“I believe that the ambiance in my work is much more important than the content,” she remarked in an interview with Viva’s. “I could even say that my choice of motives and color is made considering the ambiance I’m trying to achieve in my illustration.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mateja Kovač (@matejakovac)

Having graduated with a master’s degree from the School of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Kovač’s style has developed over time and with much trial and error. In 2014, she began collaborating with international clients, and over the years her projects have ranged from social media marketing campaigns to packaging and stationery.

“The projects I work on are varied and they all demand a different emotion,” she reflected. “You could say that I tend to surround myself with sources of inspiration that awakens a necessary emotion in me, depending on the project I’m working on.” She explains that while working on a fashion editorial, her inspiration might come from the old masters of fashion illustration; if she’s working on an illustration of a city, on the other hand, then she might turn to old photos or vintage postcards for inspiration.

When illustrating women, she finds that the challenge is greater. “On the internet, I often find very caricatured and grotesque illustrations of the female figure whose sexuality is shown in a very explicit way or just the opposite a very infantile way,” she says. “It is always a challenge to represent a woman’s sensuality without highlighting her sexual attributes. I’m not sure if I have succeeded in it but that was the main guidance thought.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mateja Kovač (@matejakovac)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mateja Kovač (@matejakovac)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mateja Kovač (@matejakovac)

The post The Soft, Romantic Illustrations of Mateja Kovač appeared first on PlayJunkie.

According to her bio, as a teenager in Poland, Stasik avoided doing her homework in favor of making collages and doodling. She continued this hobby throughout university (surprisingly, not art school) experimenting with a Wacom tablet. But it was only when she landed an internship at a game tech startup that she really honed her craft.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by justyna stasik (@justynastasik)

“I never went to art school and I’m 100% self-taught,” she stressed in an interview with Sense of Creativity. “At some point I’ve landed an internship at a small Polish tech startup creating iOS games for kids. I was offered a full-time position there and that’s how my career started.” According to Stasik, being the only creative on board she had to learn a bit of everything including illustration, animation, and graphic design.

But after some time she found she needed a change of scenery, moving first to France and later on to Canada. Now based in Montreal, Stasik works as an illustrator full time, with clients that include giants like Apple, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Sony. “I don’t think it’s about learning the creativity itself but more about figuring out how to access what’s already inside,” she says. “And that is definitely something you can learn later on in life.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by justyna stasik (@justynastasik)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by justyna stasik (@justynastasik)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by justyna stasik (@justynastasik)

The post These Illustrations are Flat Out Wonderful appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Growing up in Portland with a mom who painted and a dad who played jazz piano, Jacobs’ artistic path was paved early on. “I knew I wanted to be an illustrator when I was a kid,” she shared with Catapult. “I kind of forgot about it, but when I got older and started needing to make decisions about my life, I realized that drawing had always been all I ever wanted to do and that illustration would be a good way to keep doing it.”

Jacobs’ interests include nature, music, and social issues, all of which she illustrates with sensitivity and California technicolor. Working with acrylic paint on colored paper, her favorite tools include cheap synthetic brushes. “My favorite part is definitely the act of painting,” she notes. “I put on music or a podcast and then space out and get to work. It’s very physical, and it feels very familiar and right to me.”

“I think it’s important to not just focus on the aesthetic of your illustration work, but consider what kind of content really interests you and how you can bring in your other interests and hobbies,” reflected Jacobs. “It leads to more honest and personal work and I think that’s how you get people on your side.”

With selected clients that include The New York Times, The New Yorker, Google, The Wall Street Journal, Snapchat, and TED, she’s definitely got a lot of people on her side.

The post Celia Jacob Fell In Love with the Act of Painting appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I’m drawn to the bold contrast between the saturated colors of the tissue paper and the bright white background upon which they are adhered,” she writes on her website. Many of her pieces contain very detailed, intricate hand-cut designs, which take Elaine anywhere from a few hours to a few days to complete.

