And that's exactly the kind of thing my clients do say, but you can read what people I've worked for have actually said about me below:
- Malcolm White, chief strategy officer & founder, London-based agency krow: "Bylo's genius is in working quickly to seize a recognizable impression of an individual. We commissioned him to celebrate the role our people play in the success of the agency, and to make our office walls far more personal. See Ad agency portraits
- Patrick Mills, Director of membership and Professional Development, Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA): "We commissioned Andrew to come and record 'moments and highlights' from the legendary IPA courses - traditionally this was the domain of rather unimaginative pictures of teams presenting and having fun. We wanted to do something completely different. What attracted us to Andrew's style was the immediacy of his line drawings coupled with the narrative through capturing quotes from delegates and trainers. We used the illustrations for a number of years and I think they really set us apart - many of the subjects asked for copies to have on their office walls." See Mad Men
- Isaku Omine, President Innovation Link / Dessin, Japan: "I met Andrew Bylo in 2013 when Dessin first launched. When I first saw his work, I thought his use of colour and gestural drawing style was a great fit for Dessin's aesthetic. Dessin's concept was specifically based on the Hamptons lifestyle, but as the seasons changed, we asked Andrew to illustrate the Dessin Family based on the location of their travels and the season's themes. We then used his work as Point of Sale in our shops and on brochures. Andrew quickly became an irreplaceable element of what makes Dessin special. So far, he has created work based on the beaches and wineries of the Hamptons, Banff, Cuba, Ireland, Maui, Copenhagen and Mallorca, among other locations. We are currently in the midst of discussing the themes of next season and Andrew has been a key member in diving deep into what Dessin is and can be, speedily and efficiently. Andrew's work is Dessin's great fortune." See Brand identity: Japan
- Tom Russell, Marketing Manager, Shipton Mill: "Our fabulous new pack designs incorporate a specially commissioned set of illustrations done at the mill by artist and illustrator Andrew Bylo. Andrew was involved in our very first set of designs in the mid-80s and we were delighted to get him back to revisit the designs and produce a further series of bespoke illustrations for the newly-extended range of retail flour bags." See Packaging: Shipton Mill
- Private client about the portrait of her daughter: "Your interpretation is both perceptive and thoughtful - because of this, you have managed to capture her very essence. Each time I look at her beautiful face, it makes me smile back. That feeling of joy means so much." See Portrait of Ellie and this page Portrait commissions
Other views are of course available, and in the interests of fairness and balance, I should include the below:
- Patrick Moore: "A grotesque caricature" referring to a drawing I did of him from life at home, commissioned by Mitchell Beazley as frontispiece for his book. He did let me play his piano though, which was nice of him. He put his composition 'Mr Halley's Rag' in front of me to sight-read, a rather difficult hand-written score. I didn't do very well...
- Jonathan Lynn (Yes, Minister): "We can't all be Picasso" referring to my drawings to be used for a poster for his production of a play at The National Theatre. Artwork unsurprisingly rejected due to Mr Lynn's lukewarm response.
- Isobel Blockley (Textile artist, my wife): "Honestly, you invade people's space and make them look ugly."