From Somerset to Superstars – The Rise of Kye Dalzell in the world Football Illustration.
Kye Dalzell, a designer and illustrator from Somerset, has turned his passion for football and art into a busting side-hustle. Despite growing up as a Manchester United fan far from Old Trafford, it’s his stunning portraits of Barcelona legends Ronaldinho and Rivaldo that have propelled his work into the limelight – and even onto the social screens of the stars themselves.
A quick glance through Kye Dalzell’s work and you’re quickly surrounded by vivid depictions of football’s most iconic figures: Cantona’s swagger, Beckham’s precision, and Henry’s elegance all immortalised in Kye’s unique style. A lifelong Manchester United fan, Kye’s love for football has always transcended geography, growing up watching United lose 2 Champions League Finals in 3 years to Barcelona.
Yet it’s his striking portraits of Barcelona greats that have changed the game for Kye. When Ronaldinho shared one of his works online, and Rivaldo’s son commissioned a piece, Kye’s art reached an audience as global as the sport itself. Now, as he sketches legends from both sides of football’s fiercest rivalries, Kye reflects on a journey shaped by passion and persistence.
Lower Block: Tell us a bit about yourself… where you’re from, what you do and who you support…
Kye Dalzell: I’m from a town called Taunton, in Somerset.
Technically, a digital designer by trade. But then illustrator on the side.
I’m a Manchester United fan, and have supported them as long as I can remember. My main football memories growing up was watching us lose two Champions League finals in three years… I was only 7-years-old when we beat Chelsea in 2008 so didn’t watch it.
LB: Hardly what we used to call a United glory hunter back in the day then… what does the club and football in general mean to you?
KD: The way the club performs on the weekend massively affects my mood, so I’d say it means a lot to me. My Idols growing up were Rooney and Ronaldo. Rooney epitomised what United meant to me, and his 09/10 season was one of the earliest seasons I can remember. Ronaldo was just iconic, and is the reason I still prefer Real Madrid to Barca.
I’ve always loved football. I used to read all the MOTD (Match of the Day) and Match magazines weekly, and can still remember all the random players they’d highlight. Also, watching MOTD every Sunday morning was massive for me growing up.
LB: Tell us a bit about your design work…. when did you first start drawing footballers?
KD: Back in college I created a zine around Manchester United – for which barely scraped a C grade. In lockdown I started doing illustrations of rappers and musicians, but then in 2021 I started drawing more football as found I could stay more motivated on the topic. As for inspirations, no-one really really comes to mind when it comes to my style. It was a lot more simplistic back then when I started, and there was a lot of different artists doing similar styles.
LB: Do you have a favourite and any career highlights so far….
KD: Favourites for me, would have to be either my Ronaldinho post, for obvious reasons, (Ronaldinho re-shared Kye’s portrait of him!) or my first illustration of Rivaldo.
Ronaldinho posting my work onto his feed has to be the ultimate highlight, especially as it was completely unexpected. Rivaldo following me on Instagram has to be up there. All came out of his son, Rivaldinho, liking one of my posts, me sharing that onto my story, and then me receiving a message from Rivaldinho asking me to draw one of him, and one of his dad….
Also, as a United fan, having my work posted onto their @weareunited account, which was liked by a selection of the first team and even shared onto Eriksen’s story, that is a big highlight for me.
LB: What’s next for you?
KD: Have always wanted to create some more limited pieces, and stuff that illustrators wouldn’t usually do. Just ideas at the moment but hopefully something soon!
LOWER BLOCK x KDDESIGNS6 – Exclusive T-Shirt Collaboration
Check out some more of our top pics from Kye’s collection below…
Check out Kye’s full collection online at kddesigns6.com and across social media @kddesigns6.
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