Gavin Potenza is a designer and illustrator working in Brooklyn, NY at the Pencil Factory. He also co-runs a new design studio, Script & Seal. Gavin’s work is playful and clarifies the information he is presenting. Several of his info-graphics highlight issues worth taking a closer look at, such as “Worst Oil Spills,” “Investing in Alternative Energy,” and a comparison of “Old/Young Drivers.”
Mateusz Kolek is a freelance illustrator/digital artist from Cracow, Poland. His graphic illustrations are strange and playful – often capturing a dreamlike quality. There is little information about Kolek on his website, but pay it a visit and you will see that his work does the talking.
You’ve seen his work in over 30 years worth of Hollywood poster designs, and I bet on at least one or two occasions he got you to see a film. Perhaps this happened via sneaking in, begging your parents for money, or doing extra chores to earn your way into the film (if you’re a 20 or 30 something today.)
Drew Struzan is from an era where the poster design was depended on (sometimes solely) to catch your eye and make you see a flick. Before Itunes trailers, YouTube, Moviefone, IMDb, etc… this guy probably made you spend your hard earned bucks seeing such stars as Brooke Shields, John Lithgow, Sean Astin, and Harrison Ford. And, obviously, movies by Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas. Ah memories, right?
Well, as I sat perusing books at a local cafe, I stumbled upon a book containing an amazing collection of this man’s paintings, and a flow of nostalgia (yes, I’m a sucker for nostalgia) swept over me. I suppose I looked somewhat like a middle-aged woman watching Lifetime; gently tearing up and slowly flipping pages, wanting to remember every image I saw. So, I borrowed it, scanned it, and am sharing it with you. Enjoy.
I’m going to admit right now, just to be completely honest…. that I’ve seen quite a bit of pen and ink drawings that are dilapidated, wiggly, and still full of detail. One of the best perks of being a creative, is recording in some way, what’s happening around you, and putting your own twist on it. And let me tell you… there are tons of people who have visual diaries, recording intentionally semi-bad drawings of whatever they see, buy, eat, pet, etc.
Having said all of that, and yes, I am in that afore-mentioned crowd… Seiko Kato, from England’s southern-most tip – called Brighton, is one of the most talented “line-drawers” I’ve seen. (That’s definitely not a technical term.) Her work is full of intentionally placed objects and things, craftfully rendered, and completely eye-catching as well as easy to stare at for a great many moments. Her work reminds me of wonderful artists from the 1960s, like R. Crumb’s sketchbooks, or perhaps even some Peter Max. She also states she is very interested in Victorian Era art, and I noticed a bit of steampunk in her when seeing her 3D montage exhibit in Brighton, UK back in 2008. This post is a bit overwhelmingly scatter-brained, but what I really want to say is: check out this artist, she’s young, multi-talented (as you can see on her website) and her attention to clean detail is tops!
Smudgy, dirty, gritty imagery from young illustrator, Benjamin Phillips. He’s been in such projects as “Artinavan Pop-Up Shop” – a literal van, filled with art on exhibition. (Brilliant.) Also, besides his amazingly detailed other-worldly print works, you can see more of his humorous, honest, and sometimes quite sinister poetry on his website as well.
Chattanooga-based design & illustration collective Young Monster makes some of the most non-stoic band posters I’ve seen recently. Their work looks like something mingling amongst visual imagery of Picasso, grindhouse film, Basquiat, gritty punk show fliers and my grandparents’ basement full of old National Geographics. This kind of creation is pretty hard to do well and these guys pull it off as if it’s their 6th sense (not the film.)
Artist & crypto-image-extraordiniare Micah Lidberg rules the school with extreme detailed illustrations of
other worldly phenomena that only most of us dream about. (Especially if you love ET, the 1990s or anything that remotely resembles your childhood fantasies.) This boy’s imagery is perfect.
The Night Life of Trees by Durga Bai, Bhajju Shyam, and Ram Singh Urveti is a beautifully illustrated hand-bound book. The quality of the screen-printed images on hand-made Indian paper can only be truly appreciated through a hands-on experience, but one can still recognize the beauty by looking at the scans below. If you ever have the chance to physically interact with this book – seize the opportunity because it is amazing. The illustrative style of the Indian Gond tribe is quite unlike anything I have seen in America – it is very unique and captivating.
Check out the exquisite images created by Greg Martin. His photographs are absolutely stunning, as are his planet illustrations done in Photoshop. By clicking twice on the images in his gallery you can read a description of the picture and what Martin encountered in the process. Images are available for download to use as a fancy new desktop background, or purchase one to make a fancy new addition to your home!
This is some real cool 3d Scene work done by Alex Varanese for Drambues “The Premise”. It was a content in which entrants submit designs for their ‘dream’ bar. The video show his work quite well, and the photos really demonstrate the detail put into the textures, buildings, and small details. Check out drambuie’s site, or more from alex varanese.
