Explainer Videos, Illustration & Visual Storytelling

Create.

Define.

Distill.

LOGOS AND CHARACTER DESIGN FOR BRANDS AND PRODUCTS — FROM PACKAGING AND DRINKWARE TO DIGITAL APPLICATIONS. EACH VISUAL IS BUILT TO BE DISTINCT, LEGIBLE, AND IMMEDIATELY RECOGNISABLE IN USE.

Clarify.

CONNECT.

Resonate.

BUSINESS COMICS, EXPLAINER VISUALS AND INFOGRAPHICS — USED TO CLARIFY COMPLEX IDEAS, SUPPORT COMMUNICATION, AND MAKE INFORMATION EASIER TO UNDERSTAND AND APPLY.

Design.

Engage.

Deliver.

FROM PACKAGING AND LABEL DESIGN TO UX AND DIGITAL INTERFACES — VISUAL SYSTEMS THAT WORK ACROSS PRINT AND SCREEN, DESIGNED FOR CLARITY, CONSISTENCY AND RECOGNITION.

Inform.

Inspire.

Impact.

EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION THAT CLARIFIES IDEAS AND SUPPORTS THE TEXT — ADAPTED TO TONE, SUBJECT AND PUBLICATION CONTEXT. COMMISSIONED BY PUBLISHERS AND MEDIA CLIENTS INTERNATIONALLY.

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Animated characters including Spider-Man and Harry Potter by Ian David Marsden

Animation & Explainer Videos

Advertising illustrations and campaign art for global brands by Ian David Marsden

Advertising & Business

Logos & Mascots

Books & Publications

Comic-style illustration of safety characters for advertising and communication by Ian David Marsden

Cartoons & Comics

Editorial Illustration

Art Direction & Graphics

Google Doodles

Designer packaging and product illustration for Ritzenhoff by Ian David Marsden

Ritzenhoff Design

La Toya Jackson

Sketchbook

Wacom Artist

ILLUSTRATOR, CREATIVE DIRECTOR & VISUAL STORYTELLER

IAN DAVID MARSDEN

I am a freelance illustrator and creative director based in the south of France, working internationally in English, French and German. My work includes hand-drawn explainer videos, business illustration, editorial illustration, character and mascot design, and selected graphic design and visual communication projects.

I help brands, agencies, publishers, institutions and organisations communicate ideas with clarity, character and a strong visual structure. Some projects are editorial, some strategic, some narrative, and some quietly practical, but all are developed with the same attention to communication, pacing and visual language.

With more than 30 years of professional experience, I have collaborated with clients including Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, Dräger, RITZENHOFF, Henkel, seele, and publishers including The New Yorker, MAD Magazine and NZZ am Sonntag. I was also the first Google Doodles artist.

Case Studies

Download Illustrator Portfolio PDF

My practice ranges from editorial illustration and business illustration to comics, character and mascot design, and explainer visuals and hand-drawn animation. The formats vary, but the aim is consistent: to clarify information and give ideas a memorable visual form.

Alongside my studio practice, I teach Illustration, Visual Arts and Image Analysis within the 3D Animation & VFX Master’s programme at ESMA Montpellier (École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques), where the focus is on visual storytelling, composition and narrative structure.

If you are looking for editorial illustration, custom characters, explainer graphics or visual storytelling for corporate communication, I provide creative direction from concept through to final artwork and delivery.

For a broader overview of selected collaborations, see the Clients page.

Selected Clients & Collaborations

A selection of organisations, publishers and brands I have worked with over the years
across illustration, visual communication, design and motion-led projects.

Clients of Ian David Marsden – graphic design and illustration projects for Coca-Cola, Google, Mercedes-Benz, Dräger, Wacom, and others.

Client Recommendations

LINK
A few kind words from clients and collaborators across publishing, design, technology, hospitality and brand communication.

★★★★★

“I’ve had the honor of following Ian David Marsden’s career for many years, a relationship that culminated in featuring him as an official Wacom Featured Artist back in 2012 (and confirming what many already know: Ian is a creative force).

Ian’s work stands out because he never lost touch with the fundamentals of drawing. His entire workflow, from the original concept sketch to the final complex vector illustration, is 100% hand-drawn. He uses modern digital tools not to replace traditional skill, but to enhance it, resulting in visuals that are expressive, dynamic, and technically flawless.

As the original Google Doodle artist and a creative whose portfolio includes The New Yorker, MAD Magazine, and Mercedes-Benz, Ian’s legacy in illustration is already cemented. If you are looking for an illustrator, cartoonist, or visual storyteller who brings decades of experience, unmatched versatility, and a truly unique, human touch to every project, look no further than Ian David Marsden.”

