Somerset Life Magazine – Christmas Front Cover Illustration

I’m thrilled to share that Somerset Life Magazine invited me back for the second year running to illustrate their Christmas front cover — a huge honour and one of my favourite festive projects of the year.

After last year’s West Pennard and Glastonbury Tor scene, this year’s commission focuses on one of Somerset’s most iconic landmarks: Dunster Castle. Its rich history, winding village streets, and dramatic hilltop setting offered the perfect inspiration for a warm and nostalgic winter illustration.

As with all my work, the artwork began as a hand-drawn sketch, designed to capture the composition, story, and character of the place. I then developed the illustration in Adobe Illustrator, building colour, texture and detail digitally to create a vibrant, polished finish. My signature colour palette and clean vector style work beautifully for glossy magazine covers, ensuring the artwork looks striking, modern, and full of charm.

With a background in graphic design, I also design every cover with the layout in mind — carefully positioning buildings, characters, snow, trees, and lighting so the masthead and headlines fit perfectly without losing the spirit of the scene. This combination of illustration and design skill ensures each cover is both visually rich and completely print-ready.

Dunster Castle is such a beloved Somerset location, and bringing it to life in a festive setting was a joy. I’m proud to have created another Christmas cover for Somerset Life, celebrating the landscapes and communities that make the county so special.

If you're looking for a Somerset illustrator, magazine cover artist, or custom landmark artwork, I’d love to hear from you.