stefan bucher

stefan bucher is an exceptional writer, designer, and illustrator. he has received numerous design awards, is an active member of aiga—and yes, he can even write and draw upside down and backwards—impressive. but it was his spiney black monsters that captured the hearts of those outside his profession. people of all ages and backgrounds are captivated by bucher’s daily monster project, in which he drew 1 monster a day, for 100 days, and caught it all on video! if you haven’t witnessed this magic, prepare to be amazed.



1—deepest black, the edge of printing, the food of monsters. 2—pure paper. no ink at all. the alpha to 100.100.100.100’s omega. the perfect and most beautiful of foils. 3—this perfect orange has been with me since i was a wee donaldist back in the old country, to the shoes and ties of many a monster. 4—a canvas for monsters on dailymonster.com. 5—a favorite color for type, illustration, and spring leaves, and also the color of the solar-powered japanese dancing creature that keeps me company
at work (given to me by my friend emily).

daniel elson

daniel elson is a master of saying a great deal with very little. as an artist, this seems to me the most difficult challenge—to say exactly what you want without diluting it. elson’s work is simple in the charmingly unassuming sense of the word, but it is far from simplistic. i think ‘pastoral in orange’ is my favorite. you can view his new painting inspired by ‘the giving tree’ as part of beyond the page, opening this friday at gallery 1988. the show will be up through may 23rd.



frank duveneck once said something to the effect that “only an amateur would try to use all the colours.” when arranging my palette i use only the tubes of paint necessary, rarely more than five and mostly umber and sienna. true colour is made by juxtaposing the intensity and value of hues. i never use black. i buy paints with the purest mixture and the largest concentration of pigment. and i’ve never used the same palette twice. trust your gut.

megan kimber

megan kimber’s beautiful paintings make me feel as though i’m looking through an old piece of glass with all it’s beautiful distortions and refraction. this friday, megan is participating in beyond the page at gallery 1988 in san francisco where a number of artists will re-illustrate their favorite children’s books. for entrance, bring one new children’s book. it will be donated to the san francisco united school district. see you there!



1—rich, vibrant and neutral at the same time. 2—looks like pomegranate ice cream i had once and it looks good next to the first color. 3—the lightest, sweetest canary bird color. very calm. 4—its just a good neutral color to offset other richer colors. plus i like the slight earthy green of it. 5—a good rich sienna red. nice undercolor for lips or other areas of the body where blood is closer to the surface. wow that sounds weird.

noferin

noferin is an art team comprised of nick (writer and sculptor) and candy (graphic designer). physically they reside in sydney, australia, but mentally they occupy a place known as carrara island. it’s a magical place where their small characters known as a pecanpals thrive. noferin creates these little guys by hand, from the 100% sustainably-harvested wood of rubber trees. you can get to know each pecanpal here—personally i relate to jac jac best. and on may 5th noferin is releasing naked (gasp!) versions of the pecanpals—feel free to stare, but try not to point.



these are the colours of our pecanpals.

matt w. moore

boston-based artist, designer, and illustrator matt w. moore is the mastermind behind mwm graphics. you might want to check out his capabilities before you challenge this guy to a creative duel. each year matt puts out alphafont, a series of 6 x 6 inch, frame-ready prints that celebrate his new ideas and visual vocabulary. and if you thought those colors were bright, i leave you with mr. moore’s paint studio.



i finally found someone who shares my obsession for lists.
here is a quote from matt via behance magazine:

i have a funny system of organization that starts with yellow stickies. everything on the stickies is either a new task or a task for this week. longer-term projects make it onto the hand written full-size paper lists on my bulletin board. and then there is one final list that represents the “big ideas” that i want to do, and the projects that are recurring.

raylene gorum

nyc artist & architect, raylene gorum has literally created a name for herself as an ‘artitexturalist’. she does these amazing tapings, or paintings made with tape and other hardware materials. and recently, she’s been hard at work opening baby grand, a new singing bar and art gallery on the edges of soho, chinatown, and little italy!



