Luisa Riviera is a Chilean-born illustrator who now resides in London. Her subtly nostalgic work is created with water-based paints and inspired by nature, literature, and folk culture. You can find Riviera’s talents gracing books, magazines, newspapers, and exhibitions.
Italian born, Canada-based artist Toni Hamel describes her work as “an illustrated commentary on human frailties.” She draws on both personal experiences and observations to create works that reflect on and interpret the psychological unease of the current day and age. Virtues and vices, holy and profane, good and bad all share equal space in her art.
Paris-based artist Jeremy Perrodeau spends his time drawing and producing comic strips. I really love his style as well as the limited number of colors he uses in each piece, and was immediately drawn to two series – Architect’s Houses and Paysages. The first explores well-known homes designed by famous architects while the second is inspired by classic romantic paintings.
If the name Ray Pettibon sounds familiar to you, there may be a few reasons why:
1. His association with his brother’s band, Black Flag. He not only named them but designed the distinctive four bar logo.
2. His album cover artwork, like Sonic Youth’s Goo.
3. His prominence in the early 1980s in the southern California punk rock scene.
From an art perspective, Pettibon is known for his comic-like illustrations, usually done in India ink on paper, that often include violent or anti-authoritarian subject matter. In later years he’s also used collage in his works. I’m especially drawn to this collection of surf culture illustrations that was on display at Venus over Manhattan.
Brazilian artist Camila Pinheiro does a bang up job at translating her South American roots and high fashion background into clean lined illustrations. The saturated fields of tropical colors make me want to hop a plane to some distant beach oasis and not look back until October!
Kelly Beeman‘s unmistakable illustration style is such an inspiration. The Brooklyn-based, self-taught artist has a diverse body of work, from simple black and white contour drawings of nudes to watercolor paintings full of mundane objects and contradictions.
Barbara Dziadosz is a freelancing illustrator from Hamburg, Germany who specializes in printmaking, editorial, illustrated recipes, and character design. Two subjects she returns to again and again are eloquently posed hands holding various flora and different species of insects, both captured in a flat 2D style that I’m partial to. (And that snake? Yeah, I’d love it tattooed on my ribcage.)
Full Moon’s Light by Rachel Elise
Large Geometric Print by The Peoples Prints
Make Your Own Luck by Anthony Oram
One Is Lonely, Two Is a Party, Three Is a Bunch Print by Morgan Elvington Walker
Petra Eriksson is a Swedish illustrator and artist who currently calls Barcelona home. Bright colors, sparse but bold patterns, and the ability to capture the faces of strangers she finds on Pinterest are her hallmarks. By altering their expression, hair and skin color, or clothing she’s able to make them anyone she wishes in her own style.
This may sound out there, but Emma Repp‘s illustrations remind me a bit of Van Gogh. Her bright, highly patterned art portrays the monotony and adaptation that play out in everyday life. Layer upon layer of handmade and digital elements pull together to create a whimsical slice-of-life style.
