Simon Davis RP, CBPP, RBSA

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Born in Stratford upon Avon, Simon studied for a diploma in technical illustration before going on to concentrate on illustration and graphic design at Swindon College of Art. Working life began as a graphic designer and freelance illustrator of books and magazines but he soon moved into comics work in the early 1990.

Simon now divides his time between portrait painting and comic book illustration for the cult British comic 2000 AD. His fully painted work for the title has been collected into numerous books worldwide and he believes that the discipline of his comic-strip work complements his oil painting, allowing him to produce dynamic images in an economical way.

He paints using oils and square brushes, working mainly from the photographs that he asks of his sitters, though he also works directly from the nude figure as regular practice from life. In 2008 he was runner up in the BP Portrait Award and that same year was elected as a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP). He was then Vice President from 2014-2021.

Simon is also a member of the Contemporary British Portrait Painters (CBPP) and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA).