Illustrator’s work is Mag-nificent
DESIGNER’S ART FEATURED ON TV
A FOOTBALL-MAD designer has hit the back of the net with his artwork, which has been used by Newcastle United and featured on national TV.
Illustrator and graphic designer Jamie Orrell graduated from the University of Sunderland in 2012, with a first-class honours degree in sports journalism.
He was quickly snapped up by a publisher in Bath, Somerset, where he remained for the next seven years before eventually taking a leap of faith and setting up his own business in 2019.
The solo venture, Jamie Orrell Design, creates sport-themed designs for T-shirts, phone cases, posters, and stickers – and his bravery has paid off.
Not only are his most recent Magpies designs receiving rave reviews, but they have also featured on Sky Sports and Match of the Day.
Jamie, 30, from County Durham, said: “I always enjoyed receiving briefs that were sports-based and, following positive feedback, took the plunge.
“It’s just a massive privilege for me to be able to create and produce work I’m pas- sionate about – and for it to be well-received is a bonus.”
Jamie’s illustrations have also been used on the front cover of Newcastle’s match-day programmes, as well as when the club announced the appointment of Eddie Howe as manager, and the signings of Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier, and more.
As well as the Magpies, Jamie has worked with a range of clients, including Odeon Cinemas, bein Sports, The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), Canon, These Football Times,
The Scouted Football Handbook, The Football Boutique, and Epics Digital Collectibles.
Not losing sight of where it all began, Jamie has used his success to give something back to the North East – with all the profits from the sale of his Newcastle prints being donated to the Newcastle West End Foodbank.
He said: “Having grown up in the North East, it was really important for me to be able to give back to my roots. “When the opportunity came about to donate the profits from some of my work to the foodbank, I was very keen to help and I look forward to being part of more charity projects in the future.”
Jamie also feels his studies at Sunderland laid the foundation for the career he has today.
“The University of Sunderland gave me such a solid grounding,” he said.
“While my degree was in sports journalism, for my final project I created a sports magazine, which gave me my first foot in the design door, and it was such a good opportunity to show my skills.”
Dr John Price, senior lecturer in journalism and programme leader for BA (Hons) sports journalism at the University of Sunderland, said: “Jamie’s finalyear project as a student was a fantastic football magazine that combined his love of the game with a real talent for design.
“It is great to see that he has followed these passions on to build a successful career and business.”