The Wizard of Shapes: Jack Daly
15 April 2023
In a studio in the heart of Glasgow Merchant City, you will find Jacky Daly plotting together geometric shapes, graphic compounds and digital illustrations, whilst dreaming about the sea! So far on Jack’s creative journey he has worked with a clientele ranging from Adele, Foreign Affairs Magazine and InVision; eager to learn more about his career, we chatted with him to learn how he makes his extraordinary pattern-esque artworks that have won the hearts of art lovers near and far.
Hi, I'm Jack, an illustrator and artist from Glasgow. I was born in a small town on the shores of Loch Lomond and now work from a studio in the heart of Glasgow.
After getting a degree in Graphic Design from Duncan of Jordanstone, I spent ten years working at design agencies across the UK. Drawing and art was always my passion throughout childhood and school, and with its focus on visual communication, Graphic Design seemed like one of the careers that would keep me close to those passions.
Over the years, I began incorporating more of my illustrative work into my design projects, which I shared on platforms like Behance and Dribbble. My work caught the attention of an agent who offered representation, leading me to leave my design job and become a full-time freelance commercial artist. I've been doing this for around seven years, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
We love the strong graphic shapes and details you tend to highlight in your artwork, enriched with complimentary colour palettes that give each piece a unique energy. You recently collaborated with agency Thisawary to rebrand The Jockey Club, was it difficult to not overcrowd your artwork with all the ingredients needed when working on that commission?
The style I tend to work with which involves blending geometric shapes with more organic, flowing lines is one I've worked with a lot and is something I really enjoy! It's a great way of weaving many elements into a cohesive image and part of the appeal of this style is the ability to fit in many references and blend them into a pattern-like, abstract landscape. So I don't worry about having too many ingredients; it just adds more detail for the viewer to discover!
I'm a bit of a water baby - my dad was a swimming coach - and I have always loved swimming and the ocean. I would love to learn to surf and have recently looked at courses. However, when I say I love the sea, I really mean the oceans that are a little warmer than the ones surrounding Scotland! So, if I could have a studio anywhere, perhaps somewhere like the Gold Coast or Oahu. Somewhere I could make art and enjoy the ocean would be a dream.
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