold black and bright red colouring and textured brushstrokes
Man with blue swept-back hair wearing patterned binoculars and a yellow shirt against a golden yellow background, illustration by Luke Brookes
Illustration of a man in a grey suit with white hair and a red tie, standing in profile against a cream background with a subtle mountain shape
A figure in red and black clothing battles a colossal red serpent in a snow-covered landscape, wielding a sword amid swirling snowflakes and pine trees
Vibrant portrait illustration by Luke Brookes showing a face rendered in bold strokes of turquoise, yellow, red and black against a dark background
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