ILLUSTRATING SUCCESS

There’s something captivating about a badger in pyjamas with a hankering for pancakes. Could it be his charming nightwear, expectant paws or the child-like relatability? Whatever the answer, alumnus and illustrator James Ward has made a successful business out of drawing it.

After graduating from the Illustration BA course (now Illustration and Visual Communication) in 2008, James set up a small business, Jimbobart, in 2009. His products, including ceramics, homewares, artwork and clothing, each feature his original designs of animals mirroring all manner of human behaviours – be it wearing pants, DJing or gorging on cheese.

Over the past decade, the demand for Jimbobart’s charming designs has increased, with over a thousand sales of the iconic badger pancake plate last year alone. Making a living as an artist is no mean feat, so how has James turned his love of drawing into such a successful business?

“I was encouraged to draw for as long as I can remember,” he says. “When I was young, I would copy from a bird book, sketching the pictures and even writing out all the text! I always hoped to make a living out of drawing, and imagined that as long as I was producing artwork to pay the bills, I would be happy.

“So I chose to study Natural History and Scientific Illustration, but having just left school, I didn’t really have enough focus. I travelled and worked for a few years before returning to my studies a bit later; that’s when I went to Westminster.

“I really enjoyed my time at University. The tutors were super encouraging, and there was time to create a proper portfolio of work and experiment in different mediums.

“The degree show was a particular highlight. The experience was so valuable, and in fact, someone who came to the show invited me to exhibit somewhere else, which led me to sell my first pieces of work.

“Another highlight was meeting my best mate, Zack Mclaughlin. Since graduating, we’ve continued to push each other through friendly competition. We’ve shared studio spaces for long periods in our careers and it has been amazing to see his work and company Paper and Wood develop. Selfemployment can be lonely, so to be able to share some of the experiences and challenges alongside him has made a big difference.”

Following his degree, James took a trip to Sweden, where he was introduced to natural history surface design and was inspired by the potential in designing ceramics and

3D bears created from James’s artwork for Hyundai department stores

homeware. Returning to London, he began creating designs from his bedroom, and Jimbobart was born.

“I started hand-drawing plates and selling them at markets and online. I would buy 50p plates from Tesco, draw on them, and then sell them on Etsy and at small designer-maker stores in London. It only began to feel like a successful business once I had a proper bricksand-mortar shop just off Brick Lane and was selling my products in Liberty’s.”

After success at the markets, James opened the first Jimbobart shop on Columbia Road in London, before moving to a larger space in Shoreditch and eventually settling at the coast. Now each hand-designed ceramic is created in his studio and shop in Brighton.

“In terms of style, I really enjoy using fineliner pens to draw animals, and one of my main influences is an Italian street artist named Ericailcane. I’ve always had an interest in wildlife too, and my favourite animal to draw at the moment would have to be guinea pigs! But the

badger plate is definitely our most popular product – I think because it conveys a childish want for pancakes that lots of us identify with.

“I love hearing from customers who enjoy my products. I know it sounds corny, but if I can put a smile on someone’s face, that is the most important thing to me.”

As the business has grown, in addition to the hand-designed ceramics, Jimbobart has worked with UK companies to print and produce product ranges, and designed international corporate commissions.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work on some great commissions. My favourite would probably be a project I did for Hyundai department stores in South Korea. Using the artwork I supplied, they created 2D and 3D designs which featured all around the stores. They created a huge army of bears out of polystyrene and then hand-painted them all!” 2020 has been a challenging year for small businesses, but Jimbobart has been helped by its healthy online sales.

“I have been so lucky the virus hasn’t affected my business too badly. In fact, we have been super busy with more people shopping online for gifts for each other. Unfortunately, I have had to scale back my staff to just me and my brother packing all our orders, which has been pretty hectic – but we’re making the best of it.”