Illustration agency Toy launches with Love backing
Toy, a network of illustrators open to commercial commissions, has been launched with the backing of Manchester agency Love.
The idea behind Toy - a 'label' for illustrators and artists - was developed by Love and first mooted by the agency last year. It has now gone live as a standalone venture headed up by former Love designer Christopher Gray.
Toy has already been commissioned to work on Sony Playstation’s PSP 3000 campaign, a series of educational illustrations for the British Science Council and t-shirt designs for Howies' 2009 collection.
The concept behind Toy, according to Gray, is to promote and develop emerging illustrators, and give artists the chance to collaborate and apply a range of styles across product, motion, print and screen.
He said: "Toy is very much ideas-based and aims to provide a professional channel for the huge amount of inspirational talent that’s out there. Many of my creative peers don’t know how to break into the industry and I hope that Toy will be the channel that allows them to do this.”
Gray is one of 10 illustrators on the Toy network, with the rest spread throughout the UK and two based in France. There are plans to widen this network internationally to include filmmakers and photographers, but "to maintain quality and communication" there will be a ceiling on the number of individuals Toy represents.
"We are also keen to represent an eclectic mix of styles by artists whether they are well established or up and coming," Gray added. "The important thing is to take them out of their niche and open them up to a wider audience and give them ownership of their projects.”