MR MEAD

SURREAL ART DIRECTOR

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  • Surreal hand-drawn tower of mismatched buildings stacked vertically, with an eerie glow, combining traditional ink detail and digital colour.

    Game concept

  • Game concept ‘Silt’

    Game concept ‘Silt’

  • Dark, foggy cityscape featuring towering, dilapidated buildings with glowing windows. Barren trees and misty atmosphere create an eerie, mysterious tone.

    Game concept

  • Creepy, grinning surreal creature with glowing yellow eyes emerging from darkness, outlined in heavy ink and red glow. Macabre character design of a grinning, wide-eyed creature with multiple limbs emerging from below. Rendered in greys and reds, it captur

    Game concept

  • Bright red mechanical spider in a dystopian laboratory, lit with orange industrial tones, rendered in detailed 2D illustration

    Game concept

  • Dark industrial machine workshop with heavy machinery and a large light in centre, filled with pipes and hidden details in ink and digital layers. Steampunk and cold and dirty.

    Game concept

  • A giant, surreal creature with glowing eyes and a turret on its back stands in misty water, confronting a lone figure on a foggy pier. Eerie, mysterious atmosphere.

    Game concept

  • Eerie black stick-like figures suspended mid-air in a glowing purple forest, creating a ghostly and dreamlike atmosphere

    Game concept

  • Steam punk Bunny man scientist cutting open a lake creature in his laboratory. Dirty science lab industrial backdrop, painted in rich digital texture with pen strokes.

    Game concept

  • A monochrome king sitting in a large throne in a misty throne room. The poisonous mist lingers in the air.

    Game concept

  • Multiple characters sitting in a smoking room. Masked men in suits drinking strange concoctions and smoking shishas. There is a strange character looking awkward as a waiter on the left hand side.

    Game concept

  • Surreal figure with elongated limbs and checkered pattern poses in a dark, textured space. The atmosphere is eerie and mysterious.

    Game concept

  • Surreal artwork of a horned creature holding a glowing bulb, surrounded by mystical symbols and shadowy shelves of books and bottles, conveys mystery.

    Game concept

  • Alien figure with elongated limbs stands on desert terrain, enveloped in swirling green and purple sky. Vibrant, otherworldly atmosphere.

    Game concept

  • An anthropomorphic character with rabbit ears, wearing a blue robe, sits surrounded by stacks of papers, reading a scroll. The dim lighting suggests a mysterious, contemplative mood.

    Game concept

  • Dilapidated wooden house with glowing windows inside a large industrial warehouse. Chains, barrels, and pipes surround the eerie scene.

    Game concept

  • Industrial scene with a grated platform and red pipes against a yellow-lit background. Chains hang from above, with a pile of dead fish on the right.

    Game concept

  • Game concept

    Game concept

  • Tall, dark tower with glowing windows stands alone, enveloped in mist and surrounded by a swirling, cloudy night sky, conveying mystery and isolation.

    Game concept

  • Monochrome cityscape with crooked buildings, glowing windows, and fog. A lone wolf-like figure stands in the foreground, conveying a sense of isolation.

    ‘Sylex quarters’ Game concept

  • Futuristic cityscape with towering buildings, intricate machinery, and bridges, bathed in a cool blue light creating a mysterious, industrial atmosphere.

    Animated film background

  • Front of a black playing card showing a stylized cat with large eyes, labeled "Memory Cat," against a dark background. Back features a geometric pattern.

    Game concept

  • A vintage diver in an old-fashioned suit swims in a dark ocean, surrounded by glowing, flower-like orbs on the seabed, creating an eerie, mysterious ambience.

    ‘Silt’ Game concept

  • Game concept

    Game concept

  • Game concept

    Game concept

  • Game concept

    Game concept

  • Game concept

    Game concept

  • Game concept sketches

    Game concept sketches

  • Game creature concept sketches

    Game creature concept sketches

  • Game concept

    Game concept

  • Game concept thumbnail

    Game concept thumbnail

  • Game concept thumbnail

    Game concept thumbnail

  • Animation model sheet

    Animation model sheet

  • ‘Silt’ Machine prop designs

    ‘Silt’ Machine prop designs

  • ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

    ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

  • ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

    ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

  • ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

    ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

  • ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

    ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

  • ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

    ‘Silt’ Abyss concept designs

  • Revolution layout design

    Revolution layout design

  • Revolution layout design

    Revolution layout design

  • Revolution layout design

    Revolution layout design

  • Revolution layout design

    Revolution layout design

  • Revolution layout design

    Revolution layout design

  • A bar with an extensive selection of drinks is framed by whimsical monochrome murals of cartoon figures with elongated arms and bird companions. The scene has a playful and eclectic atmosphere.

