Study Task 2 | Inspiring Illustrators

i-juicy magazine cover | NY Times 'A Wordonado of Words in 2013'|
NY Times 'It's Complicated' by Dana Boyd

1. Henning Wagenbreth

I like the work of this practitioner because of the sheer breadth of projects and formats it has taken over the years. However the examples I have chosen focus on editorial. His work often deals with quite heavy subjects however seems to remain objective, sophisticated, whilst maintaining the strange aesthetic and bold colours.

'#BorraelSida' PlayGround Magazine | Voltio magazine cover |

Kibling Magazine cover

2. Cristina Daura

The use of unusual layouts and visual symbols/pictograms is what appeals to me here. A very graphic style that lends well to magazine covers and features. The mystery of the small images-within-images and the symbols makes me want to find out what the illustration is all about, and I suppose this is part of what makes a successful editorial illustration - something that entices someone to read the article/context/etc.

NY Times 'Australian Detention Centers' | Nautilus Magazine medical feature |

Plansponsor Magazine cover

3. JooHee Yoon

Not only do I like her work, but her exciting illustrations have been featured in reputable magazines and newspapers, including NY Times and the New Yorker. She illustrates subject matters that could otherwise be very dull without the bold visuals she provides. The aesthetic of her work is distinguishable but not too repetitive, approaching work digitally, through print techniques, drawing, and more.

misc

4. Matthew Houston

Although this person is not strictly an editorial illustrator, I really enjoy the small, peculiar worlds that he creates. Whether or not they are based on written material or not, the scenes and arrangements of things and people and places is really interesting and when I see his work, I read the images for any clues. Also, a reminder that (editorial) illustration doesn't have to be realistic/representational, or extremely slick and graphic. It doesn't have to be a straightforward visual interpretation of an article, which I think can be boring.

5. Josh Cochran

I find that a lot of editorial illustration is very flat and shape-based so I really like the textural, hand-drawn elements that are part of Josh Cochran's illustrations. They have a handmade feel but still look quite put together, which may be because of the combination of drawing and digital processes. His work also involves object and environment, embellishing items as well as spaces with his drawings.

--

Most if not all of the above practitioners do lots of different types of illustration, not just editorial which is something I like to see with other illustrators/creatives. Editorial is just another extension of their work, responding to real life content. I suppose I have also chosen these practitioners because of their varied approaches to image-making, but at the foundation of all of their work is drawing (even if the finished piece is digital).