Parisian illustrator Sophie Toulouse captures the beauty and uncertainty of life in her fantastic, seductive work. Toulouse is the quintessential digital artist, bringing lush graphic design to life.

Slightly wicked looking yet flowing and soft, her dreamy portrait/landscapes utilize ample portions of white space within the intricate linework to hint more at what lies beneath the surface than what actually sits on top.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/stoulouse/

Having scrupulously researched the market by having three kids of their own, Joyce Hesselberth and Dave Plunkert of Spur Design have launched PrestoBingo, a collection of limited edition prints designed to engage and delight those fertile little minds.


http://arttalk.theispot.net/index.php?topic=98916.0

Jon Reinfurt was created in 1980 by a team of German engineers attempting to build the world’s largest robot. When the team unveiled their prototype to the scientific community they were met with harsh criticism and were ridiculed for creating a towering monstrosity that obviously could not function.

Unfortunately for everyone, Jon was fully operational, and the engineers had made a slight oversight by including lasers and “The Will to Dominate” into their design. This worked out well for Jon, who is currently invading the commercial illustration market and leaving only destruction in his wake.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/jreinfurt/

David Pohl is a guru, a DJ, an illustrator, a performance artist, an installation artist, a gardener and oh, yeah, a drummer! "I attempt to illustrate the idea of life as a divine process through which one can discover union with the Timeless. The Hindu concept of Puja (devotional reverence to God or Spirit) is referred to in these pieces, as they serve as a means of making connection between Individual and Universal Consciousness."

David’s work has been recognized by Communication Arts, The Society of Illustrators, Anerican Illustration, Print, Graphis and How magazines.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/dpohl/

In addition to a vibrant career that includes commissions from clients such as The New Yorker, Ralph Lauren and Continental Airlines, artist Jacob Thomas pursues his own personal vision via the graphic novel. Click through to see how he’s developed the cover of his latest collaboration, “Germ of a New Insanity”.


http://arttalk.theispot.com/index.php/topic,98698.0.html

If something is missing around Dave Wheeler’s house, it has probably been incorporated into a piece of art. In addition to pursuing assignment work, Dave is developing original art and products soon to be available at www.davewheeler.com . Dave is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts, New York City. Prior to attending SVA he received an associates degree in Graphic Design/Illustration from Ricks College (now BYU Idaho).

Awards and recognition include: Creative Jolt, CASE Competition (Gold Award), Communication Arts Illustration Annual, Hearst Award (first Place), Print Regional Design Annual, Society for News Design (Gold Award, Award of Excellence), Society of Illustrators 3D Salon.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/dwheeler/

Her work is sentimental, romantic, aggressive and sexual. She clearly draws inspiration from the Victorian era, sailor tales, tattoo art and graffiti.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/acasson/

“To be successful as an illustrator today,” says Doug Bowles, “you have to make work that can't be produced any other way.” Bowles graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1983, and since then has created images for several different clients for a variety of uses: books, postcards, posters, packages, in-store displays. Bowles' mixed-media paint and pastel images appear on everything from packages for Symantec's Internet Fast Find software to the Missouri Lottery's Lucky Dog scratch-off tickets.

His book work includes the cover for ‘Bondage,’ a novel by Ronald Reagan's daughter Patti Davis, and ‘The Slightly Scary Halloween Flap Book,’ a children's book. Bowles won the Kansas Reading Association 2006-2007 Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award for his ‘S is for Sunflower’ childrens book.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/dbowles/

Robin's work zeroes in on both the angst and the resilience of childhood. She appears to have enough moxie in her pinky finger to crush anyone who tries to keep her down.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/rwilliams/

fatly inked brush strokes give his work a loose feel of childlike wonder


http://www.theispot.com/artist/edyck/

Apparently John Matson's mind has been invaded by the tentacles of an alien intelligence. How else to explain this other-worldly talent?

http://www.theispot.com/artist/jmatson/

Chris Lane’s inks and watercolors successfully achieve whimsical satire as well as grim scenes of despair, all the while maintaining an engaging, quirky quality. He drinks a lot of coffee, eats a lot of pancakes, and is an outspoken penguin enthusiast. Chris is currently gearing up for world wide domination and would like to make it clear that all who oppose him will be crushed.

