Category: Arts and crafts

Illustration

Figurative Illustration

Here are some examples of my illustrative work, over the years. Most of the coloured work was completed recently, because of the Covid 19 epidemic, when I had a bit more time on my hands to complete and refresh some previously uncoloured work. I hope that this will give a flavour of the type of artwork that I can do, and hope to do more of in the future. I will expand and talk about some of my work, as you scroll through this webpage.

 

Where to from here?

No thoughts on this matter really. I have finished with teaching now, after 44 years, but I am always on the lookout for another commission, to keep my hand in. I’m always open to suggestions. In a previous chapter I showed some of my furniture designs. I have often thought that it would be great if we, the British designers, had  an  open forum to sell some of our designs. To display them for entrepreneurs to develop into actual furniture and household items. I feel that there is so much talent out there, but very little developed commercially. There must be someone out there, in Britain, who could develop a British version of IKEA, perhaps that’s asking too much, but then again look at the success of Philippe Stark and many like him. Designers and Artists need a forum.

Perhaps it could start here…..any ideas?

Source: Science fiction illustration

Glasgow Art School 1970-75

art school bird 2

MY ART SCHOOL DAYS

I suppose that I should fill you in on my training before I go too far. This then is a brief resume of my Art School days in Glasgow. I trained as an interior and furniture designer in the early 70’s, and I suppose that many of my interests and skills were developed at this time. I had always been good at drawing and painting from my early school days, but my real skill lay in illustration and portraiture. Interior design, at the Glasgow Art School, although not an obvious choice, was the only department that seemed to help me develop these skills. I had the freedom to explore various other departments and I took advantage of this, and I made a lot of contact with Drawing and Painting, Textile Design, Printmaking and Sculpture tutors. All of these helped me to develop my artistic skills. I am very grateful for my time and training there. Here are a few examples of the typical exercises that I produced in my later years there. The American themed clothes shop was an actual commission, that I no longer have any photos of to show you. Suffice to say the client was happy with the final result. This was my first experience of applying my interior and illustrative skills, for payment. I can’t remember how much, but it seemed like a fortune then.

room interior 3 watermarked

room interior 4

My portfolio of work 1976 to 2020

front sheet for web design background

Paintings, Illustrations and Sculptures by John Byars  contact details; ( jbyars@ymail.com)

This is some of my work from 1976-2020, although I have slipped in some of my early years at Glasgow Art School, 1970 -75. Very little remains from this period so I have only posted my work from 1976 onwards. I hope that you enjoy this dip into my portfolio of various forms of my artwork. I have developed no particular style, so sometimes the work looks like it has been done by different people. My interests too, are wide and varied, so if you see no thread, don’t worry neither do I! Please also click on the bar at the top of the page, to get something of an idea of what I did when younger, and also what I have been working on recently. This part; New Illustrations, is on going, as I hope to produce some new work soon, illustrating the life of Jesus. This work will be based on the writings of St Luke, in his Gospel. St Luke is the patron saint of artists, thought you might like to know that!

Hope that you enjoy looking at this artwork.

My New workstation/ Art-desk

This is my new workstation/artdesk. From here I can now start producing some new artwork. This unit was designed by my wife Pauline and customised by me, using IKEA parts and a B&Q kitchen worktop. It fits in well with our other kitchen units, and doesn’t look out of place. I can’t make a studio out of any of the other rooms, so the best we could come up with was a studio in our large kitchen. The views from here, over to the Isle of Arran, on the west coast of Scotland, are stunning. The light is also great too! so happy with my new work-desk.