LEW KEILAR
“I’m a sketchbook artist at heart, and that discipline, along with sharing a studio with some great artists, led me to my own visual language — my own unique style.”
Surry Hills has been Lew Keilar’s creative home since 2003, when he moved into a Marlborough Street studio, sharing space with some of Australia’s top illustrators.
Lew has developed his fine-line technique over 15 years, filling travel sketchbooks with drawings that were later refined into digital illustrations and animations.
In addition to his travel-inspired observational work, Lew is a skilled conference sketch artist, portraitist, architectural illustrator, whiteboard animator, and award-winning 2D animator.
His remarkable visualising skills are in demand with creatives and art directors jaded by the limitations of AI-generated renders — particularly those that lack humour or the nuance required to depict difficult or unique concepts.
“I use a minimalist ink technique, valuing economy of line to capture my subjects — but sometimes, I think that of all my skills, suspending my ego has been foundational to being able to create successfully in front of an ‘audience’. From visualising at a creative director’s shoulder to drawing live before a conference audience, or producing complex whiteboard images with the camera running — I’ve trained to be comfortable in the moment and under pressure.”
That same energy drives Lew’s personal pursuits — skiing, surfing, downhill rollerblading, and expressive dance — and feeds the way he creates: dynamically, honestly, and in the moment. Reviewing Lew’s instagram accounts @lewkeilar and @lewsyourself.vr gives unique access to this energy with his remarkable GoPro MAX video photography.
“I’m still evolving as an artist — because I must. In an age of AI-generated imagery, I’ve found that the clarity, speed, and analog authenticity of my hand-drawn work has become not just relevant, but sought-after.”
Clients include: Atlassian, ASIC, BMF, Accenture, Allianz, Clemenger, Deloitte, EY, TELSTRA OPTUS, NBN Co, IAG, Sparkes Helmore, Its FRIDAY, McCanns, Scoundrel, 303 MullenLowe Jack Morton, UNSW, QANTAS, Centenary Institute, Thursday Design, Tasmania Tourism Helicopter Design, SWALSC, Multiplex, Nature Conservation Council, NSW State Library
Representation: The Drawing Arm https://www.thedrawingarm.com.au/
Studio: 51/61 Marlborough Street Surry Hills 2010
Purchase art:
ARTISANS’ NEST 315 King Street Newtown 2042
WRAPPED IN THOUGHT 68 Foveaux Street Surry Hills 2010
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