these colors were inspired by raylene’s taping, ‘natured-london’.
1—the color of orange easiest to find in tape, as such it has deeply penetrated my psyche and my art. 2—icy blue, verging on silver foil reflecting the sky. 3—between the color of skinny dipping water and sapphire, dark enough to hid in. 4—a rare orange in tape-land, exclusive danish hardware store find!…it smells like fresh peaches n’ cream. 5—maroon brown, the edge of brown where it’s almost purple in it’s lusciousness. perfect for the deep sheen of groomed horses.

becca heuer

i first saw becca heuer’s design work in the 2007 print design annual, but i wasn’t as diligent with my bookmarks in those days, so i lost track. i was super excited to rediscover her via this lovely letterpress calendar, which popped up on greedy girl a couple months ago. and now i’m all caught up in her photos on flickr…patiently awaiting next year’s calendar.



i picked these because they remind me of warm summer days ahead.

jacqueline pytyck

designer and illustrator, jacqueline pytyck, creates the most beautifully surreal images. her influences* include japanese woodblock printing, inuit art, ukrainian textiles, and zdzislaw beksinski—an interesting combination. i think my favorite piece is bonsai, but i also really love brown nose. you can pick up t-shirts designed by jacqueline on monster threads.



when i play with colours, i often feel as though i am playing with mud. initially, i will select a series of unsaturated hues; dull greys, dirty browns, etc. it isn’t until the end of the colour-mixing process that i’ll introduce a more pure and light-hearted colour to the gang, in hopes of eliminating the doom and gloom. i sit back and watch as that one colour struggles to lend it’s charisma to the others.

*influences obtained from yeeeeee.

dan may

dan may is, hands-down, my absolute favorite artist. watching his amorphic creatures float through cottony landscapes brings me joy like nothing else. dan has inspired me to go smaller with my own paintings and to take my time on the details. and, of course, his color is simply magical.



i ended up choosing 5 colors from one of my paintings…'what comes down, must go up'.

a quote from dan via hi-fructose:
the more i paint, the more i learn about the world i’m creating and how it relates to ours. i think this new body of work is more personal than past works and delves deeper into the emotions of the creatures inhibiting my world. i’ve always thought of my work as a sort of growth process, if it’s not continually evolving, then i’ve made a wrong turn along the way. though i’ve been drawing and painting for as long as i can remember, i consider myself to be at the very early stages of my professional career as an artist…i’m sure there will be many twists and turns as time goes by. moments such as this, when i actually take the time to stop and reflect are great because they allow me to really evaluate what has just occurred. it’s definitely a great time to refresh, before gearing up for the next body of work. i definitely try to embrace growth within my work and i hope that i never stop growing as an artist.

antonio carusone

antonio carusone, is responsible for the creation of many exciting things, but my favorite is aisle one, an inspirational blog that features all things design—typography, minimalism, modernism, and the guy is in love
with the grid. you a grid lover too? if so, check out antonio’s other site,
the grid system.



i chose these colors because i’m currently obsessed with pastel colors.
i find them to be beautiful and unfortunately they aren’t used very often.
i also love how they relate to colored computer paper which is also intriguing about these colors. i plan to implement them more into
future designs.

david airey

david airey, graphic designer and logo machine, knows how to ask the right questions. in addition to his extensive portfolio, his website also features useful tips and articles for designers…how thoughtful. and in case you didn’t get enough logos on his main site, you can check out his other website, logo design love. enjoy!



always liked purple.

sam weber

from a girl who loves bright colors, sam weber may seem like a peculiar choice. although he tends to limit his palettes and use softer colors, i find myself not breathing when i view his work. the subtleties pull me in and there i find myself, worshiping earth tones. i think it is a testament to the power of his art.

tiffany bozic

tiffany bozic renders the most beautiful animals with what must be the smallest brush on the planet. you must click the view larger icon to truly appreciate all that she is capable of. i think our land, who’s winning, and the best intentions are my favorites…i can’t get enough of that red, and it works so well with those gorgeous sea greens. you can find tiffany’s prints and publications here.



sea green—this is my absolute favorite (bordering on obsessive) color. the color of the coral reefs in the south pacific. it is such a powerful color for me that i don’t wear it or have it in my house.

mustard green—this has such a warmth to it. i imagine whenever i paint with it it’s like a moss blanket, all snugly and earthy.