Lane graduated in 2005 from the California College of Arts and Crafts with a BFA in illustration. He has shown work in such bay area collectives as the Nexus Gallery, RPS Collective, LoBot Gallery, and Ego Park. He’s worked for such clients as The Seattle Metropolitan , The Pasadena Weekly , Kitchen Sink Magazine , The Philidelphia Enquirer , Nexus Gallery , Mamma Buzz Gallery , LoBot Gallery , Rock Paper Scissors , ABCo Gallery.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/clane/

Saeko's artwork is strongly influenced by her fashion background, combining Japanese minimalistic attitude with a touch of eroticism.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/sozaki/

Vela Burke’s greeting cards, giftbags and plush children’s books bring a little warmth and wonder to the world.

Tina Healey's fashion sense exudes sterling energy; she's a master of the contrasting color palette


http://www.theispot.com/artist/thealey/

London illustrator & designer Anne Smith crafts a sophisticated, richly colored, idiosyncratic, lovingly detailed, graphic gouache style- often incorporating painted type.

Her work can be found in the collections of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., Int’l Museum of Ceramic Art, Alfred N.Y., KPMG London, Boston Public Library, General Electric Co., Fidelity Investments, Boston, and het Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst, the Netherlands. She’s been honored in Communication Arts, AR100’s “Best Illustrated Annual Reports,” and received fellowships from National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artist Fellowship.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/annesmith/

Gary Kempston’s saavy illustration work explores line and form. The London based artist experiments with the texture of the picture’s surface within his pieces, and also employs asymmetric composition and color contrasts.

His work’s been highlighted in the Big Book of Illustration Ideas. Clients include BBC, the Guardian, Marketing Week, Future Publishing, Granada Learning, The Telegraph, Readers Digest, and Mediamark.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/garykempston/

Aaron Meshon spent his early years in rural Pennsylvania drawing, painting, and riding the family tractor in hopes it could reach proper civilization. Since graduating from Rhode Island School of Design in 1995, Aaron has lived in NYC where he works as an illustrator and part-time coed softball center fielder.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/ameshon/

Toronto based Kristian Bauthus likes the smooth sounds of Miles Davis, and also dogs (he’s never held a grudge against a cat, though.) Frequent use of intricate patterning brings a lyrical quality to his work.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/kbauthus/

Anne Lukas, three dimensional cartoonist, inhabits a wildly creative and weirdly funny world. She uses a combination of materials and skills including digital photography and polymer clay to develop her wacky creature illustrations. Her unique style has developed as a result of experimenting in many mediums. Anne began her career as graphic designer working both in-house and freelance. She's a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Washington DC Illustrator's Club.



http://www.theispot.com/artist/alukas/

How can you not love Nila Aye's art? Sparkling colors, perky, upbeat, delightful! Aye was born in Rangoon, Burma in 1972. Her family then moved to England in 1975. In 1992 she worked for 3 months in Vogue’s art department. Following this she studied Graphic Design at Central St Martins, specializing in illustration. A few of her clients include: Beau Monde Cards, Marks and Spencers, Paperchase, British Vogue, Tatler, Time Out, Telegraph Magazine, Harrods, Yorkshire Water, BBC, National Citer, Lucozade, Jacadi, Random House and Vigo cards amongst many others. She also illustrates a weekly column in You Magazine.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/naye

Victorian imagery, royalty and pop culture – she’s a classic contemporary.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/hstouffer/

“I create whimsical realities in my art and like how my art keeps me engaged with what is around me.”

http://www.theispot.com/artist/kchiu/

Jill Calder's whimsical artwork takes over the April 16, 2007 issue of the New Yorker magazine with a narrative series of ads for Mass Mutual Financial Group. The New Yorker selected about 40 illustrators for Mass Mutual and their ad agency, Mullen, to choose from, which eventually whittled down to Jill; her job was to bring their concept to life.
http://arttalk.theispot.com/index.php/topic,98807.msg100536/topicseen.html#msg100536

Drop the cynical crap and, well, cuddle up a bit. Lesley's charming greeting card and children's illustrations melt away any resistance!


http://www.theispot.com/artist/lbwithrow/

Emerging artist Phillip Fivel Nessen is already making waves in the industry. His work combines a forceful line, strong concepts and a rich emotional development.

