felix jackson, jr.

felix jackson, jr. is the illustrator responsible for this awesome leaving records print, currently popping up all over the internet. sadly this print is no longer available, but there are plenty of other great things by felix to see. his sweaters is another one of my favorites along with this cheerful yes, please obama piece. watch for your favorites in his store.



funky stuff.

jublin

i was wandering through flickr, as i often do, when i discovered the work of jublin, alias of the talented illustrator, justin white. it was his busted up pokemon series that caught my eye. he chose to capture them post-battle in all their mutilated vector glory. i also really enjoyed his random vector work series on behance…funny stuff happening in there!



about the colors…i tend to use a lot of pink. subconsciously, i’m constantly worrying that pink isn’t manly enough, so to compensate i make sure the subject matter isn’t too happy-go-lucky. i enjoy the contrast of cute and cuddly with a little bit of sick and twisted. and i’m not really sure why, but there are times that i just really love bright saturated colors that make my eyes bleed.

kate wilson

london-based illustrator, kate wilson, does the most delicately-beautiful drawings using mostly ink with the occasional splash of watercolor. i can’t stop admiring this sweet bird…and this one cracks me up every time. non-avian favorites include these herbs and this thoughtful bear.



kate’s colors were inspired by this little flapper.

i tend to use pale peachy colours in the background because of the vintage paper i use, but layered over these i love little touches of bright vibrant colours to emphasize different parts of the birds.

anthony hurd

anthony hurd must be a magical man—his titles include artist, director, illustrator, designer, and animator. i am a big fan of his face of the earth paintings, in which he took blocks of wood and brought out the monster within. another fav is his pink metrosexual monster, which is available as a print! and lastly, for some musical motion fun, check out his reel.



in general my favorite color is magenta…just such a vibrant color that evokes such strong reactions—some hate it, some love it.

memorial day

i took a little break from posting yesterday so that i could fully enjoy the holiday weekend. i don’t personally know any u.s. men and women who have died in service, but i appreciate their dedication all the same.



these are common colors that popped up when i googled memorial day.

rachel wong

rachel wong is a los angeles-based visual development artist with a great sense of humor—see angry sheep for a laugh. her character and environment designs are spectacular and her fabulous color choices are the icing on the cake. some of my favorite digital pieces include her charming trees and eccentric houses. rachel also does gallery work on occasion, and this monster painting just became one of my all-time faves.



i love to make bold statements with contrasting color and push the boundaries of color reality. for my paintings, i’ll usually have an overall emphasis on cool colors and accent with a warm focal point or vice versa. nothing subtle here.

vincent altamore

vincent altamore’s ability to capture likeness is remarkable, and i absolutely love his caricature style. i first saw his work in the 2008 commarts illustration annual—he did a portrait of johnny depp. some of my favorite sketches include those of hugh laurie, steve buscemi, frida kahlo, and tim burton.



1—because it reminded me of my dog’s fur...and that makes me happy. 2—the color of a nice glass of cabernet…now all i need is a piece of aged provolone and some warm bread. 3—i just thought it was a perfect blue…the color you want your sky to be after a really bad storm. 4—total black, just so quiet…like standing on the bow of ship in the middle of the ocean at night. 5—the color of fresh, clean linen that’s been dried on an outdoor clothesline.

james roper

i experienced what’s known as a peak shift* when i viewed this painting by the amazing, james roper. other favorites include ‘cytherea explicates the enfolded’ and ‘the involuted submergent’. james is an artist living in manchester, who spends most of his time creating jaw-dropping acrylic paintings; however, he also contributes to a number of other mediums including drawing, graphic, sculpture, and most recently, film.



space | blood | flesh | sky | light

*james describes peak shift: i predominantly choose images and try to create forms which i feel register a visual ‘peak shift’, a term given to the phenomena of ‘neurological attraction’ that appears in both humans and animals to an extreme characterization of an object. peak shift has been suggested by the neuroscientist v.s. ramachandran as one of the ‘10 universal laws of art’. read more…

tommaso nicolao

i find the paintings of tommaso nicolao so incredibly interesting. he paints an assortment of people, identifying them primarily by large, colorful shapes. this idea paired with white backgrounds allows me to appreciate the shape, color, and gestures of different kinds of people, and each painting tells a story. tommaso’s talents don’t end with painting—he’s also an accomplished designer and art director.

