Sonny Ross

The Birmingham City University graduate has moved to Manchester as he looks to make his mark on the illustration game

By Andrew Bennett

After taking his first steps into professional work, we delve into the psyche of Manchester-based illustrator Sonny Ross

Having studied at Birmingham City University and being trained in professional risograph printing, Sonny is a talented young illustrator and maker with the ambition to match. Following the bold move to Manchester in order to “dive into the illustration world…with studios and publishers on my doorstep”, he is now making great strides in an ever-increasingly competitive industry.

With commissions under his belt from the likes of The Royal Horticultural Society and fellow indie-mag Oh Comely, Sonny is also well practiced in zine and book making, each backed up by his adept printing skills.

Through these multifarious media, Sonny often challenges social media exaggeration. Rather, a pervasive theme throughout his work is a “celebration of banality”; preferring to depict his subjects honestly; exposing common gripes and annoyances whilst eschewing digital hyperbole.

The dynamism achieved in his resulting drawings is born out of a dedication to the pencil and the graphite-based textures which are, in turn, brought to life with a playful use of colour. This process has developed in line with Sonny’s critical eye which, like many of our online “Talents”, matured at university. The exposure to a great variety of working styles and the benefit of tutors with industry-experiences so often vitalises students’ work, and this is no exception.

The move into professional work has also instilled high standards in Sonny, and the results below are testament to this sophisticated attitude. With the challenge of earning a living from illustration still proving an exciting challenge, we urge you to support Sonny through his Society6 page and take a look at what else his portfolio has to offer, through the link below.

sonnyross.com