Barry Falls Illustration

New Work: Bloomberg Businessweek - cover story

2011-12-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

I was really thrilled to be asked by Bloomberg Businessweek to produce the cover art for a story that they were running about Las Vegas real estate fraud. This was a really fun image to work on, and I think the type treatment on the final cover is brave and playful and just what art direction should be. The issue is out now in the UK, so look out for it in the next few days. Thanks to the talented Richard Turley for his art direction.

New work: The Economist

2011-12-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I've worked for The Economist, and it was a nice opportunity to come up with a series of images that dealt with a tricky theme. The story was about the confusion in contemporary american politics about the founding fathers' stance on religion, and how it should affect political discourse. It was tough to come up with ideas that addressed the controversy, without taking a side one way or the other, but in the end I'm fairly happy with the results. My only regret is that the third image, of the church and the White House, doesn't sit particularly well with the other two.

New Work: Financial Times

2011-10-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

This was a great chance to play around with pattern and colour, and will be published this friday (tomorrow) in the FT. It's to accompany a nice piece by Andrew Stourton about his love affair with books, and his mixed feelings on the advent of e-books. Thanks to Kevin Wilson for the art direction.

New Work: Presbyterian Record

2011-10-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Got a nice brief in this week from Presbyterian Record. It's always nice to get the chance to draw a coyote, and even nicer to draw four, howling at a 'super moon'. Thanks as always to Caroline Bishop

Jack's Paper Moon

2011-09-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time I posted a link to the blog that my wife has been lovingly working on for the past few weeks. Called 'Jack's Paper Moon', it's a showcase for the stunning photographs that she takes - mostly of our equally stunning little boy Jack. She works hard to make her photographs unique, with a tactile, hand-made quality; I for one find them beautiful and inspiring. Well done my love!

Find the blog here: jackspapermoon.blogspot.com

New Work: Yale Alumni Magazine

2011-07-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite of a series of illustrations that I produced for an issue of Yale Alumni Magazine that confronted the very difficult issue of sexual assaults on campus, and how the university was facilitating justice for the victims. As you can imagine, coming up with illustrations for a topic as serious as this was no easy task, so myself and the art director Mark Zurolo decided to focus on the idea of communication breakdown as a way into the piece.

New Work: Middlebury Magazine

2011-07-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

This is one of a series of illustrations that I worked on for Middlebury Magazine - a new client for me I'm pleased to say. The story was about the very strange practice of banishment in the Maldives, and how it can break up families. Thanks to Pamela Fogg for the art direction.

New Work: Presbyterian Record

2011-07-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

This is an illustration I completed a few weeks back for one of my regular clients: Presbyterian Record in Canada. I really like working on these as the stories from the particular column that I illustrate almost always have some really interesting human angle to them, which can make a change from the financial/political stories that I often work on.

Thanks, as always, to the excellent Caroline Bishop.

New Work: Personal Work

2011-06-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

A new piece of personal work - notable I suppose for a new approach to creating the background, which I wanted to be a bit more offbeat and less predictable than a simple pattern or block colour. Also, the browline glasses are a nod to Mad Men and an aesthetic that passed us by here in NI but that I like very much.

New Work: Financial Times

2011-04-28T03:23:00.000-07:00

Another job in from Kevin Wilson at the FT, and a really nice opportunity to do something a bit tongue in cheek in anticipation of Kate and Wills' big day. The story was all about social mobility in the UK, using Kate Middleton's rise from coal miner's great-great-granddaughter to (perhaps) the future Queen as a light-hearted example. This was in tuesday's paper.

New Work: Personal Work

2011-04-28T03:16:00.000-07:00

This was an experimental piece I worked on a couple of months back, that started from a sketch of a model's face that I then enjoyed embelishing with some Givenchy jewellery and a Karen Millen dress. Over the past couple of years I've developed an interest in drawing clothes and fashion, and I really wanted to push it with this piece into something that had real attitude and verve.

New Work: InvestHedge

2011-04-28T03:11:00.000-07:00

This was a nice job that came in from a client that I'd never worked with before - InvestHedge Magazine - for a cover story about how adaptability is the most important survival skill for investment managers. The client specifically asked for a Darwinian link.