    Gallimaufry bar & restaurant mural. Bristol, UK

  • Street art at ONCA Gallery: A whimsical black-and-white mural depicts a striped creature holding theatrical masks, evoking creativity and playfulness.

    Onca gallery. Brighton, UK

  • A whimsical mural depicts a cartoon wolf with exaggerated eyes wearing a striped sweater and hat, flying a kite. The tone is playful and surreal.

    Side street studios mural. Cape Town, South Africa

  • A black and white mural on a brick wall depicts a stylized, elongated figure with animalistic features and a striped outfit, suggesting movement and whimsy.

    Bristol UK pub mural

  • Graffiti mural of a large, skeletal dog with exaggerated features on a black wall. Its eye-catching design and surreal elements add a playful tone.

    PRSC mural, Bristol UK

  • Street art featuring a whimsical, stylized fox in a suit sitting on a stool, with headphones. set in a coastal area.

    Stöðvarfjörður Eastern Iceland Mural

  • Fish factory mural - Penryn UK

    Fish factory mural - Penryn UK

  • Side street studios Cape Town 2015

    Side street studios Cape Town 2015

  • Pen and ink drawing of a pair of characters with huge elongated arms. Black background. Two elongated, abstract figures with cat-like ears stand closely, juggling spiral objects. The scene is monochrome with an eerie, surreal tone.

    ‘Cavendish Cousins’

  • Abstract black and white ink illustration of diver man falling through sea like setting in minimal and moody in composition.

    ‘Deep Dive’

  • Dark, surreal illustration of two humanoid figures with elongated heads. One covers the other's face with its hand. A glowing orb sits on a table between them.

    ‘Face reading’

  • A person with a gramophone head sits reading. Above, three skeletal deer with antlers intertwine, creating a surreal and eerie atmosphere against a dark background.

    ‘Mind Candy’

  • Creepy clowns with exaggerated grins and stripped outfits crouch around a glowing puddle in a dark forest, creating an eerie, unsettling atmosphere.

    ‘Rutilans pool’

  • A figure stands in a dark, intricately drawn forest with twisted trees. A beam of light illuminates them, creating a mysterious, eerie atmosphere.

    ‘The wildwoods of Colandrith McGee’

  • Two surreal, striped creatures with horn-like protrusions and hollow eyes. One emits a beam of light from its mouth, creating a mysterious and eerie atmosphere.

    ‘Wotsits first light’

  • Dark illustration of two identical, shadowy cat figures with glowing eyes, standing under umbrellas against a textured, mysterious background.

    ‘They waited in the pines’

  • Surreal illustration of a person with striped, elongated nose carrying a smaller figure on their head. The tone is dark and melancholic.

    ‘It died in the storm’ - Inktober

  • A surreal black and white illustration depicts a figure with an elongated, flowing head resembling water or flames. The body is simple, wearing a dark sleeveless outfit. The mood is mysterious and dreamlike.

    Inktober

  • A dark, surreal illustration of a cat-like figure with glowing eyes, projecting light onto a small, scared figure trapped in a glass dome. The scene conveys tension and mystery.

    ‘The lighthouse cat’

  • A monochrome illustration shows a woman sitting on a hammock in the night sky. Surrounding her are white stars, a crescent moon, and a red grassy area below.

    Personal piece

  • Abstract drawing of an owl with human-like legs wearing pants and suspenders against a black background. The tone is whimsical and surreal.

    ‘Bowl’

  • Two abstract, faceless figures with textured bodies sit at a table, holding a brain connected by tubes to their heads, conveying surreal and introspective tones. They are on a date and sucking on their tubes like in lady and the tramp.

    ‘Hot Date’

  • Surreal black and white drawing of three bird-like mechanical figures with elongated beaks and limbs, peering at a basketball on a dark background.

    ‘The Mandis connection’

  • Surreal black-and-white illustration of animal-headed figures in formal attire sitting at a lavish banquet, exuding an eerie and mysterious tone.

    ‘The Banquet of the child beast’

  • A tall, thin figure with a horn-like head stands in shadowy grass, facing a bright yellow rectangle. The scene is dark and mysterious, with purple and yellow hues.

    ‘Vortex’

  • ‘Morris Pompsom’

    ‘Morris Pompsom’

  • Woods of Alain. Charcoal on paper

    Woods of Alain. Charcoal on paper

  • Life drawing

    Life drawing

  • Surreal black and white illustration of a figure with a pointed nose, sitting and holding a small animal, gazing at a floating, faceless figure with flowing hair. The starry night sky adds a mysterious, whimsical tone.

    ‘Saptan Stories’ - Aardman Animations

  • Black and white monochrome wood with castle in the centre of it. A man looks on at it, towards a glowing white lake that illuminates the entire structure. The drawing is very detailed with many markings and shading.

