Carefully research a minimum of 3 Illustrators or Illustration Influences that motivate your own work or inspire you. Write a quick 1-2 sentence summary of them and their work (DESCRIBE THEIR STYLE/MEDIA/LOOK + WHAT FIELD THEY WORK IN + WHERE THEY WORK OUT OF + WHERE DOES THEIR ART LIVE/WHAT IS THEIR ART USED FOR + CLIENT LIST/WHO HAVE THEY WORKED FOR) and PROVIDE LINK to socials/website for others to explore.
• Use these spotlights to begin figuring out where you want fit in the illustration market, and where you’d like
• Be prepared to share a quick overview of 1 artists to the class Week 3
(In class on Friday 9/1, I know I said I wanted 5 Illustration Heroes…but maybe that was too many? Feel free to prove me wrong!!)
Libby Vanderploeg is a vibrant illustrator who paints in guache and ink primarily. She creates editorial magazine illustrations and one of her biggest/latest clients is Levain cookies which features her art on the packaging. Seen below is a doggy scarf, I like the colors and the white as negative space for all the action and items to rest comfortably within. —Prof. J.
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https://www.instagram.com/libbyvanderploeg/
Justin Runfola’s Character Designs are the best parts of sketching and the energy of inking combined, providing an organic, natural and loose tone that I love—and I dig that their focus is often on anthropomorphic animals. Justin’s worked on a lot of animated features including “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and has a distinct stlye that lent itself to the movie quite nicely, I thought.
https://www.instagram.com/justnsart/
Chris Samnee is a masterful illustrator specializing in line art for comics and entertainment. Chris’ crazy ability to use minimal black and white to achieve depth, distinction, character and scale is unrivaled, he is a God among us. Their inking skills work flawlessly with colorists and letterers making every frame of his comics well-constructed masterpieces…buy some art from him if you ever get the chance.
https://www.instagram.com/chrissamnee/
Jasmine Alexia is on-point with her sketches and storyboards for film and advertising. Her ability to sketch out a scene is exactly the quick fire of synaptic wiring required to produce ideas in your brain and out through your hand like a magic trick for the demanding and ever-changing field of pre-production for film and advertising.
https://www.instagram.com/midnightjasz/
https://jasminealexia.com/
@hellomynameiswednesday
Wednesday is a London-based illustrator, designer, writer, and queer community organizer. Their art is mostly based on short artworks on TikTok and Instagram. They are known for being colorful joyful and personally motivating.
https://images.app.goo.gl/7Y1aodNnb4Bbqfgw8
@disco_t1ts
Lindsay is a queer young illustrator, whose inspired by adventure time, music, and photographs they’ve taken of their girlfriend and around the world. I love their work because it’s so detailed and each character they draw has so much personality based on facial expressions, clothing, and personal style. They were the first illustrators I fell in love with I found them on TikTok.
https://www.instagram.com/artbylid/?hl=en
@artbysarf
Sarf is an illustrator I found also off of tiktok. I love her work because she revamped characters our generation loved as kids and mixed them together. For example, she would take a Disney princess and make her into a Tinkerbell character and she also shows her process of procreate which is so intriguing to watch. Her illustrations are simple but the way she creates the characters and matches them with the right music and transition is very satisfying.
https://www.tiktok.com/@artbysarf/video/7265003842264255786
Akira Toriyama- Dragon Ball Z
Akira Toriyama is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator inspired by Osamu Tezuka. His style has been original since the mangas of the 80’s and 90’s. One of his significant works was the Dragon Quest series and his style began with the adaptation of the Japanese series which was improved over time. One of his latest works was Dragon Ball Super.
References
https://characterdesignreferences.com/artist-of-the-week-7/akira-toriyama
2. Koyoharu Gotouge – Demon Slayer.
Koyoharu Gotouge is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator of Demon Slayer which keeps his identity a secret. His style is manga artist inspired by the Taisho period for Demon Slayer. This manga artist got inspiration from other iconic manga series such as One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto.
References https://time.com/5941594/what-is-demon-slayer-about/
Claire Keane – Rapunzel
Claire Keane is an American illustrator, writer, and visual development artist who collaborated on the illustration of Disney’s Rapunzel and other projects. She came from a family of artists who inspired her. Also, one of her favorite artistic influences is Henri Matisse. Her style is animated and colorful. One of her significant projects was for Disney.