New Work: New York Times

2011-04-28T03:07:00.000-07:00

This is one of a series of eight illustrations that I did for the back page of a recent edition of The New York Times. The piece was all about the historic significance of Westminster Abbey as a site for Royal Weddings, presumably part of the preamble to the upcoming wedding of Wills and Kate. Thanks to Alexandra Zsigmond for the art direction. Oh, and in case you're not sure it's a portrait of Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) and George VI.

New Work: Strategy + Business

2011-04-05T09:10:00.001-07:00

Quite pleased with how this one turned out, for a piece on Identity Economics. Thanks to Jessie Clear for the art direction and Garden State for it's only memorable moment.

New Work: Presbyterian Record

2011-03-04T04:36:00.000-08:00

One of my most regular clients is a Canadian publication called Presbyterian Record. Art directed by the lovely Caroline Bishop, my work for the magazine is always fun and creative. I've posted here a couple of recent examples that I thought were particularly successful. Usually, the articles I'm working on have a spiritual connection and also a wildlife connection, so whenever possible I like to draw the wildlife in question. For these ones it was a Canadian Goose and an Arabian Stallion respectively.

New Work: Financial Times

2011-01-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

I got a call on Friday morning from Kevin Wilson at the FT, looking for a portrait of Ed Balls to run in Saturday's paper. Aside from a description of Balls as a 'pugilistic Keynesian', the brief was fairly open and I came up with this image of him as a bullish wrestler, in complete contrast to the affable figure of Alan Johnson - the bloke whose Shadow Chancellor job Balls is set to inherit.

Oh, and a reliable source told me that the illustration was discussed briefly on BBC Breakfast's newspaper review on Saturday morning.

Jack William Falls

2011-01-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to announce the safe arrival of our beautiful baby boy, Jack. He arrived on Winter Solstice 21st December - a bit early but fit, healthy and strong. Both he and his amazing mother are an inspiration to me.

New Work: Spectator Watch Supplement

2010-12-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

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Two portrait based illustrations for a recent feature in the Spectator. Apparently Peter Mandelson sports a ludicrously priced Patek Philippe, while Obama favours a more down to earth big watch issued by the CIA.

New Work: Financial Times

2010-10-25T03:24:00.000-07:00

I worked on this illustration last week for Saturday's Financial Times, for an editorial piece about the shifting balance of economic power and democracy, and the idea of "Sum zero". Art direction was provided by Kevin Wilson.

Influences: William Eggleston

2010-09-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Woman on Swing, Late 1960s

The first photographer that I'd like to talk about is William Eggleston. Born and raised in Tenessee, Eggleston developed as an artist outside of the mainstream, resulting in a vision that is utterly unique. In the 1960s, when Eggleston began taking photographs, black and white photography was the accepted standard for fine art, while colour printing remained as a solely commercial process. When Eggleston's first major exhibition, "Color Photographs" debuted in New York's MOMA gallery in 1976, it ushered colour photography into a new era, one in which it was accepted as a legitimate medium in which to make fine art prints. Eggleston's work gloried in the richness and sensuality that the colour process afforded, and showcased an America that up until that point had not been noticed, at least not in 'high' culture.

Eggleston's photographs developed his principle of the 'democratic' camera, in which no scene was too mundane to look at more closely, no detail too trivial to examine. He took pictures of everything - people, landscapes, buildings - and his candid gaze seemed to enrich and illuminate the everyday. In one of his most famous pictures, The Red Ceiling, a simple and unremarkable scene is captured with a vivid candour that makes it powerful and compelling; an innocent lightbulb hanging from a ceiling suddenly seems creepy, even macabre. No one else would have taken this picture, and I think that's why I find Eggleston's work so inspiring. The singularity of his vision allows him to make images from almost nothing - looking at his pictures you start to imagine that almost nothing is off limits for closer inspection, it's just a matter of recording the scene correctly, and allowing the detail to shine through. His neutral gaze allows us to view the world anew, and reveals the splendid potential of the simplest moments. The clashing patterns of a lady in a dress on a sofa, the yellowness of a shirt, the impressive architecture of a hairdo; it all deserves our attention. Many of his pictures have people in them, but rarely are they the star of the show. Instead, you get the sense that they've wandered into frame, and become just another detail in his monumental compositions.

