Awards

Strengths

Affilitations

Go check out...

Carved in Stone. A book blending visual encyclopedia and roleplaying resource, exploring contemporary research about Scotland's ancient Pictish people.In partnership with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Interface and Glasgow University.

• Available Now!!

Freelance

I am available for work!Bring me on for bright, clean and informative layout design and art direction. I have broad experience across commercial, event, academic, informative and games projects.A a member of the Scottish Artists' Union, I base my rates off of their recommendations.Discretionary discounted rates are available for disabled, queer and marginalised clients, and work that seems too cool to miss out on.

• e-mail me !

Ongoing Projects

Freelance Illustration
Under NDA. Wish I could say more!

TAGS Fest - 2022 - Present
Graphic Design, Art Direction, Copy Writing, Advertising, Support

Past Projects

Edinburgh Festival Fringe - 2026
Graphic Design, Accessibility Consultation, Copy writing.Tunnels & Trolls 2E - 2025 - 2026
Illustration, World BuildingCarved in Stone - 2020 - 2026
Writing, Graphic Design, Illustration, Accessibility, Art DirectionECAF - 2024
Graphic Design, Art Direction, Copy Writing, Advertising, SupportScurry: Heists in the Undergrowth - 2025
Writing, Graphic Design, Illustration, Accessibility, Art DirectionMake Your Mark - 2023 - 2025
Graphic Design, Accessibility ConsultationVAST Guides - 2023
Development, Writing, Graphic DesignBorder Riding - 2023
Development, Graphic DesignOne Breath Left - 2023
Development, Graphic Design, IllustrationApawthecaria - 2022
Writing, Graphic Design, IllustrationScurry - 2021
Writing, Graphic Design, IllustrationVice & Virtue - 2021
Writing, Graphic DesignIn the Red - 2020
Writing, Graphic Design

• see examples in my portfolio

Contact

Email. [email protected]
Phone. 07864 610 807

Good at

Graphics & Print. InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Lightroom, Premier Pro, After Effects, ProCreate.Project Management. Budgeting, multi-tasking across projects, scheduling deadlines, contracts.Art Direction. Writing briefs, providing developmental crit, communicating expectations, navigating overlapping deadlines, soft social skills.Office skills. Word/Docs, Excel/Sheets, Powerpoint/Slides. Presenting and public speaking.Crafts. Printing, cutting and assembling mock-ups and dioramas.PDF Remediation. NVDA Screen Reader, Apple VoiceOver, FOXIT PDF Editor, Acrobat Pro.Production & Sale. Online retail (Click & Drop, Shopify, Square). Crowdfunding (BackerKit, Kickstarter). Retailer and distributor arrangements in Europe and USA. Keeping in my postie’s good graces.Events & Sales. Operating sales at local and international conventions.

Experience

Stout Stoat Press. 2019 - Present.
A self-started publishing imprint, with a portfolio of internationally award-winning games that are accessible, easy to learn, and platforming the voices of early career authors and entry-level illustrators. I've honed stress-tested resilience to thrive with crowdfunding, local and international fulfilment, events operation and sales.

Small Press Scotland CIC. 2025 - Present.
Co-director, fund bid writer and project manager. Contributing to organisation of free creator community resources and accessible events; see also Sequential Scotland and TAGS Festival.

TAGS Festival. 2022 - Present.
Co-organiser. Duties include event production, graphic design, financial management, advertisement, exhibitor curation, and sponsorship liaisons, among other duties.Additionally, I am responsible for data collection, analysis and the writing our annual reports.
Read our past reports here: 2025, 2024, 2023.

ECAF. 2024.
Guest organiser, responsible for graphic design, event production, advertisement, and exhibitor curation.

LUSH Cosmetics. 2010 - 2018, multiple roles.

Certifications as fire marshal and first aider. (Now expired).

BA Illustration Hons. Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. 2013 - 2016. 1st.

Neat stuff

Awards nominations and wins from the ENNIES, The Awards, Dianna Jones, Creative Edinburgh.
Now Play This. 2024 exhibition, London.
Conventions Thought Bubble, MCM London & Birmingham, UKGE, Tabletop Scotland, CYMERA Edinburgh, Dundee Comic Con.
Workshops for: V&A Dundee, The Welcoming, Edinburgh Central Libraries, Glasgow Life Services.
Summer camp for PALS Kids Summer, 2020 and 2021.
Member of Disclosure Scotland's PVG Scheme.

as graphic designer

"Couldn’t recommend him more highly! He consistently met every deadline and kept the project running smoothly with his organised, proactive approach. He communicated clearly throughout and brought key expertise in inclusive design to the project. He transformed dense, information-heavy content into a clear and engaging layout. Since publication, we’ve received multiple pieces of positive feedback on the design - a real testament to his skill and thoughtful approach!"

Erin Burke
Make Your Mark in Volunteering

as art director

"Brian is an excellent art director to work with as an artist. Their briefs are the clearest and most comprehensive I've had the pleasure of working with, and they know how to find the particular approach to an art brief that will allow an artist to shine within a larger project. In the several projects I've worked on with Brian I found them to be approachable, professional and organised, and I look forward to working with them in future."