i don’t think that in the context of my work i’m really allowed to have a favorite color. and even if i did i think that my choice would change every day. so i picked the basic cmyk pallet, giving me the freedom of mixing as i wish + a gold-leaf option, for the days in which i feel rich (or mystical?)…

marc johns

i can barely contain my amusement long enough to write this short bio,
so just do yourself a favor and read about the extremely talented and hilarious artist, marc johns, here. the first johns illustration i ever saw was if i had arms, and i am still recovering. this guy has a gift for saying so much with so little and he makes everyone laugh along the way. you can find original art and prints in marc’s shop or you can visit amazon to purchase marc’s first book, serious drawings.



these colours were taken from a number of my watercolour drawings. they represent the most common colours i use, the ones i keep returning to. they are from watercolours, so there is a great deal of depth and variation in the washes they create. to summarize them with cmyk codes does them a bit of a disservice, as i rarely use actual solid colours. nonetheless, when you look at these swatches, you see the palette that has served me well for a number of years. oh, and if i could add one more, it would be white or off-white, the colour of the paper i use!

blake loosli

i first saw the work of digital illustrator, blake loosli, in the communiction arts illustration annual last year. i immediately looked him up online and have been following his work ever since. the piece that caught my eye was no country for old men. another favorite is the green mile. blake’s understanding of the human face and how best to handle the lighting always impresses me. you can find prints of blake’s work here.



these colors seem to be quite prevalent in my portfolio. i use these colors a lot for backgrounds, clothing and other objects. they compliment flesh tones quite well. growing up in a desert probably influenced my gravitating to these colors (light sky against warm earth tones).

seiji yonehara

i recently viewed the paintings of tokyo-based artist, seiji yonehara, in person and they were absolutely stunning. there is so much missed when seiji’s work is viewed online. he uses multiple layers of pastel-colored paint, making it seem as though the canvases have been around far longer than ana, the contemporary girl that exists within them. i hope to see more paintings from seiji in the future.

stina persson

the way stina persson captures light and mood is truly unique and her colors are the perfect compliment. stina has an understanding of negative space that i admire. the white portions of her illustrations are just as important in defining forms, as the brilliantly-colored shapes that command so much attention. i also love the stark contrast in her edgy series. i hope to see stina’s work in person someday. until then, i will return to her beautiful website, where her paintings are large enough to appreciate the texture of the paper.



1 | 0 | 100 | 0—very yellow. just what you need when you are still wearing hats and gloves in may (stockholm is way too close to the north pole).

1 | 72 | 100 | 0—bright orange. reminds me of the mandarins we buy when we go to sicily. the old school ones with plenty of pits and plenty
of flavor. the ones that taste like mandarine candy. or was it the other
way around?

2 | 93 | 100 | 0—happy red. it might just be the best color.

2 | 100 | 4 | 0—pink is the navy blue of india (diana vreeland).

17 | 95 | 0 | 0—more pink—or fuchsia rather.

peter gregson

peter gregson is a serbian design firm currently creating a variety of conceptually and aesthetically impressive things. i will return to this poster, ad, packaging, and business card whenever i feel a need for inspiration. right now, their website is down because they are planning something fabulous no doubt, but i did read on their blog that they have a custom sound system in their workspace—i hope to see more photos of the office when the new site is up!



at first glance, the following five colors we have chosen, seem to be one same black color. but when they stand close to each other, one can see the subtle nuance between them.

special thank you to jovan for sending me these colors—oh, and
happy birthday!

hennie haworth

london-based illustrator, hennie haworth, has a portfolio filled with charming objects drawn mostly in line. her well-designed and painstakingly-detailed work has been commissioned by a number of companies, and i absolutely love that she redrew a bunch of her client logos—what a great idea! here are a few of my hennie favs—alphabet, fatty, fashion, v, and this adorable caterpillar pattern.



