Owen Gent – Designer

I am an illustrator, artist and book cover designer based in Bristol, England and I have been working for over 10 years for clients including Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, Bloomsbury, The New Yorker, the New York Times, TED, the V&A, IMAX and the BBC. My cover designs have adorned books by writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Thomas Hardy and Albert Camus as well as contemporary authors such as Ian McEwan, Sally Rooney and BIll Bryson and can be found all over the world.

Stylistically my unique visual approach combines traditional painting techniques with digital editing and graphic design in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign. This way of working allows me to be flexible with my artwork, whilst maintaining the sensibility and authenticity only achievable through an traditional, analogue medium.

Conceptually I am very interested in approaching sensitive subject matter with subtlety and humanity, using metaphor and delicacy to convey challenging themes when a literal approach may be harsh or inappropriate. Although my work primarily lends itself well to adult literary fiction, poetry and philosophical texts, my broad experience as an editorial illustrator provides me with a unique approach when communicating difficult or potentially dry non-fiction concepts in an intriguing way.

When collaborating with an author I will always read the manuscript where possible so I have a personal relationship with the text. I will then work closely with the client, sharing progress from rough sketches to final artwork and type design to ensure the artwork is performing exactly how it should be - forming a strong, lasting connection with the right audience and creating a striking first impression.