As well as achieving acceptance in the fine art world - he was a cohort of Andy Warhol - his work has also been used extensively in commercial contexts, largely in the music industry. The Red Ceiling was used on the cover of the Big Star album Radio City, and his work has also appeared on albums by Primal Scream, Spoon, and Jimmy Eat World. He still lives and works in Memphis.

The Red Ceiling, 1973

New Work: Dustin Hoffman

2010-09-06T02:59:00.001-07:00

A straightforward portrait piece of Dustin Hoffman. A bit different from some of the other, similar portraits that I've worked on because of the tighter framing, a deliberate effort to make the finished piecemore intimate.

New Work: Thank You

2010-09-06T02:56:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I worked on this artwork for Presbyterian Record. I really enjoyed this one, as it gave me a chance to be really decorative and whimsical with different colours and patterns, and I think I've ended up with a good piece for the portfolio that looks a bit different from the stuff I normally do.

New Work: Arcade Fire + Album Review

2010-08-12T02:46:00.000-07:00

On Arcade Fire’s second album, 2007’s Neon Bible, the band got serious, with heavy, ponderous songs about the environment, the media and religion. It’s therefore something of a relief when the opening bars of the first and title track on this new album. The Suburbs, reveal a lighter touch, with a country shuffle that’s only slightly uneasy. The song’s winsome beat announces a new restraint that permeates much of the album. The band, which rose from the ranks of the achingly hip to stadium heroes in two albums flat, is not known for restraint. Rather, big, blood’n’thunder numbers belted out like lives depend on it by a veritable village is the traditional stock in trade. Think Ian Paisley and the E Street Band and you’re somewhere close..

On The Suburbs, the band have reigned things in considerably, and the result is a mature record that represents a creative step forward that’s bigger than its gestures might suggest. Indeed, the most rewarding moments on this record come when the production is at its most low key. Modern Man is particularly successful, with a clipped, precise delivery that isn’t unlike a lost gem from Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac. On Half-Light II (No Celebration) the band reveal a surprising dexterity with synths, pushed further on the superb disco-swirl of Sprawl II (Mountains beyond Mountains), coming soon to an indie dance floor near you.

One of the few tracks that harks back to the ornate and expansive arrangements of their earlier work is the suitably titled Rococo, a song that, somewhat tellingly, seems frustrated with the heady funk of hipster chic that has always surrounded the band. “Let’s go downtown and talk to the modern kids,” Win Butler sings, “They will eat right out of your hand, using great big words that they don’t understand.” If this seems rather ungrateful to their core fans, it’s saved by the sense that the band are as much making fun of themselves as anyone else, with a build up to the chorus that includes the line “Oh my god, what is that horrible song they’re singing… Rococo!”

Lyrically, the album continues Butler’s obsession with ‘the kids’ (drinking game, anyone?), but develops the raucous abandon of previous albums into a set of songs that is altogether more grown-up. Where once Butler was content to paint big, expressionistic strokes, he now reaches for a subtler, more muted palette. On the title track, this idea is summed up with the simple observation “Sometimes I can’t believe it, I’m moving past the feeling”; a lyric that both opens and closes this album. The big concept of The Suburbs – and it is a concept album, mind - seems to be that, although revisiting childhood haunts can be painful, treacherous even, there’s value amongst all the bittersweet nostalgia; the suburban nightmare is not nearly so frightful as it may have appeared back in the day.

To be fair, the album is rather longer than it needs to be, with a couple of tracks in the middle that seem unnecessary and, at times, like on the pseudo-punk of Month of May, out of keeping with the otherwise meticulous construction. And despite the success of the new, lean sound, it’s possible, at times. to miss the amped-up evangelism of Funeral and Neon Bible. Nonetheless, The Suburbs is the sound of a band embracing their status as major artists, with a record that is thoughtful and ambitious, while managing to remain accessible and warm.

2010-08-05T07:35:00.001-07:00

Portraits For Bloomberg Businessweek, and a response.

2010-07-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Nouriel Roubini

A few weeks ago, I received a very nice commission from Bloomberg Businessweek to provide six portraits for a piece they were running about renewed pessimism amongst America's most eminent financial forecasters. Thanks to Richard Turley for the art direction.

A week or so later I received a post on this blog about the illustrations, from someone who seemed upset by them. He seemed particularly annoyed by the one of Meredith Whitney (shown below). I thought it was interesting enough to post up again here. After the illustrations you can read the post, followed by my response.

