Owen Gent - Designer
Illustrator and Book Cover Designer working primarily in adult fiction. Clients include Penguin, Harper Collins and Hodder and Stoughton.
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Overview
Hi, I'm Owen! I'm an illustrator and book cover designer based in Bristol, England who's been working for over 10 years for clients such as Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, the New York Times, The V&A and the BBC.
Over the course of my career I have developed a unique style combining traditional painting techniques with digital editing. This allows me to be flexible with my work whilst maintaining the authenticity and depth that comes with paint, brush and paper.
Conceptually, I have a deep interest in approaching sensitive subject matter with subtlety and depth, using metaphor and delicacy to find the place where beauty and melancholy meet. My work lends itself very well to adult literary fiction and my experience as an editorial illustrator gives me a unique approach when communicating difficult non-fiction concepts in an intriguing way.
When working on a project I will always read the book if at all possible so I have a personal relationship with the subject. I then work closely with the client, from rough sketches to final tweaks and type design to ensure the artwork is doing exactly what it should be doing - forming a strong connection to it's audience through beautiful and intriguing design.
Conceptually, I have a deep interest in approaching sensitive subject matter with subtlety and depth, using metaphor and delicacy to find the place where beauty and melancholy meet. My work lends itself very well to adult literary fiction and my experience as an editorial illustrator gives me a unique approach when communicating difficult non-fiction concepts in an intriguing way.
When working on a project I will always read the book if at all possible so I have a personal relationship with the subject. I then work closely with the client, from rough sketches to final tweaks and type design to ensure the artwork is doing exactly what it should be doing - forming a strong connection to it's audience through beautiful and intriguing design.
Services
Languages
English
Fiction
Classics
Magical Realism
Poetry
Non-Fiction
Nature
Sex & Relationships
Awards
- Cannes Lions - International Festival of Creativity 2015 - Bronze Award for Advertising
- Winner of the Applied Arts (AACE) Award for Advertising Illustration Series 2016
- Short listed for the Book Illustration Competition 2015
- Nominated in the Best Animation catagory at the Royal Television Society, West of England Awards - 2017 (With Uncle Ginger)
Work experience
Freelance Illustrator and Book Cover Designer
Self-employed
January, 2009
–
Present
(almost 14 years)
Over the past ten years I have worked on many book covers for a wide variety of publishers worldwide including Harper Collins, Hodder and Stoughton and Penguin Random House. Notable projects include five Thomas Hardy re-issues for Vintage, the collected works of Booker prize nominated author Donal Ryan for Penguin Random House and the collected works of award winning Icelandic author Sjón for Sceptre, Hodder and Stoughton.
I also have extensive experience working in the field of editorial illustration, clients include The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Economist, Wired magazine, Vogue and the BBC.
Portfolio (12 selected works)
From a Low and Quiet Sea
Donal Ryan
***LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018******SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA NOVEL AWARD 2018***'An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel' RODDY DOYLEFarouk’s country has been torn apart by war.Lampy’s heart has been laid waste by Chloe.John’s past torments him as he nears his end.The refugee. The dreamer. The penitent. From war-torn Syria to small-town Ireland, three men, scarred... read more
The Blue Fox
Sjón
Winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize 'Enchantingly poetic . . . spellbinding . . . magical . . . exceptional' Independent The year is 1883. The stark Icelandic winter landscape is the backdrop. We follow the priest, Skugga-Baldur, on his hunt for the enigmatic blue fox. From there we're transported to the world of the naturalist Fridrik B. Fridriksson and his charge, Abba, who suffers... read more
Shortlisted for The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize 2013 Shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2012'Sjón's novels are brilliant collisions of history and fable, psychology and fantasy' Chris Power, GuardianThe year is 1635. Iceland is a world darkened by superstition, poverty and cruelty. Men of science marvel over a unicorn s horn, poor folk worship the Virgin in sec... read more
All We Shall Know
Donal Ryan
