George Yarnton’s distinctly dark art centres around the subjects he’s most hyped on to draw and paint – The undead, dogs, skulls, twisted scenes of bloody gore and skateboarding.
A lot of people have a fascination for all of these subjects but not many of them have created hundreds of detailed works in these genres, and even fewer do it with enough of a unique sensibility to be paid for it and only a handful of those have been commissioned to create them by some of the most well-known skate brands in the world such as George has.
After looking at his work over the years and realising this and that we still didn’t know much about George or his process, we hit him up to find out what continues to motivate him to skate and create eye-catching, ever-evolving cast of otherworldly characters and playful scenes of horror.
We were stoked he was down to have a quick chat about the finer details of them both and more.
Read his interview below to find out how he started skating and making art, how he defined his artistic process, what draws him to horror and the dead, his thoughts on skateboarding and creativity, his influences and inspirations, his stories behind a couple of his most meaningful commissions and his favourite skate videos, skaters, styles, spots and more to find out for yourself.
George Yarnton, Switch Crook, Shot by Rob Salmon
What’s your full name?
My name is George Yarnton aka Yarndog
Where did you grow up and where are you living at the moment?
I grew up in Ipswich, Suffolk. I lived in Cambridge and a village near Bury St Edmunds for a few years before coming back to Ipswich where I live now with my wife and dog.
Doberman
Okay rad. Before I ask you about your art, how did you get into skateboarding?
I have distinct memories of seeing skaters at Cromwell Square in Ipswich. It was one of the famous spots in the 90s and early 2000s before the council skate stopped it entirely by rebuilding it.
My mum worked in the building next to it so we would go past it and I would see, who I would later learn of, the likes of Carl Vance and Frank Stephens skating with their crew and being really fascinated. I’m pretty sure Adam Mondon would have filmed a lot of footage around that time at that spot.
George, Nosegrind Pop Out, Shot by Rob Salmon
What was your first setup?
My earliest setup I remember was a Batman and Robin 80’s style fish-shaped skateboard. The graphic was in the classic Batman comic colours with matching trucks and wheels. I never really knew how to ride it properly until my Dad starting doing tic tacs on it in our garage.
So I would say my first “proper” setup would have actually been an Airwalk complete from JJB sports and that graphic was a rip-off of that famous Element red, white and black board.
Right. So, who was in your first skate crew and where did you usually skate?
The first person I ever skated with was my sister actually, and I used to get really annoyed that she could Ollie up a curb and I couldn’t!
But my first crew would have been my friends from school who sadly don’t skate anymore. We would skate the local school playground as well as the college in Ipswich and Crown Pools.
The Hobo
What skate videos did you have on rotation the most when you started?
I think the videos I watched most regularly were probably PJ Ladd’s part in WHL, Baker 3 and Almost Round 3, I loved Chris Haslam’s part in that and then being blown away by Daewon Song at the end of it.
When I had been skating for about two years I think Fully Flared came out and I never stopped watching that video, I probably watched it every time before I would skate.
Sick. So what kinds of art did you first make and what did they look like?
When I was a kid I think I would draw the Simpsons, Warhammer and just fight scenes from films all mashed together. When I got older and went to college I became really interest in classic life drawing, renaissance art and just drawing everything all the time.
I have loads of drawings in my loft from those days, I think I became really invested in practicing accuracy and training my eye which has helped later in life. I don’t think I started making art that reflected my personality and real interests until I finished University actually.
Hiding Skulls
What was it that inspired you to start pushing further into your style?
Towards the end of my time at University I think I met some people that had traditional tattoos and I liked the clean boldness of the imagery. I started to look at old flash and draw some really really bad versions myself which made me put it to the side for a while.
But I think something stuck in my mind with how recognisable and readable the images are. It was a good few years before I actually started getting tattooed by my good friend Aaron Clapham who helped me learn more about the history of the craft and influencing my work today.
Merry Xmas
When did you know you wanted to pursue a career as an artist?
When I was in high school I just didn’t really have any other real job or career interests outside of something creative. I didn’t think or know of a proper creative career at the time, I just wanted to keep drawing and hoped that I would land off my feet somehow. I just knew I wasn’t cut out for anything corporate.
Ravenous Scavenger for RAD
What was the first piece that you made that you were paid for?
I believe my first real paid work was for either NME Magazine or VICE. I started out making editorial illustrations which is a really fast paced but almost forgetful format of working in my opinion. The images came and went so fast that you didn’t really have time to appreciate them which is why I moved away from that style of work.
You like to show your artistic process through posting your sketches, why is that important to you?
Yeah for sure. As a viewer I always appreciate seeing artists process to learn and give more of a sense how things are made so I want to share that too.
For me the most fun part is doing the pencil sketches before the final work so I like to show that. Also in a digital age I think it’s easy to forget pencil and paper so I want to hang onto that tradition.
What tools do you use to create your artwork?
I use a sketchbook first and any pencil just to get as many rough ideas out as possible and to plot how the image should be composed. I usually scan those sketches, print them out to A4 and work over with a more refined sketch on layout paper.