black bean plum—this color is just gorgeous paired with greens and b&w. i think it’s deep, rich and very regal. grandmotherly almost.

warm clay—this color makes me feel so calm and reassured. and there
is no better texture in my mind than spinning warm clay on a wheel.

teal—a reliable favorite of mine and i wind up using it a lot in my work.
it is best friends with coral pink and gets along with red iron oxide.
a good base.

hannah stouffer

hannah stouffer has illustrated for every medium imaginable—books, snowboards, magazines, fragrances—i’ve even spotted her work on sf muni. i become entranced by her personal work on grand array for hours, forgetting about all worldly obligations…she just makes me want to draw…and sometimes shop : )



black on black, rich dark chocolate, 24k pawn shop gold, animal skulls with fluorescent red interiors and neon fuchsia…forever.

creative thursday

creative thursday, began as a weekly routine that allowed marisa time to do something creative in addition to her 9 to 5. her cast of tiny characters includes an elephant, lila & lola, and a supercute owl to name a few of my favs. if you happen to be in los angeles next month, you can see the original paintings at black maria gallery.



having worked as both a graphic designer & then also an interior designer i have always LOVED color, and am often known for the strong vibrant colors in my painting backgrounds. i'm a huge fan of orange :) just recently i have been experimenting more with bursts of color on more subdued backgrounds as in this recent painting. but no matter what, color always works its way into my creations!

hamburgerpanda

hamburgerpanda, by cindy yep, creates humorous art that features both animals and food. hamburgerpanda enjoys science fiction, nature, and asian pop culture—sounds like my kind of panda. check out this great baconfish print. he’s making me hungry…for bacon, not fish. and i would also love one of these tasty frozen bearsicles.



i use bright, happy colors in my illustrations, which is funny because in my clothing and home i always rely on neutrals. so my art is where i can really break out.

mike stilkey

don’t pass out anywhere near this guy unless you’d like to be part of an art installation. mike stilkey paints on any surface available…walls, books, newspapers—even records. i first saw his brushwork on a stack of books, and now i’m charmed by his tiny-legged horse. i can’t wait to see what he does next.



here’s a mike stilkey quote taken completely out of context: i spent the afternoon fighting with some homeless guy over who got which book from the dumpster. check out his interview on fecal face for the full story.

frank lin

i’ve seen frank lin’s illustrations on display at the academy of art…the guy does amazing things with gouache, but recently he’s been working digitally, incorporating layers of texture that make his paintings the most tactile digital art i’ve seen. check out his blog to see what he’s been up to.



i guess these colors classify me at the moment. i’ve been using these colors to paint portraits since the beginning of this year.

aaron jasinski

i first found the talented aaron jasinski online via his famous old website. i was in shock that one man could be such an amazing artist, designer, and musician. on top of all that, i recently discovered that asimov is his favorite novelist! go take a look at his work, while i try to calm down.



i chose these colors based on a few of my favorite paints: green gold, quinacridone burnt orange, and phthalo blue. i use these a lot in recent paintings. the 5 cmyk colors are derived from my painting “if you love them set them free”.

kelly mckernan

kelly mckernan’s most recent work involves both tea staining and the gelatin-silver process—possibly two of the most unpredictable mediums. this time-consuming process seems only suited for the patient, but the results are definitely worth the wait…someone else’s sunset and conquered credence are two of my favorites. you can find both prints and originals for sale here.



these colors (and close variations of them) have been making a home in my work over the last year. it began only with tea staining my surfaces, however the colors became just as symbolic as the elements in the painting, lending itself as subtle and delicate feminine strength. the colors began reflecting themselves in me, too, as i went through subtle shifts in my own skin as a young woman and growing artist finding my own voice.

sandi calistro

sandi calistro, an amazing painter and tattoo artist, paints the loveliest wind-blown ladies. i am especially fond of death of the bees, elsa, and love sick. if you happen to be in denver, you can see her work in person through april 30th at kaze gallery.

jen lobo

jen lobo, animal painter extraordinaire, dreams of returning to school to be a scientist—i too have this dream. perhaps some of you can contribute to her science and research fund? that is, as long as she promises to continue painting!



