Brian Tyrrell
Writer, Art Director & Graphic Designer
Awards
Creative Edinburgh 2025 (Nominee)
The Awards 2024 (Winner)
ENNIES 2024 (Nominee)
ENNIES 2023 (Winner)
The Awards 2023 (Winner)
ENNIES 2022 (Nominee)
Dianna Jones Emerging Designer 2022 (Nominee)
Favourite son '95-'23 (Dethroned when my transitioned)
Strengths
Bold & legible layout
Confident project management and functional feedback
Jack-of-all-trades helps foresee cross-disciplinary problems
Delightful convention displays and dioramas
Affilitations
Currently Working On...
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.
Freelance
I am a member of the Scottish Artists' Union, and 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 pass up.
Ongoing Projects
TAGS Fest - 2023 - Present
Graphic Design, Art Direction, Copy Writing, Advertising, Support
ECAF - 2024 - Present
Graphic Design, Art Direction, Copy Writing, Advertising, Support
Past Projects
Scurry: 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
Deets
Email. [email protected]
Please message for more contact information if required.
Good at
Graphics & Print. InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Lightroom, Premier Pro, After Effects.Project Management. Word/Docs, Excel/Sheets, Powerpoint/Slides.PDF Remediation. NVDA Screen Reader, Apple VoiceOver, FOXIT PDF Editor, Acrobat Pro.Production & Wholesale. Click & Drop, 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 such as MCM London, UKGE, Thought Bubble, and Tabletop Scotland.
Experience
Stout Stoat Press. 2018 - 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 level illustrators. 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 Sequential Scotland and TAGS Fest.
TAGS Festival. 2022 - Present.
Co-organiser. Duties include event production, graphic design, financial management, advertisement, exhibitor curation, and sponsorship liaisons, among other responsibilities.Responsible for data collection and assessment for our annual reports.
Read our past reports here: 2025, 2024, 2023.
ECAF. 2024.
Guest organiser, responsible for event production, advertisement, exhibitor curation, and sponsorship liaisons.
LUSH Cosmetics 2010 - 2018, multiple roles.
Artworker. Christmas range 2017/18, product packaging, social media.
Retail management. Part of the team at Cambridge, then the 2nd highest profit store (including rent) in the UK. Key holder. Hiring and training staff, banking, stock management and forecasting, store front organisation, social media, visual merchandising, reporting store takings.
Events coordinator. Overseeing teams of 20+ staff at London debut events, delivering bespoke experiences to strict schedules and changing demands.
Certifications as fire marshal and first aider. (Now expired).
BA Illustration Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. 2013 - 2016. 1st (with honours).
Neat stuff
Awards nominations and wins from the ENNIES, The Awards, Dianna Jones, Creative Edinburgh.
Now Play This. 2024 exhibition, London.
Events exhibited at include Thought Bubble, MCM London & Birmingham, 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.
Some images may load in a little later depending on internet connection and bandwidth.
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)
Scurry
Heists in the Undergrowth
36 page staple-bound zine, containing new adventures for the roleplaying game Scurry!Watch the trailer on youtube.
Project management Developmental editing
Art direction Illustration Graphic design
Visual accessibility Prepress
Also check out: Authors (Steph, Elliot, Yubi), Illustrators (Yasmin, VER, Letty), Editor (Roz).
Scurry
A Game That Gathers Speed
108 page hard cover book, with core rules, setting guide, and pre-made heists for crafty beasts.
Project management Writing Developmental editing
Art direction Illustration Graphic design
Visual Accessibility Prepress
Also check out: Illustrators (Fraser, VER, Atlanta), Editors (Vi, Roz).
TAGS FEST
Tabletop and Graphic Storytelling Festival
Now in its third year, TAGS 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.Located in the heart of Edinburgh at the Fruitmarket, taking place 25th and 26th October 2025.For more details, see the TAGS 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 (Fruitmarket)
Make Your Mark
Toolkit and Report on Inclusive Volunteering
64 page toolkit with form fillable worksheets, and 60 page 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.
HEY, STUDIOARC! I WANNA BE YOUR
Junior Graphic Designer
About Me
Hiya! I'm Brian Tyrrell, a multi-award graphic designer, art director and communicator. I'm primarily self taught, through self generated projects and freelance work with UK and USA-based agencies and publishers.Since 2018 I've run Stout Stoat Press, a self-started publishing imprint, with a portfolio of internationally lauded roleplaying games. My titles focus on platforming the voices of early career authors and level illustrators at accessible price points. For Stout Stoat, I most enjoy developing printed books and layouts that break complicated rules and concepts down into easy to learn steps, paired with bright and immersive illustrations that expand what the text is saying, rather than repeating it.I am also a founding member of Small Press Scotland CIC, putting on creator-focused market and community events in Edinburgh and Glasgow since 2023. I support my co-organisers by creating eye-catching adverts and visuals, to-scale exhibition floor plans, intuitive events signage, and informative visitor guide booklets.You can think of me as a glutton for narratives, and a scrappy underdog. I'm used to delivering big ideas on shoe-string budgets, and try to temper my ambitions with my personal passion to serve, educate and uplift the people around me. My breadth of experience lets me see the forest for the trees, anticipate problems from different angles, and devise solutions that take everyone's cortisol levels into consideration.I've prepared this specific page of highlights for you, but please do have a flick through my design portfolio and full CV too!