“Because I don’t draw my designs before cutting them, sometimes it can take a few tries to create the perfect shape or form that I’m looking for, whether it be a flower, insect or giraffe,” she notes. “I often have only a vague idea of what I want to make when I get to work, and sometimes the end result is vastly different from what I originally had in mind.”

Her designs are primarily inspired by her love of the plant and animal world, with her pieces reflecting her fascination with the shapes, lines, colors, and movement found in nature. “I’m also inspired by prints and patterns I see in fashion, as well as interior design elements, such as textiles, wallpapers, and ceramics,” writes Elaine. “I’ve always loved folk art from Mexico and woodblock art from India, which is reflected clearly in some of my work.”

Based in Connecticut, where she shares a home with her husband, Doug, and two young sons, Boden and Cody, Elaine admits she makes nearly all of her pieces during her kids’ naps – a feat in and of itself. “My love of animals and color is unabashedly on display in my pieces, and I hope they bring you as much joy when you view them as it brings me to create them,” she writes.

The post These Illustrations Were Made Out of Tissue Paper appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“For editorial illustration, lately I’ve been doing a hybrid process of hand-created elements, plus digital layering with both Procreate and Photoshop,” she explains. “Going digital is very helpful for tight deadlines, and makes changes much easier, of course. But now that I have a little bit of a breather coming up, I’m looking forward to slowing down, working more by hand again, and refining my ‘toolkit.’ Working with my hands and creating actual, physical art, will always be my first love, and I don’t want to stray too far from that.”

Her work includes both commissions and personal projects, as well as a line of T-shirts and prints she sells on her website. “I love the variety,” she stresses. “I love the fact that every project is a different challenge. I love that I get to read brilliant articles and vivid stories, collaborate and connect with thoughtful and kind people, and learn new things all the time.”

Although based in Manhattan, Thada says that her heart has always belonged to the mountains, flowers, and enchanted forests – themes that are also present throughout her work. After earning her Masters of Science in Journalism from Columbia University, she went on to study design and illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology. But her true passion lied in illustration, a passion sparked at a very young age. According to Thada’s bio, from an early age on, she never left the house without her personal trinity of a book to read, paper, and a pen with which to draw.

“There are always new techniques or media to try, new paths to explore, new ways of thinking and seeing and appreciating,” she says. “Every moment in life becomes a treasure hunt for inspiration—even something as mundane as walking my pup, Indie, through the park becomes a seed for an idea or a spark for a vision.”

The post For Sirin Thada, Illustrating Is An Adventure appeared first on PlayJunkie.

With most of her work being digital, Salt uses a combo of iPad, Procreate, Photoshop, and her Cintiq. But she also enjoys sketching outside, using mechanical pencils. “My absolute favorite thing to do is take a sketchbook to a coffee shop and people watch from the window,” she remarked once in an interview with Catapult.

Indeed, according to her website in her spare time, Salt can often be found sipping tea, people watching, and nurturing her growing houseplant brigade. “A typical day entails waking at eight-thirty making coffee or tea and sitting down at my desk to make a list of all the things I need to do throughout the day,” she notes. “Throughout the day, I may take breaks to work out, bug my cat, or tend my houseplants. I usually end my day anywhere between six to eight in the evening, after which I’ll either meet friends, read or watch a film.”

With more than 10k followers on Instagram, her selected clients include publications like the New Yorker, the New York Times, and Time Magazine, as well as brands like Nike, Quartz, and Melinda Gates. Take a look at some of her creations in the gallery below:

The post Kim Salt Celebrates the Inner Magic of the Mundane appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I used to use a lot of ink and watercolor,” she recalled in an interview with Catapult, “then I felt like I’d reached a dead-end with how far I could take the media. I did some experimenting with different media within different projects at university.” According to Lock, it was while studying at the Cambridge School of Art that she began leaning towards colored pencils.

“When I was working on Angela Carter’s short story ‘The Erl King,’ I came across this way of working by accident—as I tried to get some of the feeling from the story into the mark-making with the colored pencils,” she explains. “I think my style has developed since then, but I still try to carry that emotive mark-making with me on different projects.”