Nessen’s work has been recognized in Communication Arts Illustration Annual 2006, Society of Illustrators’ Student Competition (2006-2007) and with an Art Directors Club scholarship in 2006.

Clients include the New York Times, Business Week, the LA Times, Yale Divinity School, Brooklyn Industries, Portland Mercury, The Stranger.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/nessen/

"You have to catch the eye! We live in an age of images; everything is visual and competition is brutal, therefore, if you want to be seen you have to stand out.” Mendoza pulls off hot 3D with panache.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/rmendoza/

Ward is showing large works on paper this coming June in Shanghai, China. In this interview, he talks about the difference between ART and illustration, and how they intersect in his work. The paintings discussed have a deep, raw energy that at first glance seem to have nothing to do with his illustration work. But look again and it all makes sense.


http://arttalk.theispot.com/index.php/topic,98841.msg100613/topicseen.html#msg100613

Joe Rocco is a graduate of Art Center College of Design and has worked as an editorial illustrator for 18 years. He's currently writing and illustrating the weekly alternative strip "Fluffer & Nutter," seen in Seattle's "The Stranger". He's illustrated the column "Joe Bob's America," written by Joe Bob Briggs and distributed by The New York Times Syndicate, and for 10 years he self published and distributed his own cartoon "Enquiring Minds" with writing partner Mandy Foster to alternative newsweeklies in the United States and Canada.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/jrocco/

Dan’s the creator of his own new original cartoon series, "The Replacements", which recently premiered on the Disney Channel. Currently he’s working on this year's Macy's Day Parade poster. Childrens book "The Secret Life of Walter Kitty," by Barbara Jean Hicks and illustrated by Dan, will release next January via Knopf.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/dsantat

Monsters, aliens, elves, mutants & cariacatures intermingle with each other in Jorge Baeza’a safe and well-controlled digital atmosphere.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/jbaeza/

An English/German hybrid, born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1977, Serge grew up traveling between the UK and Asia, where his exposure to modern Chinese art, Mad magazine and a constant diet of MTV fuelled his desire to become an illustrator.

He currently resides in London working as a full time illustrator and typographer. Serge has worked on numerous projects from branding to logotypes. Clients include MTV, Vodafone, Match.com, Honda, Cartoon Network, Puma and the Glastonbury Festival.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/sseidlitz/

Jacques Laplante likes to think of illustrators as artists who capture a society's life and times - that a good illustrator will go beyond the mere visual reflection of a book's text. "Illustrators reflect the era in which we live," he says.

Laplante's characters have appeared in many publications and ads worldwide. They communicate with humor, warmth and simplicity. "Every project," he says, "unfurls like a butterfly, and every impending deadline represents a new surge of color and emotion."


http://www.theispot.com/artist/jlaplante/

I would have to say everything that’s happened in my life has affected me as an artist. My dad was in WWII and I think my family’s connection to that era brought about my eventual love for pulp art. I’ve been doing some website design, Flash illustrations for an educational CD-Rom for the University of Montana and a few ‘A Scanner Darkly’-style portraits. This past fall I did a painted commission for a Fables event at Austin Books and Comics and also did a t-shirt design for their fall sale. I’m about to start working on a comic I originally started at 24 Hour Comic Book Day. I like the story and I’d like to see how it turns out if I put some time into it. It’ll be my first comic book.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/jchalker/

Tamaye refined her type-driven illustrations working as associate art director at Entertainment Weekly in charge of designing cover stories. Her elegant type treatments balance with bold, sophisticated graphics to complete the statement.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/tperry/

Neil is young now, but will be bald, fat and lazy by age 30 as payment for his puritan sensibilities. His acclaimed weekly comic strip, Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles, currently runs in Real Detroit Weekly, Internazionale (where it is translated into Italian), and New Times Broward-Palm Beach. His comic work has been collected into two books: Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles Vol.1 (2002) and Attitude Featuring: Neil Swaab, Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles (2005).

http://www.theispot.com/artist/nswaab

Azadeh has found quite a niche illustrating author Clea Hantman’s “I wanna” craft series for Simon & Schuster’s Young Readers. Her work clearly engages today’s tween sensibility. Recent commissions include the design of sporty t-shirts which made their national debut in Target stores.



http://www.theispot.com/artist/ahoushyar/

Bryan was the 3D Design Lead for 5 years at Big Idea Productions, the producers of the VeggieTales children's videos. Bryan is also a professor of Digital Media Arts at Huntington University in Indiana. He co-authored children’s book The Great Cheese Squeeze, a children's book with his buddy Keith Lango.