    Editorial Illustration for Cosmic Horror Monthly

  • A dark woodland scene illuminated by a little girl holding a lamp in the middle of the scene. She seems scared with a group of woodland monsters surrounding her watching her come deeper into the forest.

    ‘The woods of harrishensler’

  • Green-lit surreal character standing beside repeated neon text reading ‘Character Matters’, drawn with eerie stylised features.

    Pictoplasma character matters entry

  • Pink rabbit label design

    Pink rabbit label design

  • Set of custom illustrated playing cards with black and white surreal creatures in twisted character poses, designed with bold ink contrast.

    ‘Darker Suits’ card pack

  • Pointy-hatted boy perched on a stool floating in a deep blue void, holding glowing stars in a whimsical surreal gesture.

    ‘Dunceton’ - Personal piece

  • Character with umbrella sitting atop a jagged block mountain under a burning orange sky, surrealist children’s book style illustration.

    ‘Lonely boxes’ - Personal piece

  • A blue shark attached to a virtual reality machine with a man underneath controlling the movements of the shark. He is in the sharks mind.

    ‘VR Shark’ - Shark trust charity illustration

  • Black and white gin label with a prominent tree design featuring interwoven branches and roots. Text includes "1897 Quinine Gin" and charity donation details.

    ‘Masters of Malt’ Gin Label

  • ‘Masters of Malt’ Gin Label Product shot

    ‘Masters of Malt’ Gin Label Product shot

  • A dark, eerie forest scene with two robotic figures. One with a scarf, antennae, and glowing eyes on the left; another with pointy ears and stripes on the right.

    ‘The day they met another’

  • Editorial piece

    Editorial piece

  • Woods of Alain. Charcoal on paper

    Woods of Alain. Charcoal on paper

  • Human sketches

    Human sketches

  • Human sketches

    Human sketches

  • ‘Gumbaroo’ - The Fearsome creatures of the lumber woods book illustration

    ‘Gumbaroo’ - The Fearsome creatures of the lumber woods book illustration

  • ‘Whintosser’ - The Fearsome creatures of the lumber woods book illustration

    ‘Whintosser’ - The Fearsome creatures of the lumber woods book illustration

  • A tattoo of my ‘Banquet of the child beast’ piece.

    A tattoo of my ‘Banquet of the child beast’ piece.

  • A tattoo of my ‘Mamooth Jack’ piece

    A tattoo of my ‘Mamooth Jack’ piece

SPIRAL CIRCUS GAMES

  • Www.spiralcircusgames.com

’SILT’

‘Silt’, an atmospheric puzzle-adventure game, was released on June 1, 2022. This was my first art directorial debut into games and our first outing as a games company. We founded ‘Spiral Circus’ in 2018 to put a spotlight onto making weird art driven games.Published by Fireshine Games, it is available now on PC (Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store) and consoles (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch).
The game features a diver exploring a dark, surreal underwater world where they can possess sea creatures to solve puzzles and uncover mysteries.
This was an incredible project to direct and we had a lot of fun making it. To say it was an experience would be an understatement, once I got into the wonderful world of games I got hooked and I am excited to make more titles.

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  • ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

    ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

  • ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

    ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

  • ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

    ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

  • ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

    ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

  • Monolith detail

    Monolith detail

  • ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

    ‘Silt’ Trafalgar Square monolith

  • ‘Wireframe magazine cover’ 2022

    ‘Wireframe magazine cover’ 2022

  • WASD Games festival 2022 - Window display

    WASD Games festival 2022 - Window display

Silt made the cover of Wireframe magazine and was showcased in the London games festival official selection 2022. This was a large show in the middle of Trafalgar Square. For this I was asked to design a 6foot large four sided monolith print which showcased the game. It was very well received and we also used it again for WASD show. It was organised meticulously by Fireshine Games and London Games festival hosted it for us.

’CYREN’

(In development)

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Tom is a traditional and digital illustrator with 16 years of experience across a wide range of varied projects. Driven by a passion for the surreal and otherworldly, his distinctive style has helped him get noticed by Aardman animations, Workman press, Juxtapoz magazine and more.He is the Art Director at Spiral Circus Games, whose debut title ‘Silt’ gained international recognition - praised by The Guardian as “the most beautiful game of 2022” and featured in Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase.Working primarily in pen, ink, marker, and more recently Procreate. If your project needs a beautifully strange twist, feel free to get in touch.(Educated at the Arts Institute in Bournemouth Animation Production and grew up in a forest in Cornwall.)

Feel free to contact about prices or commissions of any size.
For mural enquires send dimensions and if possible a photo of the wall, the more information here the better.Sign up to my newsletter below for exclusive discounts and first look on upcoming projects.

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Email: Mrmead@mrmead.co.uk

Mrmead@mrmead.co.uk

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© Copyright Tom Mead 2025