Meredith Whitney

Robert Prechter

James Grant

Gary Shilling

jim@larkinvestments.com said...

Barry,; Not certain you are responsible for the ugly, angry orange illustrations in the Bloomberg piece on Da' bears. If so, just wanted you to know that a few of us are clear that painting people's skin an angry orange color is still character assassination.; Using illustrations to paint people ridiculous is a lewd act of artistic prostitution.; Those who care about fairness might compare her picture on page 43 with your illustration on page 54.; Want to reach me, to cuss back?; jim@larkinvestments.com; 19 June 2010 06:21
Barry Falls said...: Hi Jim; Thanks for your comments. First of all, I don't really want to cuss you back, as I'm not interested in that sort of thing. You're quite entitled to your point of view, however strange it may be.; While I can't refute your suggestion that I'm an artistic prostitute - I'm a commercial artist that sells my time and skills for money after all - I must take issue with you suggesting that I'm out to assassinate anyone's character.; If you look through work that I've done in the past, you'll see that very often I depict all sorts of people with coloured faces; red faces, yellow faces, orange faces, even blue and green faces. This is just part of my style, and not an attempt to assassinate the character of the person that I'm depicting. I'm sorry that you don't like it, but I can't help but be surprised by how strongly you feel. Furthermore, I would suggest that if someone's character could be successfully assassinated by a simple drawing with an orange hue, then that person's character ought to toughen up a bit. I'm sure Meredith Whitney will survive.; Thanks again for your comments, it's always nice to hear from a fan.; warm regards,; Barry Falls; 22 July 2010 11:30

Follow me on Twitter

2010-07-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've finally got round to setting up a twitter account, and now spend days at a time thinking of things to tweet that are clever, insightful, humble, cool, sweet and edgy all at the same time. Then I just decide to tweet something stupid. I badly need followers, so please join the congregation!

www.twitter.com/Barry_Falls

New Work: Cath

2010-07-19T12:13:00.002-07:00

This is a drawing that I made a couple of months ago. It's a very special image for me because it features my lovely wife Cath, and also because it was drawn on the day that we found out that we were expecting our first child. That's right, we're having a baby!

We went out for a meal that night, and as I looked across the table at Cath there was something so vulnerable in her expression that I just thought to myself 'I have to record this in some way'. I snapped a picture of her on my phone, and made the drawing when I got home. I know it may seem odd that for such a happy time with such exciting news, the image is so subdued, somber even, but for me it captures something very special about that night. There was lots of smiles and happiness later of course, but I think we were both struck in that moment that night by the sudden feeling of responsibility. I don't often make such autobiographical pictures, but I was pleased that in this case I made the effort.

Influences: Chris Ware

2010-07-08T04:37:00.001-07:00

It's been about six years now since I discover the meticulous and neurotic work of the Chicago-based graphic artist Chris Ware. My first exposure to his ouevre came during my final year at University with my reading of the tri-generational family biopic graphic novel "Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth". At first glance it looked like a beautifully rendered piece of retro-Americana. On closer inspection however, it revealed itself to be an infinitely more complex and nuanced construction. Partly autobiographical in it's narrative, it was at times post-modern, at times sentimental, at times whimsical and at times profound. With as many layers as the most oniony of onions, it's a piece of art that will stand the test of time as a stunning testament to the power and potential of sequential art - or 'comics' to you and me. In certain parts it's very funny, but more often than that it's tragic, compelling and dark, and paints a picture of a world where loneliness and disillusion are as ubiquitous as fast food restaurants.

After enjoying Jimmy Corrigan so much, I bought a hardback edition of his sketchbooks, which gave some fascinating insight into not just Ware's working methods and processes, but also his esoteric preoccupation's and insecurities. First and foremost it demonstrated what a skilled craftsman he is, with a free and confident approach to drawing that stands in contrast to the precise reduction of his polished graphic style. I suppose what initially drew me into his work was the crossover appeal with graphic design, but what kept me interested was the supreme oddness and ultra-personal tunnel vision. It was really inspiring for me as a student of graphic design to see someone doing something so technically adroit and visually accessible on one hand, while so offbeat and unusual on the other. It encouraged me to indulge in more personal and confessional work, and to not be afraid of experimenting with unusual ideas; not always with great success might I add, but in the long run I think it was good for me.

