I found this bit hard because I don’t like bigging myself up, but I’ve been told that I have to try…!

My name is Tim Starkey and I have over 25 years’ successful experience doing visuals, illustrations and storyboards. (Here comes the brag file #RedFace)  I’ve worked in the UK and throughout the world with major household names such as Proctor and Gamble, Kraft, Canon and even SAB Miller in Africa .  Over the years I have been based at Domino Studios, IMP, DMB&B, D’arcy and Partners, ARC London and Leo Burnett. 

I have also worked in-house throughout London at too many agencies to mention.  

I was taught that experience comes from witnessing and understanding the events around you over time.  You could say I have experience in abundance, but it’s my ability to use it to visualise and illustrate ideas that look great and engaging that makes me stand out.  My experience on the inside means that I understand what makes a storyboard or comp effective and I am accustomed to the fast turnarounds and last-minute changes of the advertising business.  I have never missed a deadline.

In 2011, when my wife was offered a job in Devon, I decided to become a freelance illustrator, visualisation artist and storyboard creator and started Starkey Creative.  I had always wanted to live in Devon after spending family holidays in the village of Shaldon so we jumped at the chance.  It must have been meant to be because both my wife’s career and Starkey Creative have gone from strength to strength; we love the life down here and have never looked back.  

I now split my time between Devon and London and I still travel the world for onsite work.  I work mainly from a small studio in the village which I share with a few other like-minded creatives and have embraced Skype and screen sharing so I am able to have ‘face-to-face’ meetings with clients thousands of miles away.  

I work with clients and agencies developing basic ideas and working up simple scamps through to developing high quality finished ideas in a visual form.  Depending on the nature of the work I work up visualisation ideas mainly on paper using a pencil (or magic marker the traditional way) and with the talent I was lucky to be given.  Alternatively I develop ideas and visuals on the MAC.  I work with brands on all sorts of advertising – above and below the line TV, online, B2B and charities.  I work with architects to produce architectural visualisations, I’ve illustrated children’s books, exhibition stands and conference workshops.  

I’ve started to get the odd commission for my own work and I have recently teamed up with Spotty Dog to design logos and bespoke illustrations for their customers. (I’m actually quite proud of the logo I designed for them!)

Most people I meet think I have a ‘fun' job and I can’t argue with them.  It’s hard work but I like working with creative people, I enjoy meeting the special challenges of the advertising business (even the working through the night to meet deadlines bit) and I get a real kick out of seeing a commercial on TV that I helped bring to life.

I hope my work will inspire you to contact me to discuss your project, allowing me to bring life to your ideas.

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