Rhonda’s thoughtfully developed illustrations shine a beacon on our blind spots. She works, lives, and plays in Nova Scotia. If you want to know more about her, call and ask her some questions. She works in a studio with only radio personalities for company so she likes to talk to people "on the outside".

http://www.theispot.com/artist/rmulder/

Hunt is inspired by Edward Hopper, 2000 AD, comics, retro 50s/60s/70s graphics and advertising, MAD magazine, sci-fi, pulp fiction covers, architecture, robot toys, and Tim Burton. Have a look at his most recently posted work here.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/rhunt/

Alece’s lyrical, fluid style resonates with wit. “I find myself drawn to creating images of both beauty and humor. In fact, if I'm not giggling to myself, I'm not there yet. Ultimately, to me, it is all about the laughter. After all, what could be more entertaining than that?”


http://www.theispot.com/artist/abirnbach/

Her editorial portraits are generous but not excessive, the very model of simple elegance. She prefers to draw "a pensive face to a face that is happy and smiling. There's a certain emotional range I cover where people are upset or have angst. That's how I see people most of the time."

http://www.theispot.com/artist/ltomlin/

Scott Altmann’s richly colored fantasy art exudes a luminescent quality. He’s equally at home in working traditionally in oil or commanding pixels to do his bidding.

“I try to sketch as much as possible, and more from my imagination than reference. It's the idea generation that I am searching for. I can always get reference later if needed, but that initial energy is very important to try to capture. It's really a searching process for me. My mind often feels overloaded with ideas and imagery- so the hard part for me is to be an editor. Scrapping the weak ideas, and trying to pinpoint the ideas that are more powerful.”

Altmann divides his time between illustration and gallery work. His clients include Wizards of the Coast, UpperDeck Entertainment and Green Ronin Publishing. Altmann graduated from the Illustration department of the School of Visual Arts in New York.


www.theispot.com/artist/saltmann

Sam McCullen studied at APU Cambridge School of Art (UK), where he achieved a first class honours degree in Illustration and Masters in Children’s Book Illustration. “From when I was very young, I’d always loved writing stories and drawing,” he says, “so picture books proved to be the perfect outlet.” He has won a number of awards, including a 'Highly Commended' in the 'Macmillan Prize for Children’s Picture Book Illustration.’



http://www.theispot.com/artist/smccullen/

Fotheringham made his name using this blotted line-style from Andy Warhol's pre-pop advertising days--that is, before the advent of irony's pervasive heyday. His work represents both the opposite of the aggressive, appropriated, cut-up poster look of the '70s and its logical conclusion: self-conscious, clean, somehow both inevitable and new.







http://www.theispot.com/artist/efotheringham/

Tammy Shane’s work reflects whimsy and nostalgia through a sophisticated colour palette, using hand rendered text as a source of inspiration. She mingles a painterly technique with purposeful contemopary images.



http://www.theispot.com/artist/tshane/

Ryan Pancoast is a new talent in the world of illustration. His classic Caravaggio-like technique plays with contrasting light and shadow, precisely blending the chiaroscuro effects. While he was an undergraduate at Rochester Institute of Technology, his work was chosen for display in the Society of Illustrators Student Show, in 2003 and again in 2005. Since graduating from RIT in 2005 (BFA Illustration), he’s worked for Yankee Magazine, the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper (Rochester, NY) and personal clients who have commissioned portraits.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/rpancoast/

Nightmares of urban apocalypse and fevered dreams must drive artist Dave Curd. “I’ve never been a big fan of obvious solutions, so I go out of my way to produce work that tells the story in an exciting, unexpected way.”



