Brian Froud was born in Winchester in 1947 and graduated with Honours from Maidstone College of Art in 1971 with a degree in Graphic Design. Shortly after, Froud began working in London on various projects, including book jackets, magazine covers, and advertising, as well as illustrating several children's books.
A couple of years later, Brian Froud moved to Devon, where he stayed with fellow artist Alan Lee and Lee's family. Froud continued to illustrate children's books and find time to create and publish his own artwork, which can be found in The Land of Froud and Once Upon a Time.
In 1978, Brian Froud and Alan Lee collaborated on an ensemble of drawings and paintings, Faeries, which was a great success, hitting the number four spot on the New York Times Best Seller List. Brian Froud's artistic techniques and wisdom of folklore caught the eyes of many, including Jim Henson, who hired Froud to help create a unique otherworld, better known as The World Of The Dark Crystal. The film "The Dark Crystal" was a monumental collaboration of ideas, techniques, and creativity.
On the set of "The Dark Crystal", released in 1982, Brian Froud met Wendy Midener, a puppet designer, and their son Toby starred in the Henson film, "Labyrinth", in 1986, in which Brian Froud was once again hired as the Conceptual Designer. Froud continued working with Henson on television programs such as "Jim Henson's Storyteller", as well as working on designs for other film and media projects.
Froud also began to collaborate with the screenwriter of "Labyrinth", Terry Jones, and they created several books, including one of Froud's most popular, titled Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book.
Brian Froud has recently published the sequel to Froud/Lee's bestselling Faeries book, titled Good Faeries/Bad Faeries, which has been highly acclaimed and warmly received by his many fans.
Throughout the years, Brian Froud has created some of the most respected and highly acknowledged folklore/mythic artwork of our time. He has won numerous awards, including the ASFA Best Interior Illustration and the Hugo award for Best Original Artwork in 1995. Through Froud's unique style, utilizing acrylics, colored pencil, pastels, and ink, he has created some of the most well-known fantasy images of the Twenty-first Century. Froud continues to create visual, spiritual, and poetic tales that will last many years to come.