To me Ware's work is so unusual because most indie flavoured art (if I can call it that) with this level of self-analysis ends up feeling hubristic and naval-gazing. In Ware's work, the narratives in his stories are built with such subtlety that they transcend their deeply personal origins to become surprisingly universal in their scope. It's also important to note that amongst all the angst, depression and ennui, Ware's work is incredibly fun and playful, with lots of visual jiggery-pokery that keeps things from getting too heavy. It's very clear from his work that he loves what he does, and that amidst all the dark stuff there's a nourishing seam of boyish delight in the sheer inventiveness of his language. For me, Jimmy Corrigan is to Chris Ware what The Office is to Ricky Gervais, in that it's hard to imagine a more perfectly realised vehicle for his talents, but I'll keep an open mind and in the meantime make sure my much-thumbed copy of Jimmy Corrigan stays taped together.

Jimmy Corrigan: Smartest Kid on Earth Cover, Published 2000

Cover of New Yorker, November 2006

Excerpt from Jimmy Corrigan, Smartest Kid on Earth, 2000

Excerpt from Jimmy Corrigan, Smartest Kid on Earth, 2000

New Work: Kublai Khan

2010-07-02T06:50:00.001-07:00

I've just finished this piece of personal work, inspired in no small part by an episode of Radio 4's excellent series "A History of the World in 100 Objects", in which they talked about Chinese porcelain, and how it's development as a major Chinese export can be traced right back to the reign of Kublai Khan in the 13th century. I've always really loved the simplicity and boldness of these classic blue-and-white designs, especially when combined with a nice representation of a classic dragon or two.

Pecha Kucha

2010-07-02T06:38:00.001-07:00

For the unenlightened, Pecha Kucha is a sort of social event for creative types, where an array of speakers deliver short, informal presentations on an established theme. Each speaker selects 20 images, which are then projected on-screen for 20 seconds each, a neat trick which ensures that the night bubbles along at a nice pace. Belfast recently played host to it's first Pecha Kucha event, and whaddya know, I was one of the speakers. The theme of the night was obsessions, and I based my presentation around self-obsession as a creative force. My choice of images went from Prince's LoveSexy album art through to Tracey Emin's dirty old bed.

If you were at the event, you'll know it was good fun, with a wide variety of speakers delivering a wide variety of ideas. If you weren't at the event, keep an eye out for future Pecha Kucha events in your area - they're all over the place! For more info, see here: http://www.pecha-kucha.org/

New Work: Financial Times

2010-06-28T02:55:00.001-07:00

A nice job in from the Financial Times to accompany the announcement of George Osborne's so called 'Kill or Cure' Budget. The idea was to portray two characters that would be given food for thought by the new Tory measures - one a Flash Harry city type, the other a diligent middle-aged, middle Britain, pension holder. The pink newsprint sucked the colour out of them a little bit, so here they are in all their digital clarity. Thanks to Kevin Wilson for his supportive and constructive art direction.

Appeared in the FT on Wednesday 23rd June.

Influences: Max Beckmann

2010-06-14T03:10:00.000-07:00

Self Portrait, 1922, Woodcut

For my next choice I've chosen the artist that has been the single, biggest influence on my choice of career and on the development of my style as an illustrator: the German painter Max Beckmann. It may not be immediately obvious when you compare his work to mine - the subject matter of my work being a lot lighter, generally speaking, and executed with a different hand and in a completely different medium - but I maintain that his work has been a constant inspiration to me ever since I first laid eyes on it back in high school.

I think the thing that immediately appealed to me about his paintings was the combination of the colour palette - quite restrained and muted when you compare it to other Expressionists of the time - and the intensity of the compositions. 'The Night' is his most famous painting, and it was the first one of his that I saw. It's a chaotic vision of claustrophobia and violence, inspired by his own traumatic experiences in the first World War and rendered in sombre browns and vivid reds. I guess as a teenager I was attracted by the emotional intensity, but it was the individuality of the style and the hand that kept me coming back to his work. I love the way he draws things - whether it's people, objects or landscapes, - with a casual, almost naive quality often at odds with the angular intensity of the composition.