References https://www.claireonacloud.com/video2
1. Junji Ito is a renowned Japanese manga artist known for his distinctive horror style. He primarily works in the field of manga, creating chilling and unsettling stories that captivate readers with their intricate artwork and terrifying narratives. While he has collaborated with various publishers and authors, he is most recognized for his independent works, such as “Uzumaki” and “Tomie.”
https://instagram.com/junji.ito?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
2. Hayao Miyazaki is a highly acclaimed Japanese filmmaker and animator known for his unique and enchanting style. He primarily works in the field of animation, creating visually stunning and emotionally resonant films, such as “Spirited Away” and “My Neighbor Totoro,” which are beloved by audiences worldwide. Miyazaki has collaborated with Studio Ghibli, a renowned animation studio, and has worked with talented artists, writers, and composers to bring his imaginative stories to life.
https://instagram.com/ghibliarchives?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
3. Steve Ditko was an influential American comic book artist known for his unique and dynamic style. He primarily worked in the field of comic books, creating iconic characters like Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, which have become integral parts of popular culture. Ditko collaborated with various writers and publishers, most notably Stan Lee at Marvel Comics, to bring these beloved characters to life.
https://instagram.com/steveditkoart?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
4. Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter known for his expressive and vibrant style. He primarily worked in the field of visual arts, creating masterpieces such as “Starry Night” and “Sunflowers,” which are celebrated for their emotional depth and use of color. Van Gogh worked independently and was not known for significant collaborations with other artists.
https://instagram.com/vincent_van_gogh_love?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
5. Salvador Dalí was a Spanish surrealist artist known for his eccentric and dreamlike style. He primarily worked in the field of visual arts, creating imaginative and often bizarre artworks, such as “The Persistence of Memory” and “The Elephants,” which challenged conventional notions of reality. Dalí collaborated with various artists, writers, and filmmakers, including Luis Buñuel and Walt Disney, bringing his unique vision to different mediums.
https://instagram.com/salvadordali_arty?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
1.IDOLYZE
He is an art director who works for a gaming esports company called Dark Zero. He does a lot of graphic design with characters. He also works on merch and posters for the team, he also uses Photoshop to create new character skins and concepts of weapon skins for different games.
2.Gege Akutami
He is the creator of Jujutsu Kaisen which is one of my favorite mangas. The art is really cool and it’s very freaky. There are a lot of sharp lines in the art and it is very pointy. The way that some of the faces are shaped is really cool and different.
3. Sau-Siege
Lastly, sau-siege is an artist who mainly focuses on the game Rainbow Six Siege and does a lot of comic book-type illustrations. They are really up my alley because they have a chibi style which for me is really fun to draw and I just love the way they do it.
Kerby Rosanes
Kerby Rosanes is a Filipino illustrator who works with fine-point dyes. All of his works are in black and white with excellent level of detail and are very complex. His style ranges from the realistic to the surreal but always maintains the same level of detail and variety in different themes in the same work.
Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama is a mangaka known for his famous Dragon Ball manga, his style has been imprinted on many artists. His style used in the manga is very easy to recognize with bright colors, delicate and pointed lines, marked musculature in each character, and a very high detail in each work.
Shades of Cars
I don’t know his real name. However, Shade of Cars is a German artist who specializes in creating car posters with a unique style in my opinion. His work is 100% digital, and his style is detailed, with flat colors, avoiding the use of gradients. It is characterized by its simplicity in terms of the number of elements that can be found.
Emmy Lupin is a freelance illustrator, who showcases a vibrant aesthetic characterized by patterns and a bold design approach. Her playful and relatable artwork frequently highlights women as central figures. https://emmylupin.com/portfolio
Carla Llanos is a self-taught artist and illustrator. She began painting her own fabrics, which eventually became abstract works of art and digital illustrations. She is inspired by femininity, flowers, ceramics, and everyday life. Her artistic style can be described as joyful, colorful, bright, and bold. https://www.instagram.com/carlallanosillustrations/
Darren Thomas Magee is a self-taught freelance illustrator, designer, and muralist. He has a distinctive artistic style. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and the realm of the supernatural, his illustrations transport viewers. If you seek an artistic escape, this is his Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/realfunwow/.
Emmy Lupin is a freelance illustrator, who showcases a vibrant aesthetic characterized by patterns and a bold design approach. Her playful and relatable artwork frequently highlights women as central figures. https://emmylupin.com/portfolio
Carla Llanos is a self-taught artist and illustrator. She began painting her own fabrics, which eventually became abstract works of art and digital illustrations. She is inspired by femininity, flowers, ceramics, and everyday life. Her artistic style can be described as joyful, colorful, bright, and bold. https://www.instagram.com/carlallanosillustrations/
Daren Thomas Magee is a self-taught freelance illustrator, designer, and muralist. He has a distinctive artistic style. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and the realm of the supernatural, his illustrations transport viewers. If you seek an artistic escape, this is his Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/realfunwow/.