Letty Wilson
Freelance Illustrator

as illustrator

"Brian is a rare illustrator who not only understands a brief, but transforms it. He approaches every project with insight and imagination, delivering work that feels truer to the vision than what I had imagined myself. Each piece reveals something new about the world I’m building."

Filip Hartelius
Rebellion Unplugged

Carved in Stone

A Storyteller's Guide to the Picts

A comprehensive visual encyclopaedia digesting much of what is currently known about 7th Century Pictland and the ancient precedents to Scotland who lived there. Through its pages you will see, touch, taste, hear and smell your way through everything that modern scholars currently know of the Picts’ enigmatic culture.Produced in partnership with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the University of Glasgow, and with support from across the Pictish academic sector.

Writing Art direction Graphic design
Illustration Visual Accessibility
Project management Prepress Publicity

Also check out: Lead Researcher Dr Heather Christise (ArchaeoPlays).

Flexicover book, 160 pages, 260mm x 300mm

"It's basically the best book on the Picts ever written. It brings the Picts to life more effectively than any other depiction I've yet seen"Dr. Adrián Maldonado
National Museums Scotland

"[This book] stitches landscapes, languages, foodways and social structures into a coherent, vivid whole. Even better, it does so through an approach that I find increasingly essential; storytelling not as ornament, but as a way of thinking."Dr. Girolamo Derdinando De Simone
DPhil Oxford University, the Apolline Project

"A fresh perspective which is wonderfully creative yet grounded in thorough research and accessible in our age. The Picts emerge from the shadows and step forward in technicolour."Prof. Katherine Forsyth
University of Glasgow

Border Riding

A collaborative history-building game about borders and small communities

A game about drawing maps, printed on a large fold-out hiker's map. Accompanied by a 24-page risograph essay, On Common Riding, and accessible digital booklet versions of the game.Jo pitched this tactile game to me as an exploration of Common Riding traditions from the Scottish Border's. It ended up being so much more. Thanks to the teachers who emailed me to say they used this game to open conversations about Palestine with students ♥

Project management Developmental editing
Art direction Graphic design Visual accessibility Prepress

Also check out: Author (Jo), Illustrator (Eli/Goyagoat), Editor (Roz), Sensitivity Consultant (Penny), Printer (Dennis Maps)

Folding sheet, 890mm x 1,000mm (hiker's map style)
24-page zine, 105mm x 200mm

TAGS FEST

Tabletop and Graphic Storytelling Festival

Now in its fourth year, TAGS Fest is an arts festival aiming a spotlight on Scotland's small press and solo publishers in the comics, zine, graphic novel, roleplaying and boardgame genres.Hosted at the Out Of The Blue Drill Hall in Leith, TAGS Fest returns on the 17th of October 2026.For more details, see the TAGS Fest website.

Project management Copy writing Art direction Graphic design Visual accessibility Prepress Advertising Exhibitor support

Also check out: Co-organiser (Eve), Partners (Ancient Robot, La Belle Adventure), Venue (OOTB Drill Hall)

Poster, adverts, signage, merchandise and window displays

Scurry

Heists in the Undergrowth

A set of three new heists for players to embark on with the all-ages roleplaying game, Scurry!

Project management Developmental editing
Art direction Illustration Graphic design
Visual accessibility Prepress Motion graphics
Sound editing Advertising

Also check out: Authors (Steph, Elliot, Yubi), Illustrators (Yasmin, VER, Letty), Editor (Roz).

Staple-bound zine, 36 pages, 210mm x 148mm

Scurry

A Game That Gathers Speed

A roleplaying game of that takes you through Scotland’s verdant under brush like you’ve never been able to before—as wee beasts!Players race against the clock, face conflicts and resolve them with imaginative solutions while trying to complete their goal before succumbing to exhaustion.

Project management Writing Developmental editing
Art direction Illustration Graphic design
Visual Accessibility Prepress

Also check out: Illustrators (Fraser, VER, Atlanta), Editors (Vi, Roz).

Hardcover book, 108 pages, 210mm x 148mm

One Breath Left

A Solo Survival Journaling Game

Play as an Explorer, attempting to determine what happened aboard a now-abandoned spaceship, known as the Wreck. With each step, you’ll document what you find while trying to avoid a perilous fate, and count every breath you take (in case it becomes your last!)For more details, see the TAGS website.

Project management Copy writing Art direction Graphic design Visual accessibility Prepress Animation

Also check out: Author (Ian Howard)

Box set with slipband, three booklets, deck of cards, and meeple.

Edinburgh Fringe

Enhanced Performance Guide 2026

Acting as a companion to the freely distributed paper guide, the Enhanced Performance Guide served as a dedicated programme of events featuring accessibility accommodations at Fringe 2026.This enhanced guide featured a neurodivergent and visually accessible approach, with large text, clear visuals, and more thorough event listings than in the free paper guide.Deliverables included colour and B&W tagged PDFs, and large-format print files.Edinburgh Festival Fringe website (2026 snapshot)

Graphic design Visual accessibility Prepress
Data Processing

Thanks to Albany and Sofia for being so warm and welcoming to work with!