lately, i think my palette has gotten simpler and simpler. i think it can
pretty much be boiled down to variants of subdued blues and greens, warm grays, and plenty of soft yellows. i am heavily inspired by jean baptiste oudry and his simple use of color. i think when i’m working i sort of take that influence with a mix of 17th and 18th century nature texts. it can never be perfectly replicated, though. only time can give it that
perfect warmth.

jeannie paske

obsolete world, created by jeannie paske, is a place where vast landscapes and microscopic blades of grass are simultaneously visible. paske’s ability to inspire both big and small ideas is exceptional, and her colors are the perfect compliment. check out the print variety on etsy!



these are a few of my favorites : )

alex kanevsky

i was able to experience alex kanevsky’s paintings in person at the
dolby chadwick gallery in san francisco and i can’t stop thinking about them. the three i keep coming back to are hotel, bathtub with movement, and pink room.



i found a quote by kanevsky on vivianite that i love. it’s advice to an artist who is just starting out.

build up your self esteem to the level that might seem unwarranted. this will help you ignore both positive and negative responses to your paintings. both are usually misguided, since they come from the outside. be your most severe and devastating critic, while never doubting that you are the best thing since sliced bread.

dean gorissen

i first noticed dean gorissen’s work in an illustration annual. his angular characters and vintage colors immediately captured my attention, but my
favorite part is his use of color to highlight a focal point…an expected, yet welcomed surprise.



i just like the sort of faded glamour quality of it. old deco hotel room furnishings or pulp magazine covers that have been left in the shop window for a while. not unloved, mind you, just PRE-loved!

kendra binney

when i first saw the art of kendra binney it reminded me of my first love—kansas rain. kendra creates these mysterious environments for her misty-eyed girls using layers of paint, found objects, and resin. she also has a variety of wood-mounted prints available on her website and etsy!



i'm usually drawn to muted hues and blue tones, earthy and natural
colors—might have something to do with the lush landscape in portland
and the misty overcast skies.

kelly vivanco

i saw kelly vivanco by chance on flickr a couple years ago. i was in awe of her ability to successfully combine warm reds with cool blues in her paintings. i would love to see her work in person—i know i’m missing out on so much…maybe someday.



i chose these colors because i often use them in my paintings. i am just naturally drawn to them, especially the red. they are deep, but bright. come to think of it, i have most of these colors featured in my house
as well!

hugh d’andrade

i saw hugh d’andrade’s psycho kitty on the cover of communication arts last july and now i see his work all over san francisco. he’s done stuff for stern grove, the ferry building, burning man—he even helped start the worldwide bicycle movement known as critical mass! thanks for all the inspiration hugh…your sleepless nights were worth it.



iron & the albatross
i used to call this color teal, but I recently learned that it’s really
a turquoise.

what rhymes with bastard?
there’s a green that is somewhere between kelly and olive that i just love.

anarchist bookfair posters
i like a gold that is not too bright. i’ve used it (or other golds) on posters for the anarchist bookfair because it offsets a good radical red really nicely. i’m selling sets of these posters for $100 as a benefit for a friend who was injured by soldiers at a protest in the west bank.)

rupa and the april fishes
how about a good, deep blue? not too purple-ly—i like a blue with some warmth to it.

laughing squid
how about a nice pink? can’t be too fuschia, not too magenta. i like a pink that looks a little old and dusty.

greg swearingen

greg swearingen’s sense of light and color is exceptional. this mixed media illustrator uses a combination of acrylics, colored pencil, and watercolor to create his softly-rendered images.



these colors sneak into my illustrations and spill over into my life. some i’ve recently discovered; but orange has been a life long obsession.

kelly tunstall

i first saw the art of kelly tunstall at 111 minna in san francisco. i love her long-limbed girls—they are so demure, yet empowered. i can’t wait to see her new work this may!



these are colors from the house i am moving into and moving out of…
and some other project. as i write, my studio and home are packed up
and ready to combine into one, so i feel it’s very appropriate and
satisfying to mix up some ink!

the gray is my current interior, which i love and am sad to leave,
the second is my future exterior color, the third is an accent and just a
plain favorite color, the fourth is my future bathroom and also the
prada interior brand green (or close), the fifth is the accent for
bar crudo, a restaurant i am helping with interiors and murals.