» illustration

Infomaniacs // Matthew Thurber

brwnpaperbag — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:03:50 +0000

I really enjoy reading web comics, and recent came across Infomaniacs, drawn by Matthew Thurber. Infomaniacs is a funny yet somewhat strange story of social media and the neuroses and implications that arise from it. Once I saw the term “global chillin” used, I knew I was going to enjoy Infomanics on a multiple levels.

It looks like it is updated between a week and 10 days. Check some of it out below and the rest on PictureBox, where Matthew, along Rebecca Bird, they form Muk-Luk.

All images via PictureBox.

Jenni Sparks

brwnpaperbag — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:10:20 +0000

Jenni Sparks is a designer that loves hand-drawn type, and it is clearly something that she excels in. Her type is bold and its own way illustrative, focusing a lot on popular culture and pop music. If you visit her blog, you’ll see her post music videos and talk about The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. You will also see her trip to Kenya — it is obvious that as a typophile, you really notice lettering all around. Throughout pictures of safari and villages are pictures of signage, too.

Jenni’s work matches the vibe of what she is illustrating, which she describes as “fun,” to which I’d agree — the hand-drawn quality she infuses in her work gives it a casual yet well drafted feel.

All images via her Flickr. Check out her blog and website.

Sarah Williamson

brwnpaperbag — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:02:00 +0000

The illustration and paintings of Sarah Williamson are simply wonderful, utilizing a few different techniques to bring forth her visual language. There is a major emphasis on the freedom of media (as she paints with wet-on-wet) and a love the figure and landscape. Inspired by what’s around her, the Brooklynite writes:

I used to work, but one day I picked up a pen and images came, I began to see all of the dreams the decay and the excess around me. Around all of us. I once read in a very famous book, “All things are full of labor, man cannot utter it…” But I don’t think of what I do now as labor. My work feels like a natural product of curiosity about our surroundings: people and things disintegrating, dreaming, living, not living. The world is full of color, I cannot utter.

All images via her website.

Lisette Berndt aka Thoka Maer

brwnpaperbag — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:03:45 +0000

I first saw the work of Lisette Berndt, aka Thoka Maer, through her Tumblr, It’s No Biggie. I think I’ve mentioned how much I love animated GIFs, and was especially delighted to see the element of the hand in Lisette’s animations. It’s No Biggie, she writes, is a “satirical comment about our daily life obstacles in form of looping gif animation.” All images via her Tumblr.

Lisette’s other illustrations (and animations!) share similar qualities to her GIFs. Stylistically, she uses a light hand with minimal line work to tell a story or describe a place. With colored pencil, graphite, or ink, Lisette communicates a feeling of introspection and a tinge of sadness.

All images via her website.

infra 6 from Thoka Maer on Vimeo.

infra 7 from Thoka Maer on Vimeo.

Laura Gee

brwnpaperbag — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:04:59 +0000

Laura Gee introduced herself to me, and upon visiting her website I found an illustrator who not only illustrates, but creates installations and curates as well.

Laura’s own work utilizes simple, bold images and supporting text that’s often short and sweet. I especially liked this one:

Paper is also something that Laura explores in the three-dimensional sense, creating popup letters and hand cut and assembled. She curated an exhibition, Toy Shop where she made miniature houses to promote the show.

All images via her website.

Cornelia O’Donovan

brwnpaperbag — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:01:14 +0000

Printmaker and illustrator, I first saw the work of Cornelia O’Donovan on one of my favorite Tumblrs, F Yeah Women Artists. Her drawing style is loose but together as she focuses much of her prints on natural life, references to historical dress, and pattern. What’s interesting to me is the juxtaposition of elements in her prints — not necessarily an interaction of a flower and lady, for example, just the implication of it based on how Cornelia has arranged the composition.

All images via Flickr. Check out her blog/website as well!

Also, for the curious, Cornelia has provided us with a glimpse into her studio space:

Brecht Vandenbroucke

brwnpaperbag — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:27:25 +0000

New work by the Belgium artist/illustrator, Brecht Vandenbroucke, below. I am continually amused by Brecht’s illustrations. They are truthful and weird with a nice sense of irony to them. His characterization is inherently funny with all-too-flexible limbs and disproportional bodies.

Also, the lush, full color and full bleed illustrations are lush and extremely satisfying to view.

All images via Flickr. Check out his blog as well.

Philipp Dornbierer

brwnpaperbag — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:00:02 +0000

I shared an image by Philipp Dornbierer on my Tumblr the other day, and people really responded to his work. So, more! More below. Marvel in the beautiful shapes, mythical creatures, and smart use of positive and negative space.

All images via his website.

Craig Bowers’s sketchbook

brwnpaperbag — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:32:48 +0000

I keep a pretty poor excuse for a sketchbook — it is a disjointed combination of notes, bad thumbnail sketches and assorted loose papers. That’s why, when I look at Craig Bowers’s sketchbook, I can’t help but feel pangs of jealousy:

There is an amount of beauty and restraint to these pages that I love. Graphite is beautiful.

All images via his blog/website.

Javier Olivares

brwnpaperbag — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:08:54 +0000

I really love they way Javier Olivares uses contrast in his work. Every time I’ve tried to use black in such a ubiquitous manner, it has ended badly. Here, Javier uses it as an opportunity to create interesting shapes and a cohesion to his illustrations.

All images via his blog.