Digital and perfect bound books, 212 pages, 210mm x 297mm

Make Your Mark

Toolkit and Report on Inclusive Volunteering

Toolkit with form fillable worksheets, and project report on the research behind it. Aiming for pared-back layouts that work in print and on the web.
Make Your Mark website

Graphic design Visual accessibility Prepress
Web design (basic and functional)

Thanks to Erin for being a wonderful project manager for both Versions 1 and 2.

Perfect bound folios, 64 and 60 pages, 210mm x 297mm

Visual Accessibility
Skills & Tools

A toolkit with information, tutorials, step-by-step graphics, and examples of how to implement visual accessibility tools in PDF design.VAST Guides websiteAlso check out: Yubi Coates, lead consultant.

Writing Video design Graphic design Visual accessibility Web design (basic and functional)

Website & Tutorial Videos

Hello!I’m Brian Tyrrell. I am a multi-faceted and broadly skilled creator. Though I think of myself primarily as a graphic designer and art director, I have additional credits as an author and illustrator. I currently work part-time on community projects for Small Press Scotland, for freelance clients, and operate my own book-and-games publishing imprint, Stout Stoat Press.As a designer, my strengths lie in clear, easy to follow layouts that prioritise legibility and functionality. I am also trained in visual accessibility tools for PDF production, and can test their function using NVDA.I would look forward to discussing publishing in the Scottish scene with you further. I'm available over email, call, or in person.You can see my full CV and portfolio with the buttons below, and I've also prepared some relevant project samples further down this page.

• cv
• portfolio

Clear and informative
Carved in Stone

As the output of a years-long partnership with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, I wrote, directed, and published Carved in Stone. It is a comprehensive visual encyclopaedia that aims to digest much of the complex academic understandings we have today about the Picts, who were one of the ancient preceding cultures to modern-day Scotland. The book uses plain language and detailed illustrations to cut through the uncertainty common in contemporary academic writing, and makes history accessible to everyday people like you and me.Carved in Stone is the product of a collaboration with the University of Glasgow, and many foremost Pictish and early medieval academics in Scotland.For this project, text and artwork had to go hand in hand, conveying complex information in ways all ages can approach. Each topic in the book contains a combination of fiction and non-fiction text, blended with diagrams, scenes, and spot illustrations to tie them all together.

"It's basically the best book on the Picts ever written. It brings the Picts to life more effectively than any other depiction I've yet seen"Dr. Adrián Maldonado
National Museums Scotland

Rich and visual

Two of Stout Stoat Press' more popular titles include Scurry! and Apawthecaria, a pair of all-ages roleplaying games that encourage players to write, tell and explore the fantastical lives of animals living in Scotland's wilderness.These books feature adventures ranging from delightful (rescuing bugnapped butterflies), to nail-biting (exploring a car teetering on a cliff-edge), through to heroic (saving an animal-town from a fight between a wolf and a bear).Inspired by traditional animal stories like Aesop's Fables and modern classics like Brian Jaque's Redwall series, I wanted their aesthetics to be enchanting, wholesome, and whimsical, while still prioritising legibility to encourage confidence in all readers.

Confident artworking
TAGS Festival, Edinburgh

As part of the organising team behind TAGS Fest, now in its 4th year, I am responsible for the event's graphic design, branding, website, and advertising.Each year we operate on a tight budget with little margin for error, so every asset commissioned needs to serve as many different uses as possible, without feeling stale, and while looking recognisable at a glance. Word of mouth has helped our event grow significantly over the last few years, and our bold graphics help establish an approachable and friendly, yet professional atmosphere.Here you can see our mainline poster, and the ways I've repurposed elements of a single image across formats. These skills originally came from my work in small press, where we have to be equally economical with our effort and execution.

Motion graphics

I created this catchy trailer from scratch over four days, for the crowdfunding launch of Scurry's third edition. Within seconds, it needed to catch an idle viewer's attention, set the tone, explain the concept of the game and how it was played, and summarise what fans could expect to receive by pledging to different tiers within the campaign.I sourced the original 5 minute track from Epidemic Sound, and mixed its separate stems down to a punchy 1 ½ minutes. I drew or processed all of the graphics myself, and animated them using a combination of Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Pro, and After Effects.

Screen Reader Accessibility

in 2023, after a successful Creative Scotland bid, I developed the Visual Accessibility Skills and Tools website, or VAST Guides. It is a free toolkit to help small press and independent designers to make their digital files accessible to screen readers, primarily as an aid for visually impaired readers.VAST covers not just tools available in Adobe InDesign and Acrobat Pro, but also the background behind how visual impairment works, and how screen readers work, empowering designers to work critically and proactively in their design.This website is filled with information, tutorials, step-by-step graphics, and case study examples, produced in consultation with visually impaired disability advocates.