Meet the Artist: Terry Whidborne
Terry Whidborne has worked in the advertising industry for many years, and is now recognised as one of Brisbane’s most senior award-winning Art Directors. But as Terry’s family grew, so did his interest in illustration. He began developing his style for clients such as Vogue, Virgin Blue and many of London’s top ad agencies, before deciding that what he really wanted to do was concentrate on books, film and animation. He lives in Brisbane with his wife and two children.
Terry is one of the artists exhibiting his work at the 2025 Book Links Exhibition: StoryArt at the Richard Randall Gallery 4 -13 April.
Thank you for talking to StoryLinks.
When did you realise that you wanted to be an artist?
Drawing has been with me from a very early age. It wasn’t until my late teens that I realised it was always there, just waiting to be let out. My first paid job was when I entered the advertising field, where I was paid to create images for clients etc.
What were your favourite illustrations/illustrator as a child? Did they inspire you?
• William Morris – master of fauna and flora with his patterns. This guy has certainlyinspired my work, especially with Faeries of Tasmania.
• Dave McKean – can mix traditional with digital which creates other worlds.
• Quentin Blake – his playfulness with linework always captures the character so simply.
• John Bauer – he had a way of capturing such a magical environment with mood
and delicate approach with watercolour.
• Jim Henson – characters, inner child, fantasy, all spoke to me in one way or
another. With that came Brian Froud, another fantasy artist.
• Ray Harryhausen – stop motion guru. I was glued to his films as a kid with his
amazing stop motion characters. Simply a legend.
What is your preferred medium to work in?
Watercolour and digital. I love watercolour with its delicate build of colour and overlapping of hues which create such a light approach to illustrating. It has a way of absorbing into the paper with variation that can influence the overall aesthetic of the piece. I use digital illustration to really get in deep with lighting and shadows and to experiment with colour with infinite undoes, which is a great comfort blanket.
How would you describe your art style?
Whimsical with a light touch of darkness. I like real world magic/fantasy, creatures that could inhabit our world. The real world does have darkness and in a way my art reflects that. It just naturally happens that way.
Where and when and how do you work?
Inspiration can come from anywhere. From nature or a story in someone’s life. Once an idea hits, it’s then time for a pencil to scrape across the paper. Once I’m happy, it’s then time to think about the best approach for the idea, is it watercolour, digital or a model. It needs to work with the narrative and sit comfortably with it.
Screenshot
Books by Terry Whidborne
