Some of the best illustrators out there
It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. It can be difficult to give your brand or business the strong personality it needs to stand out – by hiring an illustrator to lend their distinctive style to your brand, there’s a way to strike upon a distinctive image to stand out from the pack.
When looking for an eye-catching illustrator to work with it is important to consider their style, and how it could mesh with your brand identity. Some are more versatile than others, something that’s usually possible to discern in the breadth of their portfolio. We’ve selected ten of the best in the business for your perusal.
Sue Todd
Based in Toronto, Sue Todd’s striking illustrations combine the traditional strong lines of lino-cut printing with bold digital hues. Evocative, enriching, wholesome: she has worked in many modes while retaining a strong personality. Stare at one of her images for long enough and you can see the page move.
Liz Shuhua Xiong
Shuhua Xiong, also known as Liz, is a young illustrator based in Brooklyn. Her work is crisp and fresh, balancing fine lines and shading. Her light use of colours evokes crystals, glass, air, and spring light. Her delicate textures show the strength of sensitivity, where everything is clear and in focus.
Patrick Saville
Patrick Saville is an illustrator and graphic designer based in London. Highly influenced by science fiction, he has worked for many commercial clients. Retro-futuristic, his illustrations use pulses, waves, and bubbles to explore themes of movement, telecommunication, and connectivity. In Saville’s world, the future is here and it’s weird.
Kaye Blegvad
A multi-talented illustrator, Kaye Blegvad also makes jewellery, ceramics, and textiles. London born, now based in New York, she has worked for many high-profile brands. Her illustrations are vivid yet minimalist. They look at the human, the crafted, and the rustic, with a strong interest in the feminine.
Kirsten Ulve
As much a portraitist as an illustrator, the work of the award-winning Kirsten Ulve is humorously warm. Based in New York, she has worked for many clients. Her illustrations and prints speak through blocks of colour and strong shapes. In your face, they make you pay attention to the brightest and closest detail.
Klaus Kremmerz
Reminiscent of graphic novels, there is a tenderness to the work of the illustrator Klaus Kremmerz. Focussing on the everyday, his images are of people brushing their teeth, lying in bed, or at the beach. He sometimes slips into a snapshot of the eerie or the surreal, capturing a still image that tells a broader story.
Marie Jesus Contreras
The Chilean illustrator Marie Jesus Contreras effortlessly blends distinct styles, creating weird mixtures of animals, humans, and animal-humans. Her work is full of strange faces, frowning and grinning. Rich in detail, her work is likely to leave you with a confused smile on your face. It looks like it should not fit together and yet, somehow it does.
Uijung Kim
The illustrations of South Korean born, New York based, Uijung Kim embrace child-like adventure. Her scenes are packed with round figures and glancing eyes. She produces narratives through rich colours and warm contrasts. Her work is full of gestures of love, gifts, and happiness.
Ruby Taylor
The work of illustrator Ruby Taylor, based in London, draws on the aura of vintage signage and the lines of hand painting; her images are like rays of sunshine at the break of day. She has worked with many big brands, but she always retains a style that’s inimitably her own.
Fatinha Ramos
Originally from Portugal, now working in Antwerp, the award-winning illustrator Fatinha Ramos draws in nostalgic shades. Her comforting and tender scenes use painterly contrasts between light and dark. She reflects the the full spectrum human emotions, drawing on autumnal colours, plants, and human shadows.
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