iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

My album cover artwork for 'Help! I fell asleep and woke up with Black AirForce Energy!' by Uncle Simba, available now!! #illustration #artwork #album #music #albumart

In a dark blue interior of some sort of space ship, a blue figure with a distinctive helmet sits up from their bed. The window shows a landscape outside made up of trees and a pale industrial structure, however the landscape is upside down. In the foreground of the image we can see a slightly futuristic and alien looking keyboard.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

One of my illustrations for Breathe Magazine issue 83! These works accompany the feature 'Downsizing' by Lucy Shrimpton, all about miniature worlds and how they can appeal to us not just in childhood but into adulthood as well! #illustration #art #editorial #breathe #magazine

A woman sits in a small park in a miniature city during a sunset - she is much larger than the buildings and streets around her.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Some more of my work from issue 82 of Breathe magazine, accompanying the feature 'Cards on the table' by Bethany Stone, about how to feel less awkward when it comes to talking about the financial cost of maintaining your social life. #illustration #art #editorial #breathe #magazine

A woman looks at several items on a table, a pen, a calculator, a card reader, a debit card, a phone and an accounts ledger.

A group of ladies sit at a bar talking to each other. Rather than sitting on bar stools they are sitting on large money jars which contain coins and notes. The jars are all labelled 'fun fund'.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

One of my illustrations for Breathe magazine issue 82! This work accompanies the feature 'Cards on the table' by Bethany Stone, about how to feel less awkward when it comes to talking about the financial cost of maintaining your social life. #illustration #art #editorial #breathe #magazine

A digital painting depicting a group of women sitting around a table in a bar. They are all enjoying themselves apart from the central figure, who looks apprehensively at the bill on the table.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

A digital 'sketch' from 'The Witch' (2015), directed by Robert Eggers. #illustration #art #painting #digitalpainting #thewitch #horror

A digital painting of a still from the 2015 film 'The Witch' directed by Robert Eggers. The image is a scene from 1630s New England, depicting an English settler family praying around their dinner table at night in a dimly lit room.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

My illustrations for Breathe Magazine issue 81, for the feature 'Join the fan club' by Jade Beecroft, about coming up with your own takes on your favourite stories, how it can hone your writing skills and help connect with others. #illustration #illustrator #art #artist #editorial

A young woman sits at a desk writing in a notebook in her bedroom. The desk has shelves underneath filled with books. Behind the woman is a window and outside the window we can see a medieval fantasy inspired scene, with castles, snowy mountains and a dragon flying in the sky.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Hi #PortfolioDay My name is Jacob and I'm an illustrator and artist from the UK! My work usually draws from everyday life, but often with a slightly surreal, uncanny vibe. I'm always open for commissions so do get in touch! Website: jacobcourtney.co.uk Email: jacobcourtneyillustration@gmail.com

A young woman sits in a dark room lit only by the light from the laptop screen she is looking at. On the laptop screen is a social media platform featuring a photo of some friends (including the woman in the room) with happy emojis over their faces. The woman looking at the laptop wears a happy emoji mask, which contrasts to her less happy looking posture and the atmosphere of the dark room.

A young man lays awake in bed, illuminated only by the light from his phone, which he is holding above his head and looking at with a slightly vacant look. The young man on the bed only makes up a small part of the composition of the image - the rest of which is taken up by darkness and empty space - highlighting the young man's loneliness.

A woman walks down a foggy street with trees on both sides of the road. She walks away with her back to the viewer, approaching a pedestrian crossing with some traffic lights. The sky is overcast and the leaves on the trees are turning yellow.

A digital painting depicting a paused still of a tape recording from a security camera. The still shows a man walking down an alleyway at night from a bird eye view, fisheye style perspective. We cannot see the man's face. The image has a VHS style static overlay and at the top of the 'screen' we can see a time and date of the recording as well as the pause icon.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

My illustrations for Breathe Magazine issue 80, illustrating the feature 'Missed connection' by Beth Easton, about how social media can give us an illusion of closeness, whilst also potentially leaving us feeling more disconnected from each other. #illustration #illustrator #art #artist #editorial

The woman from the previous illustration lifts up her emoji mask to look at a text message she was received from a friend agreeing to meet up for a tea. The room is still very dark, only being lit by the light from the phone screen.

