RE: Ian Cook: PH Meets

Wednesday 20th March 2013

Ian Cook: PH Meets

We catch up with 'that bloke who paints with remote control cars' on a very PH commission



Mixing cars with art is always a slightly tricky thing to do. Get it right, and you can end up with such icons as BMW’s art cars – but get it wrong, and it’s not hard to end up with an amateurish sketch that looks a little like a heap of old scrap metal.

Ian's work has earned him plenty of notoriety
Ian's work has earned him plenty of notoriety
So it’s a brave man who opts to forge a career out of automotive art. Ian Cook is one such man. You may well have heard of him already; after all, he’s been featured on a selection of TV programmes, radio shows, magazines and websites. Such fame isn’t often accorded to painters of cars, but Ian’s unique style – and the spectacular automotive artwork that has resulted – have caught many people’s attention. You see, Ian paints not with brushes, but with the wheels of remote-controlled cars.

“I’ve painted with cars since 2007,” he says. “I was given a radio controlled model of Lightning McQueen from the film Cars as a Christmas present by an ex-girlfriend, and I was told not to take it down the studio, and not to get paint on it. So... well, I listened to a little bit of that advice!”

Method took trial and error to get right
Method took trial and error to get right
“I started to experiment to see what could be done with cars. I strapped paint pots to the roofs, attached pens to the back of them, painted the wheels – you name it. I soon worked out the best way to paint the artworks was to apply the paint to the paper and let the car drive through it.

“I’ve never really been a ‘traditional’ artist,” he adds. “I can paint with a brush - but haven’t since 2005. My final degree piece was constructed of hundreds of die-cast toy cars individually cut up and reconstructed into a sculpture based on colour - it took 6 months to create.” So, cars are undoubtedly a recurring theme, then? “Yeah, I’ve always been a car enthusiast and motorsport fan,” Ian explains. “Initially I wanted to work within the car industry, and at school I wanted to be a car designer. For me cars are the thing I get maximum enjoyment out of.”

Motorsport images are often Ian's inspiration
Motorsport images are often Ian's inspiration
How does Ian decide which cars to paint, then? “For action shots or motorsport images I have a number of photographer friends who are in the industry who are able to help me source a photo of a particular car if required. If I’m working for a manufacturer or team, they often have press shots of their cars too.” And in the case of the PH Smiley that Ian created at Autosport International, of course, he had the image ingrained on his memory. Good lad.

So, he’s taken the UK by storm with his art; he’s made it onto TV, into the press, and even onto the heady heights of our front page. What’s next? “Recently the Pop Bang Colour Shopopened, so that prints can be purchased online. Over time, this will expand with more products available as Pop Bang Colour merchandise.

Ian's shop now sells prints online
Ian's shop now sells prints online
“I really enjoy creating car wraps and working with a designer to produce them. They’re all very individual – but not all driven by me – so it’s great to have these cars with my artwork on them too. I’d like to do an actual racing car livery at some point, too.”

Bringing cars into the art world – and doing so convincingly – isn’t easy. But Ian appears to have pulled it off with great success. Among so many other automotive artists, he’s managed to stand out from the crowd with work that, thanks to the remarkable way in which it’s created, seems to explode off the canvas. Colour, you might say, which pops and bangs just as much as its subjects.


You can learn more about Ian online, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Images (c) Ian Cook / Vicki Isted Photography

Author
Discussion

Beefmeister

Original Poster:

16,482 posts

229 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
Nice article, always loved his artwork. One day I'll own a car worthy of his talents...

Jaykaybi

3,494 posts

220 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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Ian helped us create the... 'divisive' #BugARTi wrap for Wilton last year. Top bloke, very passionate about what he does.


Gorbyrev

1,160 posts

153 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
Jaykaybi said:
Ian helped us create the... 'divisive' #BugARTi wrap for Wilton last year. Top bloke, very passionate about what he does.

Lovely Veyron - yet more evidence that the Bugatti is the panel van of the hypercar world, set up to take your artwork and signage for that extra special works van!

renaultgeek

473 posts

147 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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Excellent work. Now all he needs to do is an mx5 mk1. plenty of us here to buy prints!

simonigrale

918 posts

205 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
Saw this guy at the new Gallardo launch a few months back. Very talented guy thumbup

sidaorb

5,589 posts

205 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
Love Ian's work, met him at Chelsea Autolegends last year, amazing talent.

Carnnoisseur

531 posts

153 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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Hadn't heard of him until now, but love his work, amazing talent...

Mark-C

5,007 posts

204 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
Had also not heard of him before - liking the look of his work a lot thumbup

vit4

3,507 posts

169 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
Love the look of his work, fantastic stuff smile

HorneyMX5

5,306 posts

149 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
Follow Ian on Instagram and seen him at work at a couple of events. Awesome talent and love all his pieces.

Nick

Glade

4,256 posts

222 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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I really like his Porsche 917 Gulf (Steve McQueen) 1971 No.2

Some time when I'm drunk, or don't think that the mrs will notice, i'm going to get a massive canvas one for the garage!

BlackpoolRock

1,183 posts

151 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
He's also a top bloke to boot ! smile

Paul Dishman

4,676 posts

236 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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We've always enjoyed watching Ian work at the Britcar 24 hour race each year

jamespink

1,218 posts

203 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
quotequote all
Ian Cook = Definition of lovely bloke. Very talented, loves a chat.

LouD86

3,278 posts

152 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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I believe this chap popped into us at work this weekend, and spoke to my colleague! Seemed like a nice chap!

stephen300o

15,464 posts

227 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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Nice interpretation of the PH smilie. Would make a excellent sticker/ shirt.

Stu R

21,410 posts

214 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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Love his work. Prints you say scratchchin

threespires

4,289 posts

210 months

Wednesday 20th March 2013
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kritter86

170 posts

134 months

Thursday 21st March 2013
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Really top bloke and will even let you have a go if you ask nicely. Met him at the Marussia Christmas Party '12

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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So I was searching for another painting of Ians and this old thread came up in an image search.... anyway, the F40 painting in the description was sold a while ago..... Its much bigger than it looks wink