Because I work the final layers on an iPad and a computer, I want to maximise the time I spend not looking at a screen. Nothing beats pencil to paper. The iPad is great though, it’s so much better for corrections when you are working with a brand or client compared to having to redraw things on paper, scan it and photoshop parts out.
Yarndog
How do you go about making a design, sketch first or come up with the idea first?
I do some research whilst sketching, so I might look through things I save on instagram or go through books to find good references. Then I do lots of rough sketching to get the idea as clear as possible.
You’ve got a lot of vibrant colour palettes. How does colour interact with your design process and when did you’d decide a piece needs to be coloured the way that it is?
I think I need to be better with colour in my initial process but it’s usually the last thing I do. I sketch in shadows a lot first just to get an idea of where colour could go but it’s probably the most experimental part about my work to be honest.
Chromed Out
Death and fantastical creatures play a big role in your work. Why do you like to draw the Grim Reaper, skulls and other dark subjects?
I think partly it comes from my interest in traditional tattooing but also with the music I listen to and the films I watch. And one of my ambitions is to make artwork for death and thrash metal bands.
As a kid I was obsessed with horror films but wouldn’t actually watch a lot until I was a teenager because I was too scared! I think I was really intrigued by the mystique of horror and dark imagery like it was something that shouldn’t be seen, so I would look at VHS tapes like Hellraiser in shops and just be freaked.
Also at home as a kid we had a lot of books on Gargoyles and gothic architecture as my Dad is a stone mason, so I would go through those too which must have subconsciously stayed with me today.
Borndead
Rad. So where do you skate the most nowadays?
Having filmed a lot of street skating over the years I’m just happy enjoying some chilled sessions at Ipswich skatepark or Bury St Edmunds skatepark with my friends nowadays.
I can only really fit in one or two skate sessions a week at the moment so I make the most of it when I can without having to worry about getting kicked out or having to film with a heavy camera.
Do you have a favourite trick to put down on flatground?
It might sound big headed but Tre Flips haha. I’m rubbish at regular and Fakie but something about regular flips and Tre’s work for my legs and feet. I don’t feel like there’s as much physical effort involved with a Nollie compared to a regular one.
Backside Beer
Why do you think that creativity is important to skateboarding?
It keeps it interesting I think. Whether you are directly influenced by the act of skateboarding to then make something, or whether you see a spot or an obstacle at a skatepark and think of a way to interpret that space. Otherwise it might become too sporty or competitive.
Creativity helps skateboarding stay the great thing that it is through how you edit a video together or write an article or take a photo or make a board graphic.
All Hail Skatan
You did a board for A Third Foot from Birmingham when they were still in operation. How did it come about and what was your favourite thing about making it?
So when I finished University I really wanted to get into making artwork within skateboarding so I basically started emailing and sending my work to every skate shop and small company that I could find.
A Third Foot were one of the few to get back to me at the time, along with Wight Trash and Focus Scotland and I just wanted to make stuff for free. Other than working for Crossfire I was just some inexperienced kid living with my parents so I just wanted to make graphics for product.
The guys at ATF were really good to me and let me work on a few graphics with them which helped me to learn a lot about how I wanted to work.
You’ve done a series of collaborations with other brands since. Which has been your favourite?
I think my favourite graphics have been when working with OJ Wheels which has been a career highlight. It feels like an honour to have made a wheel graphic for Ben Raemers, along with legends like Eric Dressen who let me design two of his pro wheels. Just seeing the wheels in skate shops around the world has been amazing.
Any other notable collaborations you would like to mention?
I’ve just finished working on a graphic for Fos‘ Heroin Skateboards which comes out in the new year so I can’t wait to share that when it releases.
What’s your favourite skate video of all-time?
Tough one but I would say Baker 3. Iconic.
Who’s your favourite skater of all-time?
Andrew Reynolds – he’s done it all and is still going now, perhaps looking better than ever.
Who is your favourite artist?
Typical skater answer but it has to be Jim Phillips. His influence on the skateboard art world is immeasurable. From looking through his art books over the years it’s really helped me to improve the way I make graphics and really take pride in drawing.
George’s Tribute to Jim Phillips’ Rob Roskopp Graphic
Who’s your favourite skater from East Anglia?
Frank Stephens is the GOAT. He has paved the way for street skateboarding in Ipswich and inspired nearly every generation to come through our area. He is a mythical character that still skates to this day.
Who has your favourite style on a skateboard?
I’ll go with somebody current and say Grant Taylor. He makes the gnarliest things look so easy but still so fast and powerful.
What’s your favourite skate spot in Ipswich?
Crown Pools for nostalgia’s sake.
There’s the rite of passage gap that Frank has done everything on – his Fakie Heelflip is madness.
The bank is really fun to skate and just the brick layout of the place makes it look a bit like Embarcadero in SF.
Favourite skate spot in the UK?
I haven’t skated too many places outside of the UK but most recently I had the most fun at Dean Lane in Bristol.
Do you have any upcoming plans you want to mention?
My current plans are to continue to make it as a freelancer, so if you want a graphic for your brand or band hit me up!
Any shout outs you would like to make?
Shout out to my wife Jess and my sausage dog for being the best family in the world. And thank you for the questions!
Any last words George?
Draw what you love.