Two women sit outside a café on a sunny day. They both wear emoji masks, however the masks are pushed up to the top of their heads so that we can see their faces.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Some older work from 2021, this illustration of a Grey Wagtail was featured in AWW Magazine Volume 4. #illustration #illustrator #artist #art #artwork #editorialillustration #magazine #animal #bird #grey #wagtail

An illustration of a grey wagtail, sitting on the lower rung of a folding garden chair. The background was drawn in pencil but mixes in faint overlays of nature photographs in a photomontage.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Some older work from 2023, my illustration for issue 55 of Breathe magazine, accompanying a feature by Chloe Rhodes about how we can find inspiration from plants and weeds growing in unlikely places... #illustration #illustrator #artist #art #editorial #editorialillustration #digital #digitalart

A woman walks up a flight of outdoor stairs within a concrete housing estate, illuminated by an early evening glow. As she walks up the stairs she looks to see some green plants growing out of the concrete balcony wall.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Digital painting of a still from People Just Do Nothing. I really like the shots of tower blocks in Brentford used in the show and wanted to paint from it. Credit to Director Jack Clough, Production Designer Martha Parker and Director of Photography Matt Wicks. Featuring DJ Steves of Kurupt FM

A painting of a still from the TV series 'People Just Do Nothing', featuring a character sitting in a hallway within a block of flats. Behind them is a balcony with railings, and behind this we can see the landscape of the city beyond.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

My artwork for 'My Dog Punched a Duck', an EP by matt-as-strophe, part 1 of which is available to stream now! Check it out for some awesome acoustic punk folk songs! #illustration #illustrator #art #artist #artwork #epcover #music

An artwork for an EP cover depicting a small dog on a pathway in a canal tunnel, looking down at a toy duck floating in the canal water. The walls and ceiling of the canal tunnel are covered in graffiti, and also include the artist name, 'matt-as-trophe', and the EP title, 'My Dog Punched a Duck'. In the background we can see a narrow boat moving along the canal as well as some buildings.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Sketching from films to understand light and colours and things... #illustration #art #digitalart #inthemoodforlove #wongkarwai

A digital sketch of a still from Wong Kar-wai's 2000 film 'In the Mood for Love'. The sketch depicts a woman and a man with their back to the viewer walking down a street at night, illuminated by street lights.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Part three of an intermittent personal project to create an illustration for each track of the 1994 album 'Dog Man Star' by @suedehq.bsky.social This is my response to the third track, 'Heroine'. #illustration #illustrator #art #artist #painting #digitalpainting #digitalart

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

Some of my work for issue 77 of Breathe magazine, accompanying an article by Katie Caprino about how to choose the perfect book for someone as a gift! #illustration #illustrator #artist #art #editorial #editorialillustration #digital #digitalart

A woman in a bookshop is browsing the shelves. Along the bookshelf are small spherical lights, one of which is just above the woman's head - reminiscent of a lightbulb above a character's head to suggest they have come up with an idea or realised something - in this case, the woman has found the perfect book for a gift.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

'Come to the point then and be done with it. Some of us have work to be getting on with.' An illustration inspired by Kazuo Ishiguro's 1989 novel 'The Remains of the Day'. #illustration #art #digitalart #digitalpainting #drawing #painting #kazuoishiguro #theremainsoftheday

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

I'm very excited to share my cover artwork for 'Beacons' by Jack Restall, the new album which is out now! jackrestall.com #illustration #art #digitalart #digitalpainting #album #albumart #albumcover #music

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

Prints of my work are now available! They can be found at jacobcourtney.bigcartel.com/products They are A5 (148 x 210mm) prints on Fotospeed Matt Ultra 240gsm paper, featuring illustrations created during my time at the @royalcollegeofart.bsky.social #illustration #art #artwork #prints

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

My illustrations for Breathe magazine issue 75, accompanying a feature from Fiona McNeill about pen pals, and how the more old-fashioned and slower method of communicating via writing and sending letters can help connect people from all over the world. #illustration #art #breathe #editorial

In a darkly lit room with a dark greenish hue, a woman sits at a cluttered desk writing a letter. The desk is positioned in front of a window, through which we can see a reflection, but rather than being an accurate reflection, the figure in the window is representative of the recipient of the letter the woman is writing. Through the window we also see rain falling.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Some of my work for issue 74 of Breathe magazine, accompanying an article by @kateorson.bsky.social about making the most out of holidays, as well as how to travel responsibly. #illustration #illustrator #artist #art #editorial #editorialillustration #digital #digitalart

A woman with a bicycle with her back to the viewer walks across a shaded area in a marketplace in an alleyway on a sunny day. We see other figures sitting and standing in the marketplace, as well as some of the items being sold, such as food and rugs.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Some work from last year for Breathe Magazine issue 67, accompanying a feature by Greta Solomon about personal space - looking at our own and each other's personal boundaries and how you can give yourself and others room to breathe! #illustration #illustrator #art #artist #editorial #digital

