Owen Mathers

Live wedding and event illustration by Owen Mathers

Owen Mathers is a UK-based illustrator and designer who works live at weddings and events, drawing scenes from the day and portraits of guests in ink and watercolour. His practice also covers bespoke illustration for businesses and private clients, alongside a shop selling prints, commissioned pieces and gift vouchers.

The style is described as vibrant ink and watercolour, developed over more than a decade of drawing on location. The service is built around producing artwork during the event itself, so guests can take away a portrait and couples end up with a record of the day drawn as it happened.

Track record at weddings and events

The site sets out several figures from the illustrator's own account of his work:

• Live illustration at more than 175 weddings, ranging from micro weddings of around a dozen guests to celebrations with over 300 people.
• Live work at weddings and events since 2018, described as more than seven years of live experience.
• Over 1,000 portraits drawn at weddings and events, with some days reaching more than 100 portraits.
• Twenty years in the creative industry, following graduation from art school in 2003.

From graphic design to drawing on location

Before working as a live illustrator, Mathers spent years as a graphic designer for agencies, in-house teams and on his own account. He attended art school in the early 2000s and has drawn and painted since childhood. The current ink and watercolour approach is presented as the result of more than ten years of working in that medium on location.

Weddings: live scenes and guest portraits

The wedding service centres on hiring a live artist for the day. According to the site, the work can include a portrait of the couple, illustrations of the venue and details such as a bouquet, as well as individual guest portraits that guests take away as keepsakes or favours. Packages for live wedding illustration are set out separately, and the gallery collects examples of finished pieces.

Commissions, stationery and corporate work

Beyond live event drawing, the studio takes on bespoke illustration commissions for companies and individuals. The offering also includes bespoke wedding stationery and illustration for corporate events and brands, with packaging and other commercial artwork named among the applications. An online shop sells prints, bespoke illustrations and gift vouchers.

Client feedback

Reviews quoted on the site from weddings between September and November 2024 describe the illustrator as punctual, organised and approachable, and mention guest portraits given as keepsakes, a live illustration of the couple and an illustration of the venue and bouquet. One couple described the finished piece as an heirloom to keep. These are individual testimonials rather than a summary of overall performance.

Practical details

Enquiries are handled by phone or email, or through a contact form on the site. The studio states that it aims to respond to enquiries within 48 hours and suggests checking a junk folder if a reply has not arrived. Travel is listed as a topic in the site's navigation, indicating that work outside the immediate area is part of the service.