Bernie Jackson

Illustration

Illustration of people surrounded by spring-like images and colours
A Good Day at the Garden Centre. A small illustration capturing the buzz of a spring day, created by digitally doodling on top of my oil paint palette.

Hi! I’m Bernie, an illustrator currently based in Cambridge, UK. I love creating colourful, lush, lively work using a variety of mediums and methods - from oil painting to embroidery and digital illustration. My work is often inspired by historical factors, whether that be a particular era of extravagant fashions to curious antique objects, and my goal is to emulate these wonderful things in a modern context. I just love making beautiful art.

A maximalist to the core, regardless of what I’m working on – a sketchbook page, oil painting or book cover design – I delight in the liberal (but carefully considered) application of colour, shape and pattern. This vibrant visual language imbues each of my pieces, perhaps most notably my final project – a panelled wooden screen consisting of four key oil paintings, each focused on a different aspect of the female experience and sprinkled with historical imagery throughout.

While I tend to lean towards large projects that will engross me for weeks on end, I’m always open and excited to explore every brief that comes my way as it presents the opportunity to expand my skill set and create unique and exciting outcomes.

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Wooden screen with illustrations of women and the female experience
The final outcome of my degree project, a folding wooden screen depicting snippets of the female experience.
Wooden screen with illustrations of women growing out of flowers
An additional panel from the degree project, painted in oil.
Pastel and oil paint illustration of small people on colourful background
Earthly Paradise. A large-scale illustration inspired by the phrase ‘Earthly Paradise’ from the Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, made with soft pastel and oil paint.
Illustration of masks on wall
The Tiger’s Parlour. Pencil and watercolour illustration based on the story The Tiger’s Bride by Angela Carter.
Illustration of tigers and horses inside proscenium arch
The Tiger’s Painted Fresco. Pencil and watercolour illustration based on the story "The Tiger’s Bride" by Angela Carter.
Stylised illustration of human face
Oil Paint Tester. Small oil paint tester created in preparation for the degree project.