A crowded scene at the bar in a nightclub illuminated by reddish, pinkish lights. A woman in the centre of the image in uncomfortable by the large crowd surrounding her and her lack of personal space. She is illuminated by an overhead light - this light taking the shape of a perfect circle, connotating to the idea of a 'personal bubble'.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

My illustrations for issue 73 of Breathe Magazine, accompanying a feature by @carolinebutterwick.bsky.social about life-admin tasks and how overwhelming they can be, as well as discussing ways they can be managed! #illustration #art #editorial #digitalart #magazine #breathe

A woman sits on her bed looking fatigued and unhappy. She is engulfed by an exaggerated shadow cast on her by the evening light shining upon a desk in the foreground of the image, on which are several important letters and bills.

A double page spread from issue 73 of Breathe magazine, with illustrations surrounding the text. On the first page we see a to-do list written in a small notepad. On the second page we see a character working on these tasks. The images are broken into panels, with white gutters separating the illustration into different frames. The frames are separated to section off each of the tasks written on the to-do list on the previous page. The panels depicting each task or item to be addressed have a different level of contrast/saturation relative to their position on the to-do list - task number 1 has the most contrast and saturation whereas task 4 has the least.

A closer look at the second page of the previous two page spread

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

More drawings from films! Here's a study from 'In the Mood for Love' (2000), directed by Wong Kar-wai and starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung. #illustration #art #drawing #painting #sketch #digitalart #film #cinema #inthemoodforlove

A digital painting of a still from the film 'In the Mood for Love', (2000). The image depicts a man and a woman in the backseat of a taxi at night.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Drawing from films! Here is a digital study of a still from 'Shoplifters' (2018), directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda #illustration #art #illustrator #artist #digitalart #digitalpainting #study #sketch #film #cinema #japanesecinema #shoplifters

In an interior with dim pink lighting, we see a close-up of a young woman hugging a young man. A digital sketch of a still from the 2018 film 'Shoplifters', directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Part two of an intermittent personal project to create an illustration for each track of the 1994 album 'Dog Man Star' by @suedehq.bsky.social This is my response to the second track, 'We Are the Pigs'. #illustration #illustrator #art #artist #painting #digitalpainting #digitalart

In a muddy, grey, coastal area littered with industrial waste, a dishevelled young man with long, messy hair kneels down to pick up a piggy bank found amongst the debris.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

The first part of a ongoing personal project, to create an illustration in response to each track of the 1994 album 'Dog Man Star' by @suedehq.bsky.social This is my response to the first track, 'Introducing the Band'! #illustration #illustrator #art #artist #painting #digitalart #digitalpainting

A doorway with cracked glass leading to a dimly lit stairwell, through which we can see several people descending down some concrete stairs. One of these figures is looking through the hole in the broken window in the door, making eye contact with the viewer.

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Some of my work for Breathe magazine issue 70, accompanying a feature by Jenny Lester about bouldering, and how it can help with our mental wellbeing and be a good way to treat social isolation. #illustration #art #editorial #digitalart #digitalpainting

A woman with her back to us taking part in bouldering, climbing up a wall using coloured grips.

A two-page editorial spread of a woman taking part in bouldering. From a view where we are looking up at the wall we can see her climbing up the wall using coloured grips. The woman is on the right hand side of the spread, with text appearing on the left hand side, and the wall itself extends from the right side of the spread to the left, enveloping the text.

A woman taking part in bouldering. She is upside down and hanging from a ceiling with coloured grips which she is holding onto the climb along

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Jacob Courtney @jacobcourtney.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Hi! I'm Jacob and I am an illustrator and artist living in the UK. In my work I aim to create a strong sense of place and atmosphere, sometimes with qualities of the uncanny... #illustration #illustrator #artwork #art #artist #painting #drawing

A woman stands in a crowded bar, surrounded by other people and illuminated by a reddish glow from an overhead lamp. She is uncomfortable by the lack of personal space afforded to her due to the crowded location.

A landscape depicting a contemporary man walking along a body of water in a serene, grassy wetland. The man's reflection in the water is not of himself but rather of a historical figure, a pilgrim who walked along the same route that the contemporary man is walking now. Despite being separated by time, the two figures are connected by the shared experience of walking along the same route.

With the viewer positioned outside a see-through door to a stairwell in a residential building, we see four figures descending the stairs, with one of them looking through a cracked hole in the glass in the see-through door to look out towards the viewer.

A woman in a room with her back to us pushes back the window curtains to look outside into a bright light.

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