Available for new projects February 2025

〰️

Available for new projects February 2025 〰️


Izzy Burton - Résumé

Director & Artist

izzyburtonart@gmail.com

Client list summary: Netflix, Aardman, Golden Wolf, Cartoon Network, Passion Pictures, Spin Master, Lupus Films, BBC, Not to Scale, Art & Graft, Troublemakers, Blue Zoo, Spoke Art, Manchester Animation Festival, Penguin Random House, Hachette, Harper Collins, Farshore, Oxford University Press, Macmillan Imprint, and more.

EXPERIENCE:


Aug 2024 - Present

Freelance

  • Freelance Visual Development for TV, commercials and films:

  • Aardman - working on three different projects with Aardman on both environments and characters

  • Lupus Films - environments and character development

  • BBC - environment and character development


Jan 2023 - July 2024

Visual Development Artist and Background Artist for a 2D Feature Film.

  • Helped develop the look for the feature animated film "Light of the World".

  • Designed major sets for the film, and accompanying materials such as maps, exploded views and props.

  • Pitched story ideas and how visually we could depict certain sequences through cinematography, lighting, value and colour.

  • Designed layouts and painted final key backgrounds to hand off to our vendor studio's background art team.

  • Designed parts of the colour script.

  • Created quick background parallax and look tests in After Effects.


May 2023 - Present

Spoke Art

Creating posters in collaboration with Spoke Art gallery. Creating posters such as Suzume (Anime in LA), The Land Before Time (Wondercon), All Dogs Go To Heaven (San Diego Comic Con) and An American Tail (New York Comic Con). And art prints for group shows such as Bad Dads: A Wes Anderson Tribute Show.


July 2022 - July 2023

Freelance


Jan 2022 - June 2023

Golden Wolf

In-house Art Director at London studio Golden Wolf.


Oct 2021 - Dec 2021

Netflix / “Wendell & Wild”

A short stint on Wendell & Wild towards the end of production. I painted over a couple of finished filmed sets to show how they could be improved with a matte painting, and these ideas were taken through to the final film. Provided ideas for background skies and trees.


May 2020 - Oct 2021

Visual Development and Lead Background Artist.

  • I defined the environment style of the cancelled Toil & Trouble from creator Lauren Faust.

  • I was brought on early with just our art director Justin Martin and lead character artist Izzy Abreu, and the three of us spent 6 months developing the look and sets of the film. We were designing as the scripts were still being written, so I was able to pitch multiple story and set ideas that were written into the film episode scripts.

  • Designed locations & props.

  • I lead the Background Art team, providing detailed videos of my process in getting the style of the background line and paint correct and giving constructive and clear feedback on my teams backgrounds to keep everyone on style.

  • I helped create the style guide for the show, creating pages of work detailing to how to get the correct the linework, colours, different town architectural styles, FX and more.


June 2019 - May 2020

Freelance Artist & Director

  • Represented as a Director by “The Greenhouse” (Passion Pictures) and Troublemakers (still represented to this day).

  • Illustrated books and book covers with publishing houses such as Penguin Random House, Hachette, Harper Collins, Farshore, Macmillan Imprint, Oxford University Press etc.

  • Created Passion Pictures’ Christmas short film.


Aug 2015 - June 2019

Blue Zoo

Hired initially after I graduated as a Concept Artist. Worked my way up to Art Director and Director.

Directed the award-winning short film “Via” here.


TALKS/LECTURES/MASTERCLASSES:

  • In Motion : Playgrounds, London, October 2024 - Procreate demo

  • In Motion : Playgrounds, London, September 2023 - Talk with Loish

  • Florence Institute of Design International, April 2023 - Talk

  • The Art Department : Playgrounds, Berlin 2022 - Artist Talk

  • Bournemouth University 2022 - Lecture

  • Domestika 2021 - Online Course

  • Annecy Panel with Netflix - June 2021

  • The Art Department : Playgrounds, Online 2020 - Artist Talk

  • The Art Department : Playgrounds, Eindhoven 2019 - Artist Talk

  • Vertex Conference 2018 - Artist Talk

  • BFX 2018 - Masterclass

  • Bournemouth University 2018 - Lecture

  • “Via” Premiere 2017 @ MPC London - Artist Talk & presenting my short film

  • Splash Conference 2016 - Masterclass


AWARDS

  • “Via” my short film

  • “Best Animated Short” - London Independent Film Festival 2018

  • “Best Animation” - Firenze Film Festival 2018

  • “Best Animation” - Euro Shorts 2018

  • “Best Concept Art” - One-Reeler 2018

  • “Best Video Short Film” - Creative Awards at Connections West Coast 2019

  • Was screened at over 20 festivals and was Long-Listed for a BAFTA

  • Animation Direction and Art Direction for “A Whale’s Tale”

    • Children’s BAFTA Nomination 2020

    • “Best Original Short Film Content” - British Animation Awards 2020

  • “Rising Stars of Animation” 2018 - Animation Magazine

  • Best Final Year Film - Bournemouth University, awarded by Blue Zoo Animation, 2015

  • Co-Creative Award - Bournemouth University, animated work for a Professor’s documentary on Schizophrenia, 2015


EDUCATION:

BA (Hons) Computer Visualisation and Animation, Bournemouth University 2015 - 1st Class