yellow is my favorite color, and then the other colors i picked i thought go well with the yellow…also i really like them too!

helen dardik

i always rely on helen dardik when i’m in need of some instant fun—she never disappoints. this multi-talented creative does design, illustration, patterns, and she is a mother of three…how is this possible? i went through every piece of work on her website in an attempt to pick a few favorites and ended up with well over twenty. i arduously paired it down to five perfect patterns: bottles, peacocks, flowers, birds, and sea creatures! if you make it through all those and still want more (i did), check out helen’s equally entertaining blog.



i’m a big fan of warm colors. i will substitute black to brown when i can. love the retro pallet. this color combo is straight out of vintage kids
book illustration.

heiko windisch

i first saw heiko windisch’s intricate drawings on lovely package. his monsters make me want to drink vodka and buy art...can’t go wrong there. i also love heiko’s pandarama and veículo—as you can see he is a fan of neutrals with a color pop…my favorite! heiko resides in heidelberg, germany, but don’t fret you can also say hello in english, spanish and french. check out heiko’s select series t-shirt—it made me question my solid-shirt ways.



heiko discusses his color palettes in an interview with noise:
before i started doing what i do now i worked in full colour, but i grew tired of it at some point. line drawings have always been my favourite, ever since i spent most of my school attendance scribbling away, so i switched back to that and worked on my skills at it. sticking with the basic nature of it, i wondered what would be the most ‘basic’ colour combination, and naturally i came across primary colours. i did not like red/green/blue nor red/yellow/blue, so i chose cyan/magenta/yellow. it had a strange appeal to it, being so scientific and somewhat un-natural, yet quite charming in a way.

mimi woo

mimi woo built a career as a package designer in nyc, but her heart longed for something more. after designing the stationery for her own wedding, she realized her true passion and opened up a beautiful stationery shop known as mika78—a place of stunning typography and fanciful flourishes, all printed on 100% cotton, tree-free paper. my favorite is the quote collection, but mimi also offers custom services for those that plan ahead. if you’d like to see what keeps this busy romantic inspired, stop by her blog, seveneight.



i chose these colors because i’m a hopeless romantic; i love soft, muted colors and anything vintage. at the same time, i like to add a bit of whimsy to everything i design, so the hit of aqua takes an otherwise calming palette and kicks it up a notch. i like how it instantly makes it feel more modern and fresh. gotta love the power of color!

happy mother’s day!

you know you have the best mom, when you can tell her anything (and i do mean anything) and she continues to listen. my mom taught me to think for myself, that pretty girls don’t wear prints, and how to make my own fun. she is also capable of sewing everything—prom dresses, wedding dresses, halloween costumes…overnight—a talent that i did not inherit. thank you mom for everything you do. i love you.



1—has always been my favorite color. 2—reminds me of rain clouds and the smell of rain. 3—the color of the water in maui and the bahamas. 4—the color that is sprouting in my garden and flower beds. 5—my favorite color to wear (w/black, of course!).

chrystal chan

i love how artist and illustrator, chrystal chan uses color. her subjects shine in their beautifully-lit skin. chan carefully lines her cools with bits of warmth, giving her paintings a sense of welcomed comfort and familiarity. i am especially fond of her ‘cute paint’ series. you can find additional paintings, shows, and updates on her blog.



these are some colors that i love and use at this moment. i try to choose colors that i feel best fit the mood of the painting. often i want it to feel familiar as if a dream with a sense of stillness.

tithi kutchamuch

tithi kutchamuch is an industrial designer who creates extraordinary versions of ordinary objects, such as a bundt pan that reveals hidden hearts, the perfect cup for your favorite drink, and monthly rings made of paper—a collaborative project with jewelry artist, nutre arayavanish. tithi also loves to tell stories about her designs—check out her book on blurb!



i don’t really have favourite colours. i like all the colours—material colour, bright colour, neutral colour, pastel colour etc. for my work i use what fits for that particular piece.

jason limón

last friday jason limón became an instant-favorite when i saw his work at gallery 1988. the show was beyond the page—each artist did their take on a classic children’s story. i thought limón’s cat in the hat rendition, entitled my tricks are quite safe, was a great idea and beautifully rendered in his style.



