Rob Flowers - Cliftonville Kings Collection

Hey Rob, thank you so much for working on this project with us would you be so kind as to talk us through your dream baseball team?

Hey guys, thanks for asking, it’s been a really fun project to collaborate on. Well, unsurprisingly, if you’ve ever seen my work or Instagram before, I’m a big fan of mascots so that was the starting point for the team. I decided that I wanted my team and mascots to be inspired by where I live in Cliftonville, so there’s a Sun, seaweed, grumpy seagull, shell and a dog poop character in the set. 

How do you usually come up with ideas when taking on a new project? Do they come quite easily?

It really depends on the job, sometimes they come super easy and other times you have to work a bit harder. I’ve been a freelance illustrator for over 15 years now so I know the ups and downs with getting ideas and have found the best way is to just keep drawing and trying things out and eventually you’ll hit on the right idea. 

What is your biggest source of inspiration and do you take inspiration for your characters from any people or relationships from your personal life?

There are so many different places  but my the first place I look to for inspiration is my collection of vintage toys. I have a large collection that I refer to when designing characters. I tend to not design characters based on real people though I have done character designs of Tinie Tempah and The Kaiser Chiefs before! 

Would you mind sharing something about your work or personal life that may surprise us?

Oh that’s a tough one. Er, I can’t click my fingers and I only learnt to swim a couple of years ago. Also I recently had my family tree traced and my great ancestors were noted glassmakers who made the stained glass for the original Palace of Westminster, which burned down in 1834.

What are you most looking forward to in the next 12 months?

If we can, definitely going on a holiday out of the country - literally anywhere will be amazing.