He doesn't fit neatly into any particular artistic movement, which is perhaps why his work is not as celebrated as it should be. He was a bona fide individual, with a style that combined the traditions of figurative art with a particularly 20th Century angst. His work is expressive and personal, without being heavy handed. He rejected the Expressionist label that was often given him, and was exiled from Germany during the years of Hitler's rise to power

The Night, 1918-1919, Oil On Canvas

Self Portrait With Champagne Glass, 1919, Oil On Canvas

Self Portrait With Red Scarf, 1917, Oil On Canvas

The Family, 1920, Oil On Canvas

Some questions answered...

2010-06-11T01:55:00.000-07:00

Recently, an illustration student got in touch with me to ask me some questions about my work and how I feel about the increasing use of digital techniques within illustration. I thought it'd be good to post up my answers here. Thanks to Steven Marsden for the insightful questions.

Did you at some point make a transition to digital means of illustration? If so could you explain how and why you think this happened?
Not really. I always used computers in my artwork, so my style developed hand in hand with my ability to use the computer. I feel very comfortable with the digital involvement in my work. Perhaps for the first couple of years in university it was difficult to avoid some of the common pitfalls that using a computer to generate artwork can cause, but when you're doing it every day, you learn how to use a computer, without having it use you. If that makes sense.

Can you explain in some detail the technical processes you go through to create images using your computer and how they differ from the way you would have done it at the beginning of your career or during your time at university?

Well I could explain it, but I think that would be terribly boring. Basically, when I use a computer, I'm using it to achieve something more quickly, more efficiently, and in a more versatile form. I hope that when people see my work, they don't think of it as digital illustration. I like the computer to be a kind of invisible partner.

Are you concerned that computers might be making other image making techniques such as screen printing obsolete?

No - those things will always have their unique qualities. The computer doesn't replace anything, it just makes certain things easier. I think there are probably less people doing screen prints as a result of computers, but screen printing as an artform is far from obsolete.

Do you use the internet i.e. google images or getty to source photos to draw from? Has this resulted in any legal problems?
Yes, I use google all the time to look for reference photos. If I don't get what I need on google, I'll use books, magazines etc. No legal problems so far, but then a reference photo is just a starting point, and will often be a million miles from the final image you're working on. Also, I don't see how illustrators can work without them. I recently had to work on a portrait of Obama - I don't have the time, money or access to sit in front of Obama and draw him from source, so I have to use secondary reference material. That said, I think young illustrators particularly should be aware of the copyright issues of using images found on the internet, and be sure to respect the creative and intellectual rights of the copyright holders. In the last ten years or so it's become so easy to think of everything that you find online as being completely free to use/download/own with no strings attached. It's not really like that, nor should it be.

With the decrease in newspaper and magazine sales as a direct result of free information being available online, do you worry that this could mean less work for you?

Possibly, but then there's all sorts of new media opportunities opening up, so I'm not too worried.

Do you use social networking sites such as facebook and twitter to promote yourself? If so how do you think they benefit you?

Nope. I have a facebook page but it's just for personal use. I have a blog that runs alongside my website which I use for posting new work.

How much of your correspondence with clients is done by e-mail. Do you prefer it as a means of communication? If yes why? If not why not?
Probably about 95% of my correspondance is done by email. It's great because, although it's instant, it also gives you time to think carefully and measure your words in a way that telephone conversations don't. Sometimes you can't beat picking up the phone though, and I think it's important to speak to someone when you need to, rather that relying on a time consuming and frustrating email back-and-forth.

Do you worry that having your work on the internet, virtually available for the world to see will lead to people plagiarising your ideas or style?
Not really - if people imitate my style then it's a form of flattery, and they probably won't get very far until they move on and develop their own style.

How important is your website to you? What does it contain and how often do you update it?
I think it's very important. It's always there if I need to quickly refer someone to my work. I update my blog about once a month with my favourite work. Work that I don't think is good enough simply doesn't go on there.

New Work

2010-06-11T01:43:00.000-07:00

Another piece of personal work, completed in between commissioned pieces (more on that later). The sheet music on the piano is the Beatles' "Love Me Do", and so the circle is complete. My idea for this piece was to let the style run wild and hopefully turn a simple composition into something quite esoteric and personal. A bit indulgent perhaps, but sometimes that can lead to the most memorable and meaningful images.