From the twice Man Booker longlisted author of From a Low and Quiet Sea 'Poetic, powerful and heart-rending' The Times'An exquisite account of womanhood, friendship, prejudice and tradition that is both intimate in scale and awesome in achievement' Irish IndependentMelody Shee is alone and in trouble. Her husband doesn't take her news too well. She can’t tell her father yet because he’s a good... read more
The Thing About December
Donal Ryan
From the twice Man Booker longlisted author of From a Low and Quiet Sea'A force of nature ... a life-enhancing talent' Sebastian BarryWhile the Celtic Tiger rages, and greed becomes the norm, Johnsey Cunliffe desperately tries to hold on to the familiar, even as he loses those who all his life have protected him from a harsh world. Village bullies and scheming land-grabbers stand in his way, n... read more
A Slanting of the Sun: Stories
Donal Ryan
An old man looks into the fearful eyes of a burglar left to guard him while his brother is beaten; an Irish priest in a war-torn Syrian town teaches its young men the art of hurling; the driver of a car which crashed, killing a teenage girl, forges a connection with the girl’s mother; a squad of broken friends assemble to take revenge on a rapist; a young man sets off on his morning run, refle... read more
Winner of the Icelandic Literary Prize'An extraordinary and original writer' A.S. Byatt on Sjón Reykjavik, 1918. The eruptions of the Katla volcano darken the sky night and day. Yet despite the natural disaster, the shortage of coal and the Great War still raging in the outside world, life in the small capital goes on as always. Sixteen-year-old Máni Steinn lives for the movies. Awake, he live... read more
CoDex 1962
Sjón
'A masterpiece . . . I challenge any author to top it!' Sigridur Alberstsdottir, Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.Jósef Loewe enters the world as a lump of clay - carried in a hatbox by his Jewish father Leo, a fugitive in WWII Germany.Taking refuge in a small-town guesthouse, Leo discovers a kindred spirit in the young woman who nurses him back to health and together they shape the cla... read more
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Thomas Hardy
Tess is an innocent young girl until the day she goes to visit her rich 'relatives', the D'Urbervilles. Her encounter with her manipulative cousin, Alec, leads her onto a path that is beset with suffering and betrayal. When she falls in love with another man, Angel Clare, Tess sees a potential escape from her past, but only if she can tell him her shameful secret...'Gloriously physical, full o... read more
The Art of the Glimpse
Sinéad Gleeson
The #1 Irish Times bestseller An anthology of the very best Irish short stories, selected by Sinéad Gleeson, author of Constellations. There have been many anthologies of the short story as it developed in Ireland, but never a collection like this.The Art of the Glimpse is a radical revision of the canon of the Irish story, uniting classic works with neglected writers and marginalised voices –... read more
Returning to Carthage
Sharafski, Ben
Owen has 5 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Owen was a delight to work with. He was immediately engaged with the material and collaboratively refined his vision through timely delivery of a sequence of drafts. He welcomed direction, but he also made artistic choices that were better than any I could have thought of. The finished product, a cover for my novel MAISON CRISTINA, perfectly expresses the central theme of the book in a visually...
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Eugene Garber, April 2022
Owen is amazing to work with. The communication was always clear and very positive, and he was open to feedback and suggestions. The resulting work is truly stunning. I love the cover illustration and moody abstract quality of the artwork he made for The Sandpiper's Spell. I highly recommend Owen and would love to work with him again.
Tom Pearson, April 2022
Owen is incredibly talented, and I am in awe of the book cover that he designed for me.
He was incredibly responsive, polite, took my feedback constructively, and worked until the design was just right. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much, Owen!
Megan Plotkowski, June 2021
I am beyond delighted with the stunning cover Owen created for my first novel. He was consistently responsive, unfailingly patient and kind with a first-time author, and always professional. Most important, after listening to the audiobook version of my novel and giving careful consideration to my stated preferences and goals, he developed a vision for the cover that is both gorgeous and evocat...
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Pearl Solas, June 2021
Owen is a very talented and original artist who creates a unique visual universe. The moody, evocative cover he created for my book has received rave reviews. I found Owen professional, responsive and a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended!
Or Giladi, May 2021
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