Illustrator Mark Magnaye (AKA Blok) likes to keep things simple. His digital work is made of clean lines and shapes and with a colorful (if limited) color palette. But though his designs are simple, they’re short of being simplistic.
Based in the Philippines, Magnaye has worked as a freelance illustrator since 2012, when he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communication from the University of the Philippines.
“I guess I’ve always loved drawing and being creative,” he reflected in an interview with Inky Goodness. “Since being a small boy I knew that I wanted to do something creative when I grew up. Initially, I wanted to be a comic artist; a dream that was influenced by the animes and cartoons of the 1990s. Though that changed when I entered art school. I was suddenly exposed to other art forms that I wasn’t all that familiar with before. Suddenly I was torn, because I loved everything!”
“It was during my junior year that I discovered illustration, or rather saw it in a new light,” he adds. “I used to hang out and kill time in the libraries in between classes. Sometimes I’d have three-hour breaks and spend all of it looking at picture books. That’s when my love story with illustration began, and I decided I’d like to pursue it as a career.”
According to Magnaye, as he grew older so did his appreciation for simplicity. “When I was younger I used to do these really busy compositions, something I’d call a fiesta. But now I’m more refined using basic shapes and bold colors,” he says.
His artistic goal? To infiltrate major international publications and big global brands, and to fill the world with his illustrations. Help him out by following his delightful work on Instagram.