The Role
Developing design concepts
A comprehensive visual encyclopedia exploring early medieval Pictish society. 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.Press: BBC, Hearld, Scotsman
Creating clear, engaging layouts
Fast paced all-ages appropriate heists, set in a world where animals have inherited the earth. Players race against the clock, face conflicts and resolve them with imaginative solutions while trying to complete their goals before succumbing to exhaustion!
Supporting exhibition graphics
A map-drawing game about boundaries, how we mark them and who we include or exclude from them. Rooted in the Common Ridings festivals in the Scottish Borders, this game can be about any community, and take place at any time, in any setting. Scribble your town now!
Preparing artwork for print
A comprehensive visual encyclopedia exploring early medieval Pictish society. 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.Press: BBC, Hearld, Scotsman
Contributing to brand identity
Fast paced all-ages appropriate heists, set in a world where animals have inherited the earth. Players race against the clock, face conflicts and resolve them with imaginative solutions while trying to complete their goals before succumbing to exhaustion!
Creating marketing assets
A map-drawing game about boundaries, how we mark them and who we include or exclude from them. Rooted in the Common Ridings festivals in the Scottish Borders, this game can be about any community, and take place at any time, in any setting. Scribble your town now!
Innovating with packaging design
A comprehensive visual encyclopedia exploring early medieval Pictish society. 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.Press: BBC, Hearld, Scotsman
Supporting studio administration
Fast paced all-ages appropriate heists, set in a world where animals have inherited the earth. Players race against the clock, face conflicts and resolve them with imaginative solutions while trying to complete their goals before succumbing to exhaustion!
Other essential bits
Strong design skills in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
Motion animation and video editing skills in Adobe Premier Pro and After Effects.
Experienced artist using ProCreate.
Based in Broughton, can work in Leith studio in person full time.
BA Illustration, Anglia Ruskin 2013-206
Other cool stuff
Main Webstore
itch.io page
PDFs for you to browse
PLEASE LET ME COME TO
Thought Bubble 2026
Hey Thought Bubble Team!I genuinely love Thought Bubble as a show so much. I've exhibited at the show before and I would really like to come back again in 2026.I want to extend a huge thank you to Steve and Martha from last year's event. I'd just debuted Carved in Stone, and been overwhelmed by a lot of positive press, and also a lot of backlash from alt-right news sources. Being able to just chat with the organisers put my mind at ease, I feel like Thought Bubble is the kindest and safest con I exhibit at. You both made me feel so normal for being cautious, and it set me up for a great weekend!-- Brian
About Me
I'm Brian Tyrrell, a multi-award winning games designer, writer, graphic designer and art director. I run Stout Stoat Press, a roleplaying game publisher based in Edinburgh, Scotland. I also do freelance work for a few larger publishers in the UK and USA. I'm queer and autistic, and take those perspectives into my work.
Exhibition display
Click to zoom! This is from Thought Bubble 2025.
What am I bringing?
Carved in Stone
A comprehensive visual encyclopedia exploring early medieval Pictish society. 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.Press: BBC, Hearld, Scotsman
Scurry
Fast paced all-ages appropriate heists, set in a world where animals have inherited the earth. Players race against the clock, face conflicts and resolve them with imaginative solutions while trying to complete their goals before succumbing to exhaustion!
Border Riding
A map-drawing game about boundaries, how we mark them and who we include or exclude from them. Rooted in the Common Ridings festivals in the Scottish Borders, this game can be about any community, and take place at any time, in any setting. Scribble your town now!
More Pictish Stuff!
I'm waiting to hear about multi-year funding to keep working on Carved in Stone (we're in the final round just now). My role would involve making new zines and mini-publications set in the north of the UK around the 6th and 7th century. Even if I don't get the funding, I expect I'll have some new short-form stuff by the end of the year :)I've also got a big debut planned for Carved in Stone in November 2026, celebrating a year from being published by releasing the full book under a Creative Commons license, so Thought Bubble would be a great event to kick that off!
Other cool stuff
Main Webstore
itch.io page
PDFs for you to browse