Pamela Park

E-mail Marketing and Influencer Outreach Programs Manager at Wacom Technology Corp.
(December 10, 2025)

★★★★★

“You want it done? You want it done right? You want it done on time? Here is somebody that knows his craft inside and out and doesn’t cut corners. He’ll think things through together with you and understand (!) what you are aiming for. He’ll point out what works (and more importantly … what doesn’t) and then execute it as agreed. Every engagement with him has worked out flawlessly.
P.S. Some extra features: Ian is smart, efficient and communicates fluently in more languages than I care to remember.”

Tom Geudens
Graph Database Expert
(March 21, 2025)

★★★★★

“Simply put, Ian is a visionary. He was tasked with creating all of the original artwork that would represent the multiple concepts in development within a boutique hotel setting, seamlessly blending the interior design, culture, and community of a significant, world-renowned, historically registered building. In doing so, Ian created multiple gallery-worthy pieces that perfectly embraced the heart and soul of the project. I could not possibly have been more pleased with his work. Ask him to show you his work based on the scope of this project and you will understand just how intuitively and capably he can fulfill your needs as well.”

Sam Spector
General Manager, The Culver Hotel, Culver City
Munchkins Restaurant • Duke’s Hideaway Bar • The Ruby Room Cocktail Lounge & Events
(March 24, 2025)

★★★★★

“In 2019 I redesigned my internet presence. Together with Ian, I developed a new logo, which puts more emphasis on my consulting personality. We have done this well and I am very grateful for Ian’s support. The icons we developed and the illustrations on the website www.breaksru.ch are very appealing and please me and my customers again and again. What I really appreciated about working with Ian was that he responded to my wishes and was very quick to implement them. Thank you very much, anytime again.”

Suzanne Ruf
Owner of breaksru gmbh
(March 11, 2020)

★★★★★

“Ian is not only a talented illustrator but also an accomplished designer and corporate identity developer. He has his own distinct style but his designs are very much customer focused and oriented. The work Ian did for iShepherd can be best described as that he understood our concept and vision from the first drawings he made. The thing that I personally admire the most about his work from an artistic perspective is the conceptual variety he comes up with, but with a constant consistency. Business with a small flair of fun or unexpected ‘Easter eggs’. I hope we are able to call upon Ian’s support for a long time coming.”

Harro Wiersma
CEO of iShepherd, Inc.
(March 6, 2020)

★★★★★

“I worked with Ian on several projects, such as our illustrated videos for Mycotrition GmbH: https://www.mycotrition.com/en/about-us/our-videos
We were always very pleased with his work. Ian is a great guy. Thank you, Ian.”

Sebastian Schmode-Laybourne
CEO at Mycotrition GmbH & Dronania Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Hawlik Gesundheitsprodukte GmbH
(March 16, 2020)

★★★★★

“Ian was my favorite Illustrator working on an animation project I directed. He supplied us with many cutting edge assets in very short deadlines. It was a pleasure working together.”

Avi Graiver
Animation Director, Animation Cowboy Studio

Visual communication across illustration,
design and motion.

From editorial illustration and brand characters to business comics and hand-drawn explainer videos, I create visual work that helps organisations explain ideas clearly and memorably.

Projects range from corporate communication and publishing to education, packaging and public-facing information, delivered across print, digital and motion formats.

View case studies or download a quick-reference PDF portfolio.

About Ian

LinkedIn vignette card featuring Ian David Marsden, Illustrator and Creative Director, highlighting expertise in cartoons, mascots, business comics, character design, branding, UX/UI, and animation.

LinkedIn | Let’s connect

Graphiste à Claret (34) — région Montpellier
Design packaging, étiquettes de vin, identité visuelle et illustration.

Client List

Based in southern France and working internationally, I combine editorial illustration, branding systems, UX-related visual thinking and hand-drawn explainer videos across publishing, business communication and selected design commissions.

Illustration Portfolio

Small footer icon inviting visitors to download Ian David Marsden’s PDF portfolio featuring professional illustration, design, and graphic art.

One-sheet portfolio download
Download a concise overview of my illustration and design services in your preferred language:

Download English (PDF)
Download Deutsch (PDF)
Download Français (PDF)

For a broader overview, visit the WORK menu above or the Services page.

Discuss a Project

I work with publishers, agencies, institutions, organisations and independent businesses on creative direction, illustration, explainer videos and visual communication projects shaped by more than 25 years of international experience.

If you would like to discuss a commission, you can begin with the case studies or contact me directly.

Email: [email protected]
Phone / WhatsApp:
+33 (0)6 42 49 82 11 (CET)

Live illustration, Live Zeichner, scribing and graphic recording are also available.

News & Projects

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