http://www.theispot.com/artist/dcurd/

Award-winning 3D polymer clay illustrations that are charmingly honest, with heart that's certainly not easy to find. Paula’s limber, fluid characters dance!




http://www.theispot.com/artist/ppindroh/

Kenneth Andersson’s art is bursting with energy. You almost want to eat all these colourful pop-artish illustrations which explode in a delightful rhythmic imagery. One of Sweden’s absolute masters in the field of books for young children, Andersson was awarded the prestigious Critic’s Award earlier this year by the UK’s Association of Illustrators.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/kandersson/

Every hair is articulated in Tim O’Brien’s small perfect portraits, every hair of the eyebrows and mustaches. They are idealized, bathed in a golden glow. But they are also 100 percent human. "When we had drawing in nursery school, everyone, the kids and the teachers, would stand behind me and watch. I could draw things in perspective. I had a photographic memory and good hand-eye coordination. And I liked all that attention." O'Brien has 9 paintings in the National Gallery in Washington, DC and is the youngest artist included in the recent update of "The Illustrator in America, 1880-2000."



http://www.theispot.com/artist/tobrien/

Infographics can fasten the truth upon the ordinary mind, and Philpot’s take on how things fit together makes you stop, look and appreciate his graceful explanations. No muddled structures here: his lines are sure & clear, backed by well planned concepts.



http://www.theispot.com/artist/cphilpot/

Fun and playful with lots of color, Andy Ward’s characters are a joy. He studied painting at the Norwich School of Art before moving to London, where he spent 8 years freelancing for editorial & advertising clients. “Coming from a village either you follow the root and stay there, or you go to a big city, because there’s nothing in between.” These days Andy works out of Venice. His focus has broadened to include toy design, animation, jewelry & fashion.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/award/

Sugar & Spice…did I mention Spice? Upcoming artist Hilli Kushnir has that rare talent to create characters who embrace both innocence & eros simultaneously. “My first intention is not becoming a millionaire, but rather trying to make things come out of me, trying to make them good and appealing to me and other people, and then if they're good, figuring out what to do with them, or to move forward from them.”



http://www.theispot.com/artist/hkushnir/

Ever since John Hersey’s mother plunked him down in front of the Bugs Bunny TV Show, John has been attempting to contribute to the modern world's insatiatble appetite for pop iconography. “My goal is to create the ‘intentional mistake quality’ in my illustrations. I never wanted to paint like Vermeer. I wanted my illustrations to look as contemporary as possible.”




http://www.theispot.com/artist/jhersey/

Yes, there are artists who work, successfully, in that “mock airline safety card” style. Colin Hayes has been getting the job done since 1993. “I'd like to be remembered as someone who didn't take himself too seriously. Someone who enjoyed life and his family, and continued to learn during the entire journey. Someone who stood up for his beliefs while understanding that, in the long run, some things were actually important and some weren't...and knowing which was which.”



http://www.theispot.com/artist/chayes/

Eicker does crisp, elegant vector illustrations. They’re driven by a whimsical cartoon handling glowing with vibrant colors. His stylistic flourishes & clever turns manage to pull out the essentials of both his characters and the situations they find themselves in. We like!


http://www.theispot.com/artist/aeicker/

Lifestyle vector art that breathes. Kendall’s work is suffused with omni-directional light --- you can almost feel the warm summer breezes blowing past as you view her illustrations. Her characters inhabit some delightful Shangri-La full of pools, martinis, shopping and hot dates!



http://www.theispot.com/artist/kkendall/

Anni Betts works in a rich and detailed manner with a clear love of color and line. “I draw my inspiration from many sources, including Art Nouveau posters, the Arts and Crafts movement, Renaissance painting, technical drawing, theater costumes and sets, and the culture of other countries.” Her designer background gives Betts a strong window into what illustration clients are after.



http://www.theispot.com/artist/abetts

Jan Meininghaus, known for his large output of heavy metal album covers, lights and shades the female figure especially well. His lines are very dynamic --- the characters appear tenacious and intense. Having spent his youth with comic-books, TV-shows like "The Dukes of Hazzard" and movies like "Bullit" and of course "Star Wars," Meininghaus’ illustrative style can’t help but be influenced by urban subculture, fashion, music and movies.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/jmeininghaus/

Matthew Woodson’s comics and illustrations are sometimes stark, sometimes poetic, but always spare, with a noir touch.

