Posts Tagged ‘illustration’
Building cityscapes out of pen, ink and watercolors, Gabriel Campanario can be seen throughout the streets of Seattle capturing the city’s subtle nuances and familiar landmarks both in the pages of his sketchbooks and in his Seattle Sketcher column for the Seattle Times. Even more inspirational is Gabriel’s dedication to the art of sketching. Seeking artistic community and a place to share and celebrate ideas, he spearheaded the Urban Sketchers movement, created to connect artists the world over through the art of sketching. With a network of sketch groups in over 30 countries around the globe, urban sketchers draw on location, immortalizing their cities through lines and colors, and visually sharing their adventures with each other and the world online.
Sketch by sketch, Urban Sketchers has grown and gained momentum, with the latest project resulting in a book filled with over 500 illustrations by artists of all backgrounds. The book not only showcases artists’ sketchbooks, but also discusses each artist’s inspirations, drawing process, and techniques. Inspired to grab her pen and watercolors and start sketching on the spot, Culture Vixen’s Gayle Wheatley caught up with Gabriel to find out more about his illustrated life.
There’s something conspiratorially intimate about looking through an artist’s sketchbook. Filled with raw ideas that encompass both beginnings of larger projects and one-shot passing ideas, flipping through someone’s sketchbook is akin to peeking into someone else’s mind.
With Julia Rothman’s latest book “Drawn In” (Quarry Books) you get to gaze into 44 sketchbooks belonging to fine artists, illustrators, graphic designers and cartoonists around the world.
Joey Chou is a multi-talented artist who produces imaginative and beautifully rendered illustrations. His artistic style is extremely happy and cute, so it’s no surprise that he’s done lots of concept work for companies like Disney, most recently illustrating the “It’s a Small World” book. His range of characters and themes is impressive to say the least.
Pau Franco is a professional illustrator and graphic designer from Argentina. She lived in Italy where she worked as a graphic designer before returning to Argentina. See more of her wonderful illustrations after the jump…
Andrew Bell’s “O-No Sashimi” collectables are debuting this year at Comic-Con in San Diego. These are so much fun! His supermarket sushi-box packaging is a great touch. Andrew also creates plenty of other monster-related art which can be found in his Dead Zebra online shop.
Heiko Windisch is an illustrator living in Heidelberg, Germany who has worked as an apparel designer, illustrated snowboards, and exhibited his work in numerous galleries around the world.
A number of hotels are inviting artists to illustrate wall murals for individual rooms, a concept which I love! What a great way to sleep inside an artist’s drawing. The Artist Residence Hotel in Brighton, England has rooms with sea views that are decked out with painted wall murals like these by Matt Saunders, an illustrator and animator based in Leeds.
These lush mixed media illustrations by self-taught Brussels-based illustrator Raphael, aka My Dead Pony, are influenced by fashion, street art, and graffiti. Raphael mixes digital techniques with more traditional art forms like drawing and watercolor. The result is a stunning world of ethereal illustrations filled with splashes of color.
The first time I came across the art of Nancy Mungcal, aka Pretty Little Thieves, I was smitten. I love the way Nancy’s fun illustrations and stylized drawings evoke an aura of distinct playfulness. Her work is delightfully whimsical and I love the way she’s built up a personal repertoire of iconography that is seamlessly threaded into each of her characters throughout her compositions. From drawings to paintings to illustrations, Nancy has a way of creating beautiful shapes and patterns in the most dynamic way. Her art has an appealing folksy charm about it that makes it really unique. So I tracked Nancy down to ask her more about her art process…
Gayle: How did you get started as an artist?
Nancy: I have the typical drawing and making things as a child story. I never really stopped. A few years ago I decided to put my work out there. 
Roller derby is sweeping the country by storm and derby counterculture is in turn ballooning, creating an entire empire centered upon strong, sexy women. Armed with clever names and flashy outfits, these tough all-girl squads are kicking some serious butt.
Culture Vixen’s Gayle Wheatley tracked down Sandra Frame, storyboard and animation artist by day, who moonlights as the mighty Tara Armov of the LA Derby Dolls by night. In an exclusive in-depth interview, Tara shares insight into her two passions: skating and art.
Gayle Wheatley (GW): Which came first, art or roller derby, and how did you get your start in each? Which of these two passions is closer to your heart?
Tara Armov (TA): The art definitely came first! I’ve drawn for the majority of my life. Derby came along about seven years ago.
It’s hard to say which is closer to my heart as both have had a profound effect on me in different ways but sometimes over the same issues. Being insecure yet able to express myself through either art or derby are reoccurring thoughts and feelings in my life.
GW: What inspires you as an artist? How has roller derby played a part in your art?
TA: I think both art and derby let me express emotions and feelings that I can’t do any other way. I find inspiration in vibrant colors and dynamic compositions in art, usually figurative in one form or another. Derby just boosts what I already get inspired by to begin with.
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