John Charlesworth

Charlemagne Studios

John Charlesworth is an illustrator and graphic designer, whose influences derive from a fascination of concept and character sketches of animated films, and that of the “Blue Note” jazz album cover artwork of the mid fifties & sixties. By working in the medium of digitally enhanced artwork, He applies both aspects of illustration and graphic design in equal measure. With the additional use of vibrant colours and vivid characters, his artwork provides the general appearance of an animation cell. His work would be best described as being- Post-Modern-Disney.

John holds great store by the aesthetics of a picture and always incorporates as much fluidity and energy into a composition as possible, in order to maximize its visual impact. Although he tries to convey a narrative in most of his artwork, John retains a higher regard for the picture’s actual appearance. If an image can generate a strong visual presence, it can create its own narrative.

Hachette Children's Books, Kensington Publishing, Kingfisher Publishing, Creative Bone, RSA Films Ltd., Sony Computer Entertainment (Europe), Ink Publications, Future Publications Ltd., Oxford University Press, Ruffle Brothers Ltd., Julia Deham Designs, VCB Studios Inc., Comercial del Sur de Papeler S.A., Atelier Works, Centaur Communications Ltd., Elfande Publishing Ltd.

“I have always maintained a strange ambivalence towards the artwork of Walt Disney. Although on one hand I am absorbed by the appearance and professionalism of their animation, on the other, I am slightly nauseated by its self-righteous undertone. Therefore it has long been my ambition to replicate the same high qualities of their animation into my artwork, in order that I may usurp that property for my own despicable means.”