Woodson renders his images with careful skill and detail. Not surprising for someone who started drawing comics AND scientific illustrations at the same time (he’s got a background in biology). His linework is elegantly set off by his restrained use of just a few tones of gray or muted color.

In just over a year as a professional illustrator, this 23-year old emerging artist has established himself as a force to be reckoned with.



http://www.theispot.com/artist/mwoodson/

Bird presses his haunted figures into a flattened dystopia, curiously juxtaposed next to free-floating photographic cultural detritus. His collaged images sometimes center their portrait subjects against swaths of abstract texture and other times drop them into harsh urban landscapes. Either way the people portrayed vibrate unsettlingly with electric color.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/jbird/

'I am originally from the London area and studied at Chelsea College of Art and Design, I have worked for the past fourteen years as a freelance Scenic Artist and Illustrator', she says, 'working for such clients as Warner Brothers in Germany, Legoland in Bavaria, Universal Studios in Spain and painting a decorative ceiling for King Abdullah ll of Jordan in Amman. I set up a company in 2000 in Scenic Services but left 3 years ago to pursue full-time illustration from my new base in Valencia, Spain with two cats on my lap instead of ice in my paint bucket! Exploring the full potential of digital artwork big and small'.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/vwoodgate/

Mark Danielson takes architectural inspiration from Better Homes and Gardens and Art and Architecture from the’50s and ’60s. He incorporates the domesticated modernism that epitomized these publications into his acrylic paintings. The flat paint mimics the architectural illustrations, documenting the shallow sloped roofs of ranch homes in both perspective and elevation. Danielson’s work is not without a dystopic vision --- a concoction of teen angst and Valium seem to emanate from the wood paneling and carports.



http://www.theispot.com/artist/mdanielson/

You may not know his name - yet - but he's a prolific artist and comics creator poised to unleash several large projects into the medium. Shaw’s quiet and unassuming nature belies the raw and exposed persona of his work ... whether a story about a zombie romance or a flood caused by the tears of a distressed anthropomorphic banana.
“I'm not like Crumb, who's constantly drawing on a napkin wherever he goes. I do figure drawings, but I spend more time thinking about comics, the design and everything, more than the actual hand-drawing time.” Alternative Comics just released his newest collection of stories, "The Mother's Mouth."


http://www.theispot.com/artist/dshaw/

Andrews’ fashion illustration work turns on strong simple images with a touch of whimsy. She has carried over her printmaking training first into the world of giclee prints and now into her illustration process as well. "I found that the computer graphic programs were already the same process as printmaking in that the images are created by layering. The computer offered the same look but control over color not found in traditional printmaking."

http://www.theispot.com/artist/kandrews/

Toronto-based Mayzis is one to watch. Fresh out of Ontario College of Art and Design, he’s already done work for clients such as Extra Tasty Clothing in Australia and Mega64. He specializes in satirical editorial illustrations geared towards entertainment, particularly celebrity portraits and music. He is currently pulling together a catalogue and website for Pantheon Clothing in Sydney, Australia.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/dmayzis/

Allen’s crisp wit is prized by editorial clients worldwide, from Reader’s Digest/Germany, to The Guardian/UK, to the New York Times/USA. His most recent work has begun to incorporate intricately detailed background textures butressing his precise draftsmanship, no doubt made easier by the computer’s use. His harmoniously muted palette telegraphs a quiet sophistication.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/arallen/

Julia Wolff is best known as the illustrator of the opening books for the movies Shrek and Shrek 2. Her most recently illustrated book is “The Bubble Gum Kid”, which released last August. She still cannot blow a bubble. Julia was born in London and now lives in LA where she works for Dreamworks.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/jwoolf/

