Ollie Cuthbertson

I was born in Amman, Jordan and spent some of my childhood in Italy where I learned to draw Volcanoes and stray dogs (a constant source of fascination at the time). I went to school in England and learned to draw many other things too.

At Art College I learned how to create the appearance of motion through hand drawn animation techniques but I was always fascinated by the ability of artists to create this illusion within a single picture. A subtle expression can reveal what a character is thinking and a tantalising detail in the background can hint at other worlds.

To pay for college I worked behind the counter at a large department store selling armchairs and rugs but even then I was able to sneak a sketchpad behind the desk (largely due to the lack of customers and the kindness of my boss). In between the carpet selling I worked on numerous projects including a collaborative 3D animated short which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival (Ellabellapumpanella), Flash animation and Games for www.neuball.com and online advertising for Fox International, Universal and Warner Brothers at media agency Substance (www.substance001.com).

To relax I like bashing out old songs on the guitar, going to gigs, comedy clubs (there is nothing better than laughing for a few hours straight!) and exploring London. I live with some people I love in Greenwich where there is an abundance of old pubs and shops full of ancient trinkets, ghastly mummified cats and the odd cannon ball.