Max Ellis

Max Ellis is a freelance illustrator.

Early years
Ellis was born in Wokingham, then lived in York for the first 5 years before moving to Brighton until 1988.

Ellis attended Balfour Juniors and Dorothy Stringer (secondary) in Hove before moving briefly to Reading attending Chiltern Edge, before moving back to Hove attending Knoll School for boys until 1977 followed by a year at Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College.

He trained as a precision engineer from 1979 to 1982 and attended Brighton Polytechnic from 1983 to 1987 studying Illustration and Photography to Degree.

Professional life
Ellis was lead vocalist with God and The Crazy Lesbians from Hell from 1983 to 1987 and Death By Cleavage from 1990 to 1992 supporting bands such as The Damned, the Pretenders, and Gay Bikers On Acid.

In 1988 Ellis moved to London living in Ladbroke Grove with Jacqueline Deevoy, becoming fiction editor for Just 17. His daughter Ruby Deevoy was born in December 1988.

From 1988 Ellis painted caricatures for The Radio Times, The Observer, The Guardian, Punch Magazine, The Sunday Times, Q magazine, and NME, winning the AOI award for best use of Humour with his portrait of Robert Maxwell, "Beezlebob". In February 1995 his second daughter Lola Deevoy was born.

In 1996 Ellis moved to Kent living with Vic Reeves where he spent 6 months developing his digital illustration style, manipulating photographs in photoshop, having lied about owning a computer whilst working on a cover illustration for 90's pop outfit Goldbug (Future wife Katherine Wood was vocalist.) Close friends Jonathan Ross and Vic Reeves helped out by buying him his first computer, scanner and camera. Ellis worked with William Harvey and Mark Herman developing the Futurebitch nightclub for Ministry of Sound, culminating in London's most successful party of 1997. In 1998 Ellis married Katherine Wood and moved to Teddington, Middlesex.

In 2000 and 2003 Ellis and Katherine had two sons, Zebedee and Gulliver Ellis. Ellis continued illustrating, now fully digital, heading up ad campaigns for companies such as Lloyds Bank and Beefeater Gin, and contributing regularly to hundreds of publications world wide including over 20 covers for BBC Worldwide's Dr. Who CD releases and over 120 British Wreck schematics for Diver Magazine working alongside UK diver John Liddiard. In 2011 Ellis completed the first accurate cross section illustration of the Titanic for Penguin America.

Since 2010 Ellis has been working professionally as a photographer, developing his portfolio and working along side some of the UK's top athletes, documenting historical building restoration and producing press poster ads worldwide for Dance music events. Ellis is currently working towards exhibition featuring some of the UK's champion body builders and rugby players and contributes daily to Blipfoto.

Links

 * http://www.junkyard.co.uk/
 * http://maxphotographic.com/
 * http://www.blipfoto.com/maxellis