About

Career Summary

I am a freelance creative artwork specialist, creating print-ready artwork files for the packaging and print industry.

With knowledge and experience built up over 30 years and as a freelance creative artworker, retoucher, visualiser, production management, and IT troubleshooter for over 11 years. Working with national and international brands in many different agencies.

My roles and projects have differed with every agency, from creating bespoke products to rolling-out 50+ SKU global projects. Predominately working on FMCG packaging briefs, including drinks, food, non-food categories, cosmetics and tobacco. I have also built up skills in brand guidelines, POS, literature, websites, and presentations, all using the latest Adobe creative suite of applications.

A wide range of experience has enabled me to take projects from an initial brief through to the final artwork stage, checking separations and proofing where necessary for final sign-off.

I have excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to take direction to ensure the artwork meets and exceeds your needs. My patient can-do attitude, along with strong technical skills and a creative eye for detail with working print knowledge can be an asset to any team. I would love to apply these skills to some of your projects. Always willing to learn and develop my skills. I am set up to work on-site or remotely and have worked with clients and agencies of all sizes.

This website showcases my work and if want to discuss your project and need help bringing your print-ready artwork to life then please get in touch.

Clients & Brands

Experience

August 2011 – Present | Freelance

I am a freelance creative artwork specialist, creating print-ready artwork files for the packaging and print industry.
With over 28 years of print knowledge and experience and 10 years as a freelance creative artworker, retoucher, visualiser, production management and IT troubleshooter. I have worked on many national and international brands, working with many of London’s top agencies.

Agencies: Bloom, Brand Design Lab, Brandme, BTL Brands, Burberry, Cowan, Dew Gibbons, FutureBrand, G2 Joshua, Geometry Global, Halewood International, Hart D’Lacey, Honey, Identica, Illumination, Interbrand, Liquid Marque, Lothar Böhm, Pathworks, R-Design, Relish Design, Stage Brands, ThreeSixty Design, Tjarks & Tjarks, Williams Murray Hamm, Wonderland, Wonderworks and Ziggurat Brands.

Clients and brands: Aldi, BAT Dunhill, B&Q, Billson’s, Burberry, Boots (No7 Cosmetics), Burts Bees, Beiersdorf (Nivea), Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Greene King (Belhaven, Craft, Heritage, IPA, Nitro), Grupo Bimbo (New York Bakery Co., Little Adventures), Hamleys, Keogh’s, Kerry Foods, Kohinoor, Kronenbourg, Lawn Tennis Association, Lidl, Loch Lomond, Lucozade, Medela, Morrisons, Nectar, Nestlé (Nescafé, Purina), Philips (Lighting), Cussons (The Sanctuary Spa, Fudge Cosmetics), Orangina, Sainsbury, Starbucks, Suchard, Tesco, Unilever (Knorr, Flora), Universal, Vodafone, Waitrose and Yoplait.

Head of Production and Senior Creative Artworker

Vivid Brand is a Shopper Marketing Design Agency, working with some of the world’s largest brands, including Philips, Coca-Cola, Hamleys, Nestlé, Colgate Palmolive and Universal. Vivid specialise in the complete shopper experience from POS to packaging. Neil’s role included the hands-on management of production personnel (full time and freelance artworkers, retoucher, visualisers) and IT resources.

  • Hands-on artworking, visualising, image creation, retouching and colour balancing.
  • Building interactive PDF and presentation tools and developing client web sites.
  • Managing and IT support, budgeting, planning and implementing all hardware and software upgrades for a network of 25 mac’s and servers.

Clients: Philips, Coca-Cola, Hamleys, Nestlé, Colgate Palmolive and Universal.

Project Manager and Senior Creative Artworker

LFH is a Design and Print Management Agency working for 4 different Unilever food and non-food categories, I was a hands-on the Project Managers on the SCC category (Spreads and Cooking Category) for the European markets. LFH developed and used the latest artworking, repro and proofing techniques

  • Leading and managing a team of 6 to 12 full time and freelance senior artworkers.
  • Hands-on creation and management of over 1200 artwork builds and releases per year.
  • Project development and implementation with clients and suppliers, involving strategic brand planning and development, initial client briefings and stretching known technological constraints and boundaries.
  • Developing, reviewing and implementing new internal production and artworking procedures.
  • Part of the senior management team.

Brands: Flora, I Can Believe it’s not Butter, Stork, Becel. Clients: Unilever and Coca-Cola.

Studio Manager and Senior Creative Artworker

Volcano was a creative agency specialising in FMCG packaging. My role included the day-to-day running of a busy studio, using my full working knowledge of repro, print and new media production and IT to advise, create, oversee and signing off all production artwork.

  • Visualising, high-resolution image creation, retouching and colour balancing.
  • Building an intranet for Nestlé, interactive CD Roms. Full implementation of the agency website.
  • Managing and training a team of 3 artworkers and a member of the executive management team.

Clients: ABF (Ryvita, Crackerbread), B&Q, Dairy Crest, Gerber (Libby’s Organics Juice, Fruit Passion Fairtrade Juice, UmBongo & UmOgnob), Kalido, The Little Big Food Company, LTA (The Lawn Tennis Association), Nelsons, Nestlé (Nescafé, Sun-Pat, Gales, Crosse & Blackwell, Nesquik, Herta, Rowntree’s), Suchard and Yoplait (Weightwatches).

Studio Manager and Artworker

David Tauber Graphics was promotions agency specialising in a wide range of low-cost paper products such as hats, masks, goodie bags and die-cut paper 3D models.

  • Creation of visuals, NPD, designs and artwork, including retouching, illustration, design layouts.
  • Full IT systems support for a network of 10 Macs.

Clients: Esso, Proctor & Gamble, Renault, Ford, Peugeot, McDonald’s, Virgin.

Print Centre Manager and Artworker

The Lewisham Print Centre provided a high-quality printing and design service, offering a complete design and print service. Neil managed print centre with five staff and IT system support.

Education and Qualifications

1984 to 1986 B/TEC Higher National Diploma in Three Dimensional Design, Sheffield City Polytechnic, Sheffield

1982 to 1984 Datec National Diploma in General Art & Design, Barnet College of Further Education, Barnet, London

1977 to 1982 St Marys C.E School, Hendon, London NW9

Software & Systems

Full working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat, Dimensions and Bridge.

Over 28 years of user experience and in-house IT support for studio networks, up to and including the latest OSX and managing company-wide network infrastructures and servers, liaisoning with external suppliers on internet solutions, copiers and communication systems.