i pictured a line of old cars. they sit in the hot sun surrounded by tall, dry grass. erosion and rust have overtaken the parts that remain. in the center of these forgotten machines a young tree grows with a narrow trunk filled with sprouts of life. metal tops peak out into the open. light hits the places where small chips of paint cling to the bodies. these tiny, sun parched flecks of color are where my eyes travel. these are the colors that have seen time and look ahead to what may come.

frank gonzales

i first saw the work of frank gonzales online and i must admit, i hit the refresh button a couple times. at first glance, frank’s work appears to be digital images struggling to resume motion—i absolutely adore this idea, especially since he typically captures birds. most of frank’s paintings are acrylic because he prefers the immediacy and elasticity of the medium. i think this little guy is my favorite, but his figures and landscapes are equally notable. check out frank’s blog to watch his paintings evolve.



most of these colors are sort of anchors that i use to mix from or add to other colors. i like the way they look together. they look tasty don't they?

brandi milne

the art of brandi milne feels familiar, yet foreign. i was first attracted by her rosey-cheeked characters and their gleeful expressions, but what held my stare was the deeper sense of desperation that lingered behind their frozen smiles. on occasion, these characters are visited by a serene and elegant girl that towers over them. the girls in milne’s world seem to be holding onto what they value most in a world riddled with chaos. you can find original paintings from brandi’s most recent show, run rabbit, run at thinkspace gallery.



i’m attracted to primary colors, bold & saturated. i always have been—even grabbing colors in my box of crayons growing up. i relate to em much better—i think in em, i wear em, they call my name. to me they’re not pretentious, they’re more silly and fun which better describes personalities i’m attracted to as well.

zhaoming wu

watching zhaoming wu work is one of the most hypnotic experiences. the artist spends much of his time seeing his subject. then he stands back and makes a mark. a few carefully placed lines later and his blank page contains a beautifully-formed human figure. i was excited to discover that this process has been captured on dvd! i will watch it and remember his patient, yet emphatic advice to me—MORE CONTRAST! patience and contrast—two invaluable lessons that i was fortunate to learn from the great zhaoming wu.



here are my favorite colors.

nanami cowdroy

nanami cowdroy uses a variety of materials to create her monochromatic masterpieces, including pen, pencil, ink, watercolor and even spray paint. the word nanami means ‘seven seas’ in japanese. how appropriate as her art reminds me of the unpredictable dark waves of a restless ocean. her use of line, texture, and contrast keeps my eyes in constant motion, floating about until they find that perfectly-placed white space and finish with her signature stamp in red.



i’m pretty black and white about things, and definitely enjoy embracing grey areas also. i personally love the richness and boldness of the colour black, and i’m always drawn to the complex depth, varying intensity and tones that can be seen and found when one looks closely enough. it seeps beyond the surface and to me, has an enticing enigmatic and eternal quality about it (if that makes any sense)…and on a slightly brighter note, red ain’t too bad either ;)

jim watson

jim watson (a.k.a. exalted dictator of the universe) is the best teacher i know. he has had such an impact on who i’ve become that i was a little nervous asking him to participate. he sets very high standards for his students, while at the same time reminding them not to take themselves too seriously. he used to doodle during boring meetings, which i found both hilarious and liberating, and he’d always say ‘life is a hoot’ when anything amusing happened. everything you ever wanted to know about jim watson and creative thought can be found on his website, including his extensive portfolio, inventions, a biography, quizzes, essays, broadway shows—i could go on forever. it really is the most informative and entertaining read online. thank you for all the inspiration, exalted one.



other favorites: red and tan.

james jean

james jean creates the most fluid lines i’ve ever seen. his paintings and illustrations soar across the page without the aid of animation. i could go on forever about his subtle plane changes and magnificent edge control, but that may put everyone to sleep, so i’ll just leave you with this amazing print of haaz spring. see what i mean? flow.



these are some of the more common colors that i use (abuse) and mix on my painting palette. i’m especially interested in seeing colors fight and vibrate against each other on the canvas, a symphony of optical tension.