You’ve seen Caitlin Kuhwald’s work around this year. She illustrated a portrait of Al Franken for the Utne Reader, and that led to two commissions from The Progressive to paint Howard Dean and Michael Moore. “I love how much drawing is going on right now,” she says. “It is so nice to see that. Work on paper that is really simple and has a lot of space. I love the graphic quality of having something really worked out and really detailed and then having a lot of space that is really open around it. The most fun that I have when I work is drawing hands and faces. It is frustrating to draw fur.”

http://www.theispot.com/artist/ckuhwald/

Jim Nelson's work has appeared in fantasy role-playing games, books and magazines. He has been represented in the juried annual “Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art” as both an artist and art director. He claims artistic influences from Rembrandt to Wrightson, and contemporary fantastic artists like De Es Schwertberger and Zdzislaw Beksinski rank among his favorites.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/jnelson/

There’s no doubt that realistic fantasy illustrator Allen Douglas has photographic control over his medium. One of the surprise joys in his paintings is his uncanny ability to make his fairy tale subjects simultaneously dark and elegantly quirky. His work’s been recognized by the Society of Illustrators (New York), Spectrum - The Best in Contemporary Fantasic Art, Step-By-Step Graphics, the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, and RSVP. He currently teaches at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/adouglas/

“I like to look at Henri Rousseau, Japanese prints and textiles, Joseph Cornell, old postage stamps. Being out in nature inspires me more than anything, but that takes some planning, since I live in Chicago. I often have good ideas when dreaming, but with two young children, I don't sleep nearly as much as I used to, so that source has kind of dried up for a while!”

http://www.theispot.com/artist/kswarner/

Shannon Abbey’s brightly colored, exuberantly painted illustrations are at home in plein air, figurative, or still life fine art styles. Her canvasses owe a debt to the California Impressionists, who’ve obviously influenced her open, broad-stroked style. The rich sensuality of her oils, looking just squeezed from their tube, adds a luxurious sense of abandon.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/sabbey/

At a very young age, Scott Menchin started using his father's shirt cardboard to paint and draw on. Today, Menchin's lively, digitally rendered art incorporates elements of reality–photographic bits and pieces–that are well integrated into broad, bright cartoon illustrations. His work, with all its stuff, appears frequently in Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times. He is currently working on two picture books he's written, Taking a Bath With the Dog (Candlewick Press, spring 2007) and Flip Flop (Candlewick Press), as well as Bounce by Doreen Cronin (Simon & Schuster) and Ode to Middle C by Alison McGhee (Candlewick Press.)

http://www.theispot.com/artist/smenchin

Tomcyzk’s work has a glowing transluscence, as though the pieces were backlit. She loves the visual trick of the eye, often weaving background and foreground together. The airbrushed quality of these pieces sets them apart from the avalanche of flat vector art so common today.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/ctomczyk/

Look for pop art and Japanese print influences in Blair Kelly’s traditional linocuts. His work also nods towards 1950’s design sensibilities (he’s converted a 50’s TV to a bookcase which holds favorite art & design books in his studio).


http://www.theispot.com/artist/blairkelly/

Joshua Ellingson started making art regularly with self published comic books and gradually moved on to design work in college. These days, Joshua contributes illustration regularly to various national and international publications.

"I try to bring a sense of design and narrative into my work, when possible. I feel like that's my strength."

His work has been featured on everything from handheld games to slot machines. He also does animation, toy design, comics and the occasional art show. His work is vivid, humorous, and sometimes dark. Much of it touches upon machinery, technology and visions of the future.


http://www.theispot.com/artist/jEllingson

dishes out hearty helpings of substance to back the eye candy



www.theispot.com/artist/jthomas

Joanna Devoe’s bold, girly illustrations bring funky/cool style straight to ya. Her pop commentaries combine a tattoo-like handmade aesthetic with a fresh indie vibe.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/jdevoe/

The usual cute & cuddly animals? Hardly. Jennifer Taylor's are wonderfully weird & remote. Her muted palette cleverly masks her use of photographic elements in her whimsical tableaus.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/jtaylor/

TS Spookytooth is currently wowing children with his first picture book for Harper Collins, entitled "The Small Bun" a re-telling of that old classic "The Gingerbread Man." He draws while surrounded by possibly the largest collection of cypripediums in the world, a pet octopus, and a hot pot of tea.

http://www.theispot.com/artist/tsspookytooth/