Bacon on the Shanghai Metro

on the metro

the art

the art

Derek Bacon has two works displayed on the Shanghai Metro.
Now showing in 3m wide lightboxes, the images; eye-catching to all commuters are part of the 'Shanghai JCDecaux Cup Public Welfare Ads Design Competition 2013.' Derek's art was chosen for this 'well renowned public event in Shanghai' which had 4000 entries in 2012. Besides the prize money, the winning artworks of the competition are displayed on 'metro media' with JCDecaux providing over 200 lightboxes and digital panels.

A Touch Of Cloth

These shots from the hilarious Charlie Brooker's TV film 'A Touch of Cloth' recently aired on Sky 1 include artwork by Derek Bacon. Derek was responsible for a few of the background jokes seen here for the ".. Airplane/Police Academy style spoof on TV detective shows." Derek says "Sky like it and have commissioned more... and it's out on DVD already!"

First Time Nerves

First Time Nerves is an exhibition of images by Derek Bacon. Running from March 16th-30th 2012, the show is an exciting celebration of his illustrative and personal work.
 "Entirely self-taught, Derek is an accomplished illustrator best-known for his many worldwide covers for The Economist, as well as for UK publications, The Times, The Guardian, Maxim, and Wired, and too for other publications around the world. The exhibition is a great chance to see his highly-detailed work in close-up, and to see his skills across a range of disciplines: from more traditional pen-and-ink work, to digital paintings made entirely in Photoshop. Also on show will be a series of acrylic-based portraits painted last summer. Born in London, Derek has lived in Madrid and Jakarta, and for the longest, in Poole. He likes Carry-On films, fish and chips, Giles cartoons, The Beatles, and is a big collector of found-sound. You have been warned."
The exhibition takes place at The Artworks, Enefco House, Ball Lane, Poole Quay, Poole, England.

If Greece Goes

Two front covers two weeks in a row by Derek Bacon for The Economist, both commissioned by Graeme James, and both forecasts of economic gloom.
The second here; 'If Greece goes...' concerned the bail-out plans to save the Greek economy. An early version of this had a hand coming out of the plughole, and pulling the man down by his ankle!

Sticky Patch Or Meltdown?

Derek Bacon creates another fantastic cover for The Economist this week illustrating the question "The world ecomomy, sticky patch or meltdown?" Derek's regular covers for the publication always make an impact, this global ice cream is no exception.

A Digital Hockney - Derek Bacon

We are thrilled to welcome Derek Bacon to the agency. His montage style is rooted in his love of the ordinary. The work is narrartive, contemporary and striking.

Toro! Toro! Toro!

Derek Bacon has created a cracking action packed illustration for Canadian magazine Toro.. Art director Alicia Kowalewski, to complement an article on the Ontario hockey League and their coach commissioned Bacon's to create an illustration of the team.

Creative Match illustrator of the month - Derek Bacon

'Biker Nick' was commissioned for a tutorial on getting lighting right in Photomontage. Working in photoshop nick sucessfully brings chear with his sunny side up street scene.

Bacon Re-Designs Brussels

Derek Bacon has just finished a commission for a Brussels based agency to promote the re-development of the city. Speculoos (the design agency) were asked by Brussels City Council to promote 4 large areas in order to find investors for the building of new urban areas. Derek so cleverly mixing his photomontage with imagination and vision created the images which have been enlarged as exhibition panels and are currently being shown at the Mipim at Cannes – the biggest real estate fair in Europe. He says about the job; ‘with no idea of what the actual architecture will eventually look like, the illustrations had to show the developments in a more abstract way’, as the areas are currently old railway zones it was a test of Derek’s vision of what such a big city could look like. Derek was given a blank canvas in the most extreme sense!. See Derek’s entire portfolio at www.illustrationweb.com/DerekBacon

Who Let The Dogs Out!

Derek Bacon lends his unimitable style to a fantastic book about children's dogs. Commissioned by Todd Brizendine at Innovative Kids in the US Derek created all the backgrounds for the canine inspired book. Enough to make us bark for joy!

Bacon Goes Full Throttle For Honda

It was foot to the floor for Derek Bacon when New Zealand's leading agency Y&R commissioned him for their latest Honda ad.With his distinctive photo-montaging skills on full throttle, Derek kept tightly to the brief (and even tighter to the deadline!), to create a deviously detailed world for the Honda Jazz to drive through. Says Derek: "They wanted a street scene that was populated with lots of people all having a bad day at once...with each problem related to the fact they weren't driving the Honda..." Derek's combination of details and colour, with that added comical twist to reality makes for one stand-out picture.

Vultures Gather For Bacon

With mid-term elections taking place in the USA earlier this month, the Economist hired Derek Bacon to illustrate a suitably ominous cover. With direction from Graeme James, Derek's brief was to illustrate the idea of political vultures gathering. "Originally the idea was to just show the vultures circling overhead" says Derek "but to really drum the menace home, we ended up making the foreground birds the heroes of the picture - albeit rather unwelcome ones..."

Looking Good, Nude

Recently voted No.1 Best Performing Product on Channel 4's popular 'How To Look Good Naked' is the Makebelieve Tan Extender featuring illustration work by Derek Bacon.

Nude Brand Consulting commissioned Derek to create the exquisite forest backdrop which is used across the Makebelieve range, as well as on stationery and the website.

Two Woes In A Row

It was two front covers in a row last month for Derek Bacon with these powerful images for international publication The Economist.

Working to ultra-tight deadlines alongside cover editor Graeme James, both images capture the rising economic and political uncertainties currently being felt in the USA in quite stark but striking ways.

Digital Education

This exciting snapshot of future education is the handiwork of Derek Bacon who lent his distinctive photo-montage skills to The Guardian last month.

The Guardian's special supplement that week focused on the future role of technology in education—and Derek's conjured-up scene of a virtual chemistry lesson in full flow featured on the front.

Resources of Autism

Derek Bacon has had a print of one of his pictures auctioned recently, along with works donated by Peter Blake, Anish Kapoor and Mary McCartney.  Derek was asked by the charity "Resources for Autism" if he would participate in their art exchange, which he did! To see a report on the event click here.

Derek Bacon's Scrapbook

For Derek Bacon trial & error with pen & paper, and experimenting with sound technology are keys to firing his imagination.

Derek Bacon's Scrapbook

Derek Bacon April Flair Winner

Congratulations go to Derek Bacon for winning the Creativematch April Flair competition with this amusing piece.  He says: "This is a personal piece called: The Beetroot Incident at Feltham Library. It illustrates one of my earliest memories! This was pieced together in Photoshop, lots of montaging lots of textures pasted into path-drawn shapes, and lots of dodging, burning and general colouring-in. With the composition itself I thought it would be interesting to try having all the action pushed to the pictures edge, with the middle area deliberately void of action."

The agency's artist's have also won March 2010 Flair and February2010 Flair . We're on a roll!

Derek Bacon's portfolio.

What's Wrong With Washington?

The latest from Derek Bacon sees him bring to life the globally-resonating and challenging question: "What's Wrong With Washington" for The Economist.


This digital piece has taken pride of place on the front cover of The Economist recently. Taking advantage of the statue's recognisable status, Derek satirically reworks this globally famous memorial in photoshop to show Abraham Lincoln's despair at the slow state of US economic recovery.