Now based in West Yorkshire, Lock works as a freelance illustrator with her clients including brands like Intercom, Catapult, Bulletin Magazine, and the Covent Gardener. Each piece, whether personal or commercial begins with research and some sketches in her sketchbook. Once the final sketch has been chosen, I move onto the final piece,” says Lock. “Sometimes I start with a loose, faint sketch, and then go on to draw the final on top. Sometimes I just start with a blank piece of paper and work from there.”

Take a look at some of the finished results:

The post Add a Splash of Color to Your Feed with Hannah Lock’s Illustrations appeared first on PlayJunkie.

With almost 200k fans on Instagram, her style of illustration has come to define her as an artist. According to Liu-Wong, this unique style is a result of a lot of trial and error, and after experimenting with different methods and approaches. “When I first applied to art school, I was doing pen and ink drawings of engines and I was wary of painting or even using color,” she recalled in an interview with Studio Cult. “In school, I was forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to try new things and see new work. Eventually, after a lot of experimenting, you find something that just feels right and you keep exploring it,” she says.

Her work is inspired by a mixture of cultures and references that include American folk art, Japanese wood block prints, Chinese pottery, Nickelodeon cartoons, and the Surrealist movement. “I know I listed a lot, but I draw on so many sources for inspiration that it was hard to narrow it down to even these generalizations,” she says.

Being raised in a Chinese American household, Liu-Wong grew up looking and studying Asian art. “The incredible graphic quality of Japanese woodblock prints (especially Shunga) are particularly inspirational to me and I love the beautiful intricacies of Chinese vases,” she says. “And while we’re talking about Asian art and artists, the photography of Nobuyoshi Araki is a big current influence.”

Take a look at some of her cheeky creations:

The post The Cheeky Illustrations of Kristen Liu-Wong appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Her “multi hyphen” career includes illustrating, writing, and textile designing. Based in South Devon, Foster spends much of her time illustrating books and working on licensing designs but she also has a small range of products that she creates for her web shop. “My purpose in life is to bring joy into other people’s lives by creating happy illustrations for children’s books, wall art, mugs, and other products,” she writes. Indeed, her bold, happy designs appeal to children and adults alike.

But carving herself her own path took time, effort, and overcoming her doubts. “I’m very self-critical and worry a lot so it’s quite bizarre in some ways that I left the security of a teaching career (in music) to carve out a new career in an area which is so precarious,” she admitted in an interview with Creative Boom. “However, I also think the uncertainty drives me on and makes me determined to make my life work out.”

Her advice to other creatives? “Don’t be afraid to fail – successful people have failed lots. Talent is only a small part of becoming an illustrator, the rest is sheer dog-eared determination!”

The post Jane Foster’s Playful Illustrations Appeal to Both Children and Adults appeared first on PlayJunkie.

When it comes to her creations, color is key. “I actually regularly pin or photograph things just for the color combination,” she admitted in an interview with Yes I’m a Designer. “Sometimes I want to work with a color combination so bad I will design a screen print specifically for it so that I can play with it. My go-to is shades of green with shades of pink, so many possibilities!”

Her creative process relies on both traditional and digital tools. “I work by hand a lot with felt tip pens but everything ends up in photoshop which I love as you can do so much in that one application,” she explained. “I make my patterns in there, change colors, re-draw things touch up photos for my online shop and just recently I’m learning to make GIFs which is an exciting new thing to learn!”

According to Colley’s website, her favorite themes to tackle are exploration, collections, and play. “My role models are people like Lisa Congdon and Jane Foster whose creative careers happened and blossomed later on in life, that is so inspirational to me,” she added in the interview.

