Want to learn the creative Adobe apps?
If you want someone to help you learn InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop or Astute Graphics plugins, either individually or for your design team in your business, then please get in touch through my contact page. I will be teaching at various events, both online and in person over the coming months, if you want to get a taste of what I can deliver then check them out on my Videos, Press and Speaking Events pages.
Personal Stuff
I've been drawn to art for as long as I can remember. Even now, the smell of crayons and Play-Doh takes me straight back to those early days. I still can't walk past a stationery shop without being tempted by fresh pads, pencils, and pens.
Growing up, I made my own comics by cutting letters from magazines and newspapers, sticking them together with whatever glue I could find. Every bit of pocket money — plus what I earned from a paper and milk round — went straight into comics and art supplies. I never did learn how to save!
That early love for drawing, design, and creativity has never left me. I’ve always had a soft spot for books, fonts, logos, packaging — anything beautifully made.
Even though I didn’t go the traditional route through art school or university, I jumped straight into the world of design and marketing when I left school at 16. Over time, that path opened up opportunities not just to design, but to teach — something I’m deeply passionate about today.
I’m also lucky enough to work as a graphic designer for a leading UK cookware brand, keeping me connected to the creative world every day.
The Computer Years
And then computers came along! My passion for DTP (Desktop Publishing) ignited, and I was fortunate enough to experiment with early Macs and Quark XPress. I eagerly grabbed any free software I could find from computer magazines to create designs on early PCs. Discovering Paint Shop Pro allowed me to integrate photographic artwork into my designs. Eventually, I got my hands on a copy of Photoshop 5.0 (sorry, Adobe!). I also started using Macromedia products through my job at the time, and the rest is history!
My skills evolved through self-taught learning, fueled by magazines and books. One day, I stumbled upon a US magazine called MAC DESIGN and instantly fell in love with it. I had no idea that Scott Kelby was behind it. This discovery led me to Layers Magazine and Photoshop User magazine, where I became aware of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals).
Without diving into all the details, I found my "home" in this community. I've learned so much from Adobe and NAPP (now KelbyOne). In 2009, I reached out to NAPP to request more resources for UK members. This led to me becoming the official UK Evangelist and attending my first Photoshop World in Las Vegas in 2010. (You can read more about this journey on Scott Kelby's blog here).
Fast forward to today, and I've spent over half my life working full-time and freelance in the design and marketing industry, always driven by my love for graphic design. Recently, I served as the Training & Community Manager for Astute Graphics, an industry-leading Illustrator plug-in company based in the UK. I held this position for four years before moving on to new challenges. I still teach Astute Graphics but independently.
My Design Life
I have attended 8 Photoshop Worlds, a speaker at 6 of them, I have recorded ten classes for KelbyOne on InDesign and Photoshop and always look forward to teaching my live classes at Photoshop World. I am also a regular contributor to Photoshop User Magazine (since 2018).
I got to design my first ever book cover for a #1 best selling book on Amazon, The Photoshop Workbook by Glyn Dewis on Peachpit (thank you Scott Cowlin and Ted Waitt). Since then I have designed Glyn’s three follow up books, Photograph Like A Thief , The Photoshop Toolbox and The Photoshop Workshop as well as Alan Hess’ new book, Make Great Photos.
The incredible experiences I've had and the friendships I've made through my connection to KelbyOne often make me feel like I'm dreaming. I truly am very fortunate! I've appeared on the covers of two photography magazines and been featured in several top Photoshop and photography publications. I've created artwork for comedians and TV/radio personalities, and I still design for a football fanzine for free. My ever-growing book collection might be starting to annoy my wife, but it's an amazing collection!
A huge shout out to Scott Kelby for believing in me and becoming a close friend. Nancy Massé for getting me onboard back in 2009. All the KelbyOne team for making me feel part of the family. To Glyn Dewis, Alan Hess and Aaron Blaise for our brotherly friendship. Jon Bessant at Certitec for being an awesome tutor when I first dug deep with InDesign. I am inspired by so many great people and designers, you are never too old to keep learning! I am also a very proud Adobe Community Expert and Certified Professional in InDesign and Illustrator!