Influences: Eric Gill

2010-06-03T01:37:00.000-07:00

Self Portrait (Final State). 1927. Wood engraving

I've decided to add a bit more variety to the content here on my blog. As part of this, I'm going to occasionally post about artists, illustrators and designers who have significantly influenced my work. Initially, I had intended to put together a list of five or so key figures, but when I started thinking about it I realised that the idea would be better covered by an ongoing series of posts. Firstly, because that will give me the chance to cover each of the artists in a bit more depth, and secondly because there are just so many artists and designers that I admire that it seems a shame to limit the list to such a narrow selection.

My first choice is an undeniably controversial figure: the sculptor, designer and all-round paraphiliac Eric Gill. Known as much for his bizarre and unsettling personal habits as his artwork, he's nonetheless a designer and artist of immense achievement whose work is as ubiquitous as it is under-appreciated. While most design students will recognise him for his achievements as a type designer, I've always been more interested in his drawings and etchings. Running through all his work is an uncompromising surety of line, along with a commitment to simplicity of gesture. For me, the strength of his drawings are in their pared down confidence - some describe them as being self-consciously naive, but I don't see it that way; while his work may be simple in appearance, its wide-eyed style is sophisticated in the extreme. I think the thing that inspires me about his work is the confidence of his lines - everything else follows from that. They have a craftsmanlike rigour that is unshakable, and give the compositions a boldness that is reassuring and agreeably at odds with the sometimes childlike rendering.

I'm not particularly interested in the personal habits of Gill - his shortcomings are well known and would surely have him in jail if he were alive today - and instead I prefer to focus on the inspirational quality of the work he left behind. Caught between spiritual devotion and secular indulgence, Gill's legacy is a body of work that's as captivating as the man himself was unsettling.

Eve. 1926. Wood engraving

Portrait of: Thomas Esmond Lowinsky, Esq. 1924. Wood engraving.

Stay Me with Apples 1925

Portrait of: Eliz. Gill. 1924. Engraving on zinc

On my Bed by Night. 1925. Wood engraving

New work

2010-04-16T03:48:00.001-07:00

In between various commissions over the past month I've squeezed in some time to work up this new piece of personal work. My wife says it makes her think of me and my dad, which I never thought of myself, but I won't necessarily refute.

Beatles

2010-02-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

Just finished this portrait piece of the fab four - I posted the Paul drawing as a separate piece a couple of months back. For some reason I've been on a bit of a 60s British Invasion trip recently, with drawings of the Beatles, The Stones and The Who. There's something about the visual culture of the 60s that remains really compelling.

Computer Arts Profile

2010-01-06T09:29:00.000-08:00

There's a nice little piece about my work in this month's Computer Arts, for a feature about 'Getting Bigger Clients'. Many thanks to Jason Walsh for making it happen.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T09:00:00.001-08:00

Now seems like the right time to post this image, which I finished just before Christmas for Kevin Wilson at the Financial Times. A lot of detail but a lot of fun, with lots of predictions for 2010... the hottest EVER year?

Brain Drain

2009-12-31T08:56:00.000-08:00

For a story in Report on Business about the recent abating of Wall Street's Brain Drain

Pop!

2009-11-09T02:53:00.000-08:00

Cirque

2009-11-06T02:46:00.000-08:00

Another piece of personal work.

Black Swan

2009-11-06T02:43:00.000-08:00

This one was commissioned by the wonderful Diana Panfil at Institutional Investor, for a piece about a new approach to assessing the risks of financial speculation, and about how to deal with so called Black Swan events.

Pug

2009-11-06T02:41:00.000-08:00

A personal piece - inspired by the resemblance of a certain type of dog to a certain type of despot. The dog's a lot cuter though.

Wedding!

2009-10-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

I just got married! Hopefully this will go someway towards explaining the lack of updates on the blog recently. A beautiful day, an exceptionally beautiful bride, and a very happy illustrator.

Lost

2009-10-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

A new piece of personal work, done in between commissions. I tried to keep the drawing very simple and stripped down for this one, letting the composition do the work

Paul

2009-07-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

Continuing the theme of pop stars of the 60s, though this one's a bit easier to stomach.

Jagger

2009-06-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

Mick Jagger with a hairy belly and a ridiculous pair of pants. A bit embarrassing really.

