The Society of Heraldic Art
Quentin Peacock SHA
Digital heraldic illustrator working closely with the College of Arms
I have been illustrating professionally with vector graphics since I left Southampton Solent University in 1999 (or Southampton Institute of Art and Design as it was known then) where I studied Graphic Design and Illustration. I have always loved illustrating by hand and it has been a preoccupation of mine since I was very young although I turned to digital illustration more and more during my professional career.
My career has been spent mainly in the print industry working with various print processes on a wide range of projects. I have also worked in the digital industry, working for an award-winning design studio as well as some very popular Computer Games developers and even venturing into mobile apps. I made the leap to work for myself in 2012 when I started QxDesign and this gave me the creative freedom I craved to choose my own direction with my work and focus on the things that interest me most.
It was whist working as a Studio Manager in Cambridge that I had my first request to illustrate a family Coat of Arms, little did I know what a large part of my life it would become. Needless to say I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected!
Over the last several years I have worked on numerous heraldic commissions, many of which come through Heralds like Clive Cheesman and Peter O'Donoghue. It was with Clive that I got the opportunity to work on the most public of any work I have done, the Arms of the British Olympic Association, which was used by Team GB on their kit for the 2016 Rio Olympics - these were designed by Stella McCartney and produced by Adidas. I literally got to see my artwork up in lights for the launch in early 2016 and hope that there are more projects like this in the future!
It is really interesting to see some of the possibilities for applications of heraldry in various industries. Through heraldry I have been able to work on a range of projects that are inspired by heraldic art including an album cover for Sony Entertainment / Columbia Records and the band, Train, computer games developers, sports teams and much more.
It has always been my aim to demonstrate how beautiful heraldry can be created digitally and even to look as if it has been hand painted. Digital heraldry will never (and neither should it) replace hand-created heraldic art, but we are in a digital age and the need for professional digital heraldry is growing. It is my intention to make sure that it is done well and even to serve as an inspiration to other artists. All of my work is achieved through vector-based graphics which are a versatile and professional method of creating the highest quality files for printing and for use on screen.
My style has been heavily influenced by those at the College of Arms and traditional English heraldry which is no surprise having developed my knowledge and techniques under the guidance of Clive Cheesman, the Richmond Herald.
Email: quentin@digitalheraldry.com
Website: http://www.digitalheraldry.com
Phone number: 00 44 (0) 1223 77 61 61
Address: Unit 2c, New Barn Farm Offices, Tallow, Royston, Cambridgeshire, UK SG8 0EP
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