About Me

Ian David Marsden – Internationally Experienced Illustrator, Cartoonist, and Animator

français CV & Témoignages | deutsch Lebenslauf & Referenzen

Ian David Marsden
34270 Vacquières, France
Phone: +33 (0)6 42 49 82 11
E-mail: ian@marsdenillustration.com
Website: https://marsdenillustration.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idmarsden/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarsdenIllustration

Download CV as PDF

I am an independent illustrator, designer, cartoonist, and animator, and I also produce whiteboard and explainer videos. (How much do all these cool things cost? Visit my pricing page. )

Born in the artistic neighborhood of Greenwich Village, New York City, my journey into the world of art began early, nurtured not just by the supportive Greenwich community—like the memorable butcher who exchanged my drawings for pencils—but also by the unwavering encouragement of my parents. At a very young age, they relocated our family to Zurich, Switzerland, where I immersed myself in its culture and ethos, spending my formative years and completing all my schooling.

In Zurich, I was infused with the iconic principles of Swiss graphic design and typography. Through training at the F+F Schule für Kunst und Design and during my apprenticeship at M,H, Leo Burnett, I became an adept of these philosophies with admiration and conviction. While my designs embody the “less is more” principle, valuing simplicity and clarity, they also harmoniously interweave hand-drawn elements and vibrant splashes of color, adding depth and warmth to every piece.

By 16, my artistic pursuits led me to become the youngest contributor to the renowned Swiss satire magazine “Nebelspalter.” At 18, I had already set up a studio in Zürich’s Niederdorf, serving prestigious clients such as Tagblatt der Stadt Zürich, Swiss television, and VISA.

1999 marked a pivotal year. At Santa Monica College’s Academy of Entertainment Technology, I honed my skills in Traditional and Computer Animation. Fulfilling my dreams from when I first started out wanting to be a cartoonist and illustrator, I sold cartoons to both The New Yorker and MAD Magazine, joining the ranks of the heroes I admired during my adolescence. Additionally, I pioneered Google’s iconic “Google Doodles.”

Now based in the picturesque Languedoc region of France, my state-of-the-art home studio allows for seamless collaboration with global clients. My portfolio boasts standout projects like the official mascot for the 2003 FIS Ski World Championship, designs for RITZENHOFF, and over 120 illustrations for Mercedes-Benz’s handbook. 2020 heralded the release of my graphic novel “Marvin: Based on the Way I Was by Marvin Hamlisch.”

Noteworthy Contributions & Achievements:

Education & Affiliations:

Grounded in a diverse educational background, my alma maters include Literargymnasium Rämibühl Zürich (Lycée – Modern Languages), F+F Schule für Kunst und Design Zürich (Gestalterischer Vorkurs), Graphic Design Apprenticeship in an Advertising Agency, Pratt Institute Manhattan, and the Academy of Entertainment & Technology AET, Santa Monica College (Traditional and Computer Animation, Graduated 2002). As a professional, I was a full member of the National Cartoonist Society, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and Mensa.

Languages: Fluent in English and German/Swiss German; proficient in French; basic Italian.

My diverse clientele includes:

AN2V, All Stars Project, Auto Bild, Autour du Pic, Blick Online, Blocklearning.ch, BOLD Werbung GmbH, Breaksru GmbH, Bref, Carlos Dias, Chemmedia, Club de la Presse Occitanie, Coca Cola, Coley & Associates, Comité des Fêtes Vacquières, Curtius Lütten Werbeagentur GmBH, Deutsche Telecom, Dfreeeze App, die Kleinert Bildarchiv, Diesel Jeans UK, Digades, Domaine Les Tuileries, Dräger Global, Drägerwerk AG, Droemer Knaur Verlag, Ecoforest, Evonik Industries, Executive Learning Systems, Federal Acquisitions Institute, Fernsehen DRS, Fox Television, Fraunhofer, Friars Club New York, GMX Glückwunschkarten, Google, Hairloss.com, HauntedHollywood, Hawlik Naturpilze, Henkel, Hermes Pakete, Infospace.com, Inspired Arts & Media, Jay Abraham Strategy Institute, John Morrison / Johnny Mundo, Johner Institut, Justhappiness Montpellier, KHW, La Gravette de Corconne, La Toya Jackson, LandLiebe Schweiz, LAP Vorbereitung, Le Mas du Sire, Les Héritieres de Bacchus, Lindt Chocolate, Mac Directory, MAD Magazine, MADant LtD, MAN, Mairie de Vacquières, Marktrezept.de, Mas de Figuier, Max Curious, New York, METRO, Mövenpick, Mycotrition GmbH, Nebelspalter, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Novartis, O Mas Troquet Restaurant, Parc Le Duc, PartyPOW!, Plushland, Publicis, PwC, Ransom Publishing, Richmond, Ringier Verlag, RITZENHOFF, Rock Brasiliano, Roland Berger, Samsung, Sanafort AG, Santillana, Schiffer Publishing, Seele, Sens Digital, Showtime Television, Sieber & Wolf, Ski WM 2003, Stadtwerke Wedel, Strobe Solutions, Sustain D, Take the 55, Telekom, The New Yorker, TIR, Top Source Wines, Universal Music Group, Universität Bern, Universität Zürich, Volkswagen Sedric, VISA, Wacom, Web.de, Yantramatte, YJOO, Zum Goldenen Hirschen, Zürich Gym

Select Client Testimonials:

“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.”
March 11 2020 – Suzanne Ruf, owner of breaksru gmbh
“Ian is not only a very 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.”

March 6 2020 – Harro Wiersma is the CEO of iShepherd, Inc.
“I worked with Ian on several projects, such as our illustratedvideos 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”

March 16 2020 Sebastian Schmode, COO at Hawlik Group, Dronania Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Mycotrition GmbH
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“Ian was always a pleasure to work with. His creativity and ideas always helped us achieve results beyond what we had hoped. We recommend Ian without reservation for any design, web and illustration needs.”

Tony Weber, President – Plushland, Inc. Los Angeles

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“Ian Marsden is a highly gifted and talented animator and artist. He truly does deliver superlative work. But the real magic behind Ian’s astonishing animations is his ability to listen closely to what the client wants to to perfectly blend his own vision with the client’s to deliver work that is always provocative and deeply insightful. I worked with Ian on several projects, from rock & roll videos to public service annoucnements. He is personable, generous and very warm. It has been my pleasure.”

Michael Garcia, Vice President at BrightBulb Solutions, Los Angeles

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“Ian’s talents are wide and deep. He takes a concept that you think is great already and delivers a final result which makes you have to revise upwards your idea of “great”. Ian adds new dimensions and polish to the projects I’ve used him on. Professional. Detail-oriented. Reliable.”

Michael James Kacey, Owner at Anthracite Films, LLC

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

Avi Graiver, Animation Director, Animation Cowboy Studio

Download PDF Portfolio

Sketchbook | Advertising and Business | Videos and Animation | Editorial Illustration | Logo and Character Design | Cartoons and Comics | Packaging Design | Google Doodles | Children’s Book Illustration | Ritzenhoff | Wacom Featured Artist | Latoya Jackson

CV Ian Marsden English | CV Ian Marsden Français | CV Ian Marsden Deutsch

For a partial client list and testimonials please visit my biography page.

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