Lindsay Robbins
Lindsay Robins is a London based illustrator who works with illustration, animation and textile design. Some of her clients included Lush, New York Times and Bombay Sapphire. I appreciate her playful style and composition. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayshatengiz/
Jean Jullien
Jean Jullien is a French artist whose medium is in illustration, photography, video and costume. His clients have been Vogue, The Guardian, and National Geographic. I enjoy the humor in his work as well as the simple and easy messaging. His work is very clean too. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jean_jullien/
Clare Mallison
Clare Mallison is a London based illustrator who uses a combination of watercolor, pen, markers, and pencil. Her clients have been LA Times, The Wall Street Journal and Sid Lee. I appreciate the observational aspect of her work because I feel like I am her eyes. The way she shows her perspective is spot on. The softness of her colors makes her work easy on the eyes as well. Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/claremallison/
1.Alex Ross
Alex Ross is an American comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design. Ross’s style, which usually employs a combination of gouache and wash, has been said to exhibit “a Norman-Rockwell-meets-George-Pérez vibe”, and has been praised for its realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. His rendering style, his attention to detail, and the perceived tendency of his characters to be depicted staring off into the distance in cover images has been satirized in Mad magazine.
https://instagram.com/thealexrossart?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
2.Hans Ruedi Giger
Hans Ruedi Giger was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as “biomechanical”. Giger later abandoned airbrush for pastels, markers and ink. He was part of the special effects team that won an Academy Award for the visual design of Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien, and was responsible for creating the titular Alien itself.
https://www.hrgiger.com/
3.Oscar Chichoni
Chichoni’s best-known style combines mechanical intricacy and sensuality in a striking statement of Art Deco reborn. He is a man of many pencils, and is capable of countless other styles hard-edged, gothic, impressionist, almost anything that might fire the imagination.
https://arthive.com/artists/64510~Oscar_Chichoni/works
Oliver Jeffers creates whimsical and colorful illustrations often featuring children’s themes. He works in the field of Children’s book illustration bringing stories to life. Jeffers is based in Brooklyn, New York and has worked with clients like HarperCollins, Penguin Books, and Apple.
https://www.oliverjeffers.com/
Vashti Harrison’s style is Vibrant and expressive and her illustrations often highlight black culture and history. She is a Children’s book illustration and author and has Illustrated books such as “Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History” and “Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History. She is known for promoting diversity and representation in children’s literature.
https://www.vashtiharrison.com/
Yuko Shimizu creates bold and intricate illustrations with a strong focus on Japanese aesthetics. She mainly works in the field of editorial and commercial illustration, and her art is used in editorial publications, advertising campaigns, and posters. She works out of New York City, and has worked for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Microsoft.
https://yukoart.com/
James Gilleard’s style is retro-inspired, geometric, and often with a touch of surrealism. He illustrates in animated series, advertisements, and promotional materials and works out of London, UK. Some of his notable clients are Cartoon Network, Airbnb, and Spotify.
https://jamesgilleard.net/
American graphic designer Paula Scher is well-known for her daring and avant-garde use of typography. She is a partner in the New York City-based design company Pentagram. Scher’s particular aesthetic combines humorous artwork, brilliant colors, and bold writing. Her works may be seen in corporate identities, posters, and public locations all around the world. She has worked with companies like Citibank, The Public Theater, and Microsoft.
https://www.graphis.com/master-portfolio-slideshow/paula-scher-1/design
Illustrator and graphic designer Lulu Dubreuil has been working on her own projects for more than 15 years. She only uses vector techniques in her artwork. Her studies in industrial design at Nantes Atlantique School of Design were the beginning of her career, which took her all over the world, from the United States and Hungary to the United Kingdom. She has currently relocated to her native France, where Mendola Artists proudly represents her.
https://www.directoryofillustration.com/artist.aspx?AID=14847
Olivia Waller, an illustrator and printmaker located in Brighton, is professionally represented by Folio in London. Her creative approach melds collage, drawing, and printmaking, resulting in captivating portrayals of vibrant characters. Rooted in her printmaking background, Waller’s distinctive textures and techniques set her style apart, offering a commercial appeal for clients in editorial, branding, and advertising sectors, including notable names like Airbnb, The Washington Post, Stylist, and M&S.
https://folioart.co.uk/illustrator/olivia-waller/