Gordon Collett

United Kingdom

Gordon Collett was born in 1965. He is an illustrator and a muralist. He illustrates books for several publishing houses and is a founding member of the Association of Professional Muralists.

“I have been interested in pen and ink work since a child, in fact I sold drawings whilst at school, but the pull to science was stronger leading me to study marine zoology, which I did: graduating in 1986, UCNW Bangor. However at college, I decided to be a commercial artist instead. I intended to combine both passions and establish myself as a zoological illustrator. As illustration dropped out of use in the 1990’s I turned to new things which have lead to what is currently my main commercial concern, that is mural work, particularly trompe l’œil. I have worked across Britain and Europe for both private individuals and commercial clients.

“However I continued with pen and ink for my own pleasure and have sort of ‘fallen in’ to bookplate designing as a valid way of using this medium. After seeing plates in some of my second hand books, I got tempted to draw one for myself (early 1990s), then some for a couple of friends which has lead on to where I am now. My designs are usually in someway biographical, and I like to use symbols, to which heraldry is a mighty contributor! My plates up to now have been solely digitally printed, but I have now also found the technology to letterpress print from my drawings. Thanks to the likes of the British Bookplate Society and FISAE I am now getting interesting commissions from around the world. Now I am also playing with trompe l’œil in my ex libris, taking advantage of the advances in quality of digital printing and am looking forward to doing more.”