Leonard Beard

Leonard Beard

(He/Him) • Vilanant, Spain

Biography Interview

Originally England, Leonard Beard now works from a studio in a tiny village in Northeast Spain. With a unique blend of British irony and Mediterranean spirit, Beard’s personal style has matured after years of honing his craft. His editorial illustration is sought after for its strong graphic elements, three-dimensionality, and the powerful messages it conveys. His work is featured in newspapers and magazines across the globe.

Selected clients


Guardian Weekend Magazine, Financial Times (Barrons) Vanity Fair Italy, The Wall Street Journal, The Commercial Observer, El Periódico de Catalunya, Dominical, Courrier International, Dallas magazine, Atlanta magazine, Northeastern Lawyers magazine, PME magazine, Arnold, IESEinsight magazine, Quaderns Crema, Acantilado, Sembra Libres, Ara Llibres, Blackie Books, Editorial Cruïlla, Librooks

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Sectors


Editorial, Opinion articles mainly for Newspapers, Websites, Book publishing, institutional organisations

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Awards


  • SND Award of Excellence years 1995 and 1996

Career Milestones


Daily Newspaper opinion illustration collaboration for more than 15 years.

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Leonard Beard

Your pronouns
He, him

How do you define your identity? Do you identify with (or advocate for) any marginalized communities?
Citizen of the world sensitive to all mankind condition

Where is home?
Where I can cook

Describe your illustration style in one sentence
Conceptual, Oneiric, realistic, evocative, ironic

What lights your soul on fire?
Any kind of passion

What themes do you enjoy exploring in your illustrations?
The ones that take you to unknown territories

What techniques do you use?
From pencil/pen on paper to collage, watercolour and mainly digital procedures.

How much of yourself and your own story can we see in your work?
It would be more like a voice, using your own voice to express ideas

Is there an unmistakable thread in your creative work?
I’d like to think is at subtile sense of humour

What do you want to be known for?
My work

Which projects excite you most?
Any

What is your dream gig?
None

Where, when and how do you best create?
At all times, anywhere. Nevertheless preferably at my studio

How has your style evolved since you started?
Perhaps in a wiser way of expressing ideas.

What do you find most challenging in your practice or in the illustration industry?
Being able to discard all the accessory

How as being an illustrator changed your life?
Rather, some living experiences makes my illustrations change

Name a tool you can’t live without!
Cork wine opener?

Tell us about a project you worked on that was meaningful to you as an artist.
Is to come

What influences or inspires your art?
Countless

What would you tell your younger self?
‘Anyway, we still carry on’

Why do you think art speaks louder than words?
Allows you to convey ideas in a glance

Illustrating the future

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