Who are Handsome Frank

We are a UK based illustration and animation agency

Proudly representing more than 40 creatives, across five continents. A close-knit team, ready to devote all our efforts, ignore time zones, and bring your ideas to life. Predominantly we work with clients across advertising, design, and publishing. Ranging from global brands to bold start-ups, and everything in between.

But who’s Frank?

Illustration of man looking at woman in front of train

Frank is a man, a very handsome man. One afternoon in 1945, Frank met Kate on a railway platform. He decided right there and then he wanted to marry her. She felt the same (did we mention Frank was handsome?) In time, Frank and his beloved Kate had three daughters and in more time they had eight grandchildren.

Illustration of founders drinking beers at bar

Two of those grandchildren, were Jon and Tom. In 2010 they met in a London pub. Both had reached something of a crossroads in their lives. Careers in publishing and design had seen them through the most part of their twenties, but the chance to travel the world had opened their eyes and minds to something bigger. Then there was the small matter of two imminent arrivals (Frank & Kate’s great-grandchildren). The prospect of fatherhood proved to be a catalyst to start something new. Handsome Frank was born.

Illustration of woman drawing on paper

A decade later Handsome Frank is established as one of the global leaders in the illustration sector. We’re home to some of the best loved talents in the industry and we've become an established resource for some of the biggest brands and creative agencies in the world.

Illustration of Handsome Frank team members discussing on couch

Despite this growth, we continue to build our business on the same principles it was founded on. Through building close relationships with our artists we are able to deliver project management to the very highest standard. We keep things simple, encouraging true collaboration and assisting the creative process however we can. At the heart of this is people, with Stuart & Dario joining us, we've grown to an agency of four. The team behind the talent.

Frank is a man, a very handsome man. One afternoon in 1945, Frank met Kate on a railway platform. He decided right there and then he wanted to marry her. She felt the same (did we mention Frank was handsome?) In time, Frank and his beloved Kate had three daughters and in more time they had eight grandchildren.

Two of those grandchildren, were Jon and Tom. In 2010 they met in a London pub. Both had reached something of a crossroads in their lives. Careers in publishing and design had seen them through the most part of their twenties, but the chance to travel the world had opened their eyes and minds to something bigger. Then there was the small matter of two imminent arrivals (Frank & Kate’s great-grandchildren). The prospect of fatherhood proved to be a catalyst to start something new. Handsome Frank was born.

A decade later Handsome Frank is established as one of the global leaders in the illustration sector. We’re home to some of the best loved talents in the industry and we've become an established resource for some of the biggest brands and creative agencies in the world.

Despite this growth, we continue to build our business on the same principles it was founded on. Through building close relationships with our artists we are able to deliver project management to the very highest standard. We keep things simple, encouraging true collaboration and assisting the creative process however we can. At the heart of this is people, with Stuart & Dario joining us, we've grown to an agency of four. The team behind the talent.

Clients

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Well that depends. We’d need to take the following into account.

    What are the deliverables?

    Firstly, we need to know how many illustrations you require and the style and complexity of those illustrations. Do you know the subject matter? At this point it would be really useful to see some examples from the artist’s portfolio that particularly caught your eye. You could send us some that are of a similar level of complexity to what you’re after that would be very helpful. From this information we’ll be able to work out how long the work will take the artist.

    How their work will be used?

    Once we know what we’re creating for you we need to discuss how it will be used. Commissioning bespoke illustration doesn’t mean you own the work outright, the artist retains the copyright. What you own is a license which states how and where you may use the image they create for you. Therefore we need to establish what those usage terms are. You’ll need to tell us which media it be used across (online, print, billboards etc.), where in the world it will be seen, and how long it will be used for. It’s a simple equation, the more a piece of work is used the more it will cost. On the flip-side if you place limitations on the use the costs come down.

    But we need the freedom to use it however and wherever we want, forever, is that possible?

    Yes, we often negotiate all media agreements, extending worldwide in perpetuity. However the artist still retains the copyright.

    Ok got it. Are there any additional expenses?

    Sometimes a project may call for the artist to travel or for specific materials to be purchased. Other projects might require a photographer, camera crew, retoucher etc. In these cases we will factor in these costs as accurately as possible and include them in our quote.

    So what's the damage?

    If you can provide us with the above, we'll be able to send you an initial quote pretty quickly. Final costs are dependant on seeing a fully signed off final brief, but our initial quotes are normally very accurate. Then we can get going on the exciting part.

  • Yes, possibly. It depends on the origins of that illustration and the existing license agreements relating to it. If the work is free to use then we're happy to discuss a license fee.

  • Yes, once the project is up and running and the creative process is underway, you will have a direct dialog with the artist. We don't like to get in the way and we know that things can get lost in translation, so we encourage an open and direct conversation.

    That said, we stay very much in the loop. Cc'd on the emails and jumping on the video calls. We're there, if needed, to help assist either party and smooth the process along.

  • Absolutely. We work with a huge mix of clients, some are very experienced at working with illustrators, but for others it's the first time. If you've never commissioned an artist before, our team will walk you through the process. Helping you to put together a brief and the do's and don'ts of the commissioning illustration.

  • Our artists benefit hugely from having us working behind the scenes. Firstly, we invest a huge amount of time and money promoting our agency and their work. Then, when it comes to the projects, we're here to handle the negotiations, contracts, quoting and project management. Making things easier for both the artist and the client.

    Ultimately it comes down to good etiquette though. If you find our illustrators through us, do the right thing and always get in touch with us first.

  • Potentially, yes. To be honest, as an agency we're currently at a size we're really happy with. That said, it can't hurt to take a look, there's always room for a small one. If you think your work is different from any other artist on our roster and would genuinely add something new to our agency, then by all means please send us a submission. If we like what we see we'll be in touch.


  • A lot can happen in two generations.

Watch.

A series of short films about our artists, exploring their work, process, and inspirations.

A Little Film About...

Agents for Change.

We are proud to be founding members of Agents for Change, an assembly of illustration-based agencies in the UK, working together with the shared goal of increasing diversity across the creative industry.

Find out more.
Find out more.

We plant trees.

No biggie, but for every project we invoice, we plant a tree in cooperation with Ecologi. It's a little thing we like to do every year.

Explore the work. Click on an image below and dive into our artist's portfolios.

View all our illustrators.View all our illustrators.