Mohan Ballard

Overview

London, New York, Barcelona and more – settings around the world are brought to life in a colourful and character-filled style by English illustrator Mohan Ballard. His work has been compared to that of the great painter LS Lowery, and that’s a testament to his skills, though you’ll usually see a lot more fun and colour in one of Mohan’s pieces.

For inspiration, Mohan travels and explores, taking in the great cities and their buildings. “European architecture, such as that in Paris or Germany, is always a big winner for me,” he says. “Colourful architecture is my main passion. I love to find vibrant, colourful buildings.”

With influences that include LS Lowry and fellow illustrator Jonny Hannah, Mohan also loves stylised movies like Pulp Fiction, TV shows such as The Sopranos, and he’s a huge Arsenal fan. His next foray in search of buildings to inspire him could well be to New York, a city he he’d love to visit.

Training

Mohan attended West Herts College for a foundation course in Art and Design, and then went to Southampton University where he got a bachelor’s degree in
Illustration.

Approach

The first stage in Mohan’s creative process is to source various photos of the setting he wants to create – if he can take them himself, all the better. Then he starts drawing in his signature style. Then he does the painting, and acrylics are Mohan’s favourite medium. The colour for each building is meticulously planned, using contrasting colours and shades to generate vibrancy and make the image pop. The final stage is to give it a gloss coat, for some extra shine, before being scanned for delivery to the client.

Style

Working traditionally with paints and a brush is one thing that sets Mohan Ballard apart. While so many other artists now use digital techniques, his work has a unique, handmade and slightly naïve feel to it. Vivid, packed with detail, and often a little abstract, each image brings energy and passion thanks to Mohan’s love of painting.

Mohan has exhibited at numerous exhibitions around the UK.

Client List

• Liberty Department Store
• Mr Men and Little Miss
• Deezer
• Lastminute.com
• Veranique Zsa Fashion