Sunday School

2009-06-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Personal work - takes me back to sunday afternoons, at about 2.50pm

I HEART MOVIES

2009-05-14T05:18:00.000-07:00

I've finally finished this image that I've been working on for ages, and that I previewed previously with the image of Travis Bickle on a dodgem. Anyway, here it is in it's final incarnation, featuring a final tally 0f 50 movie references. The movies included were chosen for a number of reasons:

1) They had to be Movies that I genuinely liked (otherwise, how could I 'heart' them?).
2) The characters included had to be visually striking/unique in some way or another, because as much as anything this poster is a celebration of the visual richness of cinema.
3) They had to be mainstream enough not to alienate or confuse the viewer - I want people to see this image and immediately start recognising its occupants - it's supposed to be fun after all!

Anyway, I've had fun working on it, and hopefully it'll be a worthwhile addition to my portfolio. I've posted up a few details of the image as well, as when it's printed it comes out at about 40cm x 40cm.

Consumer Reports

2009-04-30T03:01:00.000-07:00

I just finished a very nice job for Consumer Reports in the US. It involved 9 separate artworks for a special issue they're just about to publish on how to manage your finances in this topsy turvy mixed up world of financial mayhem. Here's a selection of three of the images - it was a pleasure to get to work on a sequence of images like this, because it gave me the chance to branch out a bit and try a few different approaches. Many thanks to Janice Hogan, who art directed and was great to work with...

Travis

2009-03-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

I've been working on a big complicated piece lately involving lots of movie characters at a carnival. Since it won't be finished for AGES here's a little preview.

Some portraits...

2009-02-11T03:56:00.000-08:00

Five portraits for Report on Business Magazine, Canada.

Jemaine and Brett

2009-01-20T07:24:00.001-08:00

I wanted to try out a new way of approaching portraits, so I gave it a go with the nice chaps from Flight of the Conchords.

Where's the Money Hid? Part 2

2009-01-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

Following on from the first image, here's another Night of the Hunter inspired piece featuring the creepy looking little girl. If you watch the film, look out for the bit where she's getting into the boat. It's maybe the most frustrating 10 seconds in the history of cinema.

Where's the Money Hid?

2008-12-15T04:31:00.001-08:00

I've just finished this new personal piece - inspired in no small part by a recent viewing of The Night of the Hunter, which was projected in the Movie House in Belfast a couple of weeks back. A great film, with a slightly unsettling pair of children and an extremely unsettling travelling preacher. I should point out that I was introduced to this great film by my very lovely Fiancee. It's her favourite!

Abe and Flo

2008-12-15T04:27:00.000-08:00

Two new portrait pieces - not for anything in particular...

The New Website and Blog!

2008-12-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

To accompany the all new, singing and dancing www.barryfalls.com, I've decided to launch this handy blog, for all the bite sized updates that were sorely missing from the previous website. I'll be using this page to post my latest work as it happens, and talk about influences and processes etc, as well as for posting up anything that I think it particularly interesting or worth mentioning. You know, the standard blogging look-at-me-I've-got-wonderful-taste type stuff.

As always, a fairly comprehensive portfolio of my work can be found on my main website, but if you're itching for the most recent stuff then you'll always find it on here. Please feel free to get in touch and let me know what you think.

The Songs Will Save Us

2008-12-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of weeks I've been working on this new personal piece, which I've rather pretentiously titled 'The Songs Will Save Us'. The Church in the background is a very deliberate nod to Max Beckmann's painting 'The Iron Footbridge' (below). Actually, if you look at the wheelbarrow, you'll see that Beckmann's head is being carted off by that suspicious little girl. It seemed a respectful gesture at the time.

In all seriousness, I've always really liked the colour palette that Beckmann uses, and the character that he puts into his figures and his architecture. Check out more of his stuff here. This is one of the biggest images I've produced, coming in at about A1 size.

George. W. Bush

2008-12-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

This week I was commissioned to create a double page illustration for the Hong Kong based magazine Power. They were running a feature on the biggest villains of the year and they wanted me to tackle George W. Bush in an apocalyptic scene that referenced the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. I came up with the idea of putting him in the Joker's colours.

Triple Blended

2008-12-02T07:03:00.000-08:00

Just finished this image, which features my fiancee, the iridescent Miss Elliott - might make a nice iphone wallpaper?