With more than 25k fans on Instagram and selected clients that include Twitter UK, Kate Spade, and FLOW magazine, you’d want to take note:

The post Jacqueline Colley’s Illustrations Are Overflowing with Details appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I believe that the ambiance in my work is much more important than the content,” she remarked in an interview with Viva’s. “I could even say that my choice of motives and color is made considering the ambiance I’m trying to achieve in my illustration.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mateja Kovač (@matejakovac)

Having graduated with a master’s degree from the School of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Kovač’s style has developed over time and with much trial and error. In 2014, she began collaborating with international clients, and over the years her projects have ranged from social media marketing campaigns to packaging and stationery.

“The projects I work on are varied and they all demand a different emotion,” she reflected. “You could say that I tend to surround myself with sources of inspiration that awakens a necessary emotion in me, depending on the project I’m working on.” She explains that while working on a fashion editorial, her inspiration might come from the old masters of fashion illustration; if she’s working on an illustration of a city, on the other hand, then she might turn to old photos or vintage postcards for inspiration.

When illustrating women, she finds that the challenge is greater. “On the internet, I often find very caricatured and grotesque illustrations of the female figure whose sexuality is shown in a very explicit way or just the opposite a very infantile way,” she says. “It is always a challenge to represent a woman’s sensuality without highlighting her sexual attributes. I’m not sure if I have succeeded in it but that was the main guidance thought.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mateja Kovač (@matejakovac)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mateja Kovač (@matejakovac)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mateja Kovač (@matejakovac)

The post The Soft, Romantic Illustrations of Mateja Kovač appeared first on PlayJunkie.

According to her bio, as a teenager in Poland, Stasik avoided doing her homework in favor of making collages and doodling. She continued this hobby throughout university (surprisingly, not art school) experimenting with a Wacom tablet. But it was only when she landed an internship at a game tech startup that she really honed her craft.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by justyna stasik (@justynastasik)

“I never went to art school and I’m 100% self-taught,” she stressed in an interview with Sense of Creativity. “At some point I’ve landed an internship at a small Polish tech startup creating iOS games for kids. I was offered a full-time position there and that’s how my career started.” According to Stasik, being the only creative on board she had to learn a bit of everything including illustration, animation, and graphic design.

But after some time she found she needed a change of scenery, moving first to France and later on to Canada. Now based in Montreal, Stasik works as an illustrator full time, with clients that include giants like Apple, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Sony. “I don’t think it’s about learning the creativity itself but more about figuring out how to access what’s already inside,” she says. “And that is definitely something you can learn later on in life.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by justyna stasik (@justynastasik)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by justyna stasik (@justynastasik)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by justyna stasik (@justynastasik)

The post These Illustrations are Flat Out Wonderful appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Growing up in Portland with a mom who painted and a dad who played jazz piano, Jacobs’ artistic path was paved early on. “I knew I wanted to be an illustrator when I was a kid,” she shared with Catapult. “I kind of forgot about it, but when I got older and started needing to make decisions about my life, I realized that drawing had always been all I ever wanted to do and that illustration would be a good way to keep doing it.”

Jacobs’ interests include nature, music, and social issues, all of which she illustrates with sensitivity and California technicolor. Working with acrylic paint on colored paper, her favorite tools include cheap synthetic brushes. “My favorite part is definitely the act of painting,” she notes. “I put on music or a podcast and then space out and get to work. It’s very physical, and it feels very familiar and right to me.”

“I think it’s important to not just focus on the aesthetic of your illustration work, but consider what kind of content really interests you and how you can bring in your other interests and hobbies,” reflected Jacobs. “It leads to more honest and personal work and I think that’s how you get people on your side.”

With selected clients that include The New York Times, The New Yorker, Google, The Wall Street Journal, Snapchat, and TED, she’s definitely got a lot of people on her side.

The post Celia Jacob Fell In Love with the Act of Painting appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I’m drawn to the bold contrast between the saturated colors of the tissue paper and the bright white background upon which they are adhered,” she writes on her website. Many of her pieces contain very detailed, intricate hand-cut designs, which take Elaine anywhere from a few hours to a few days to complete.

“Because I don’t draw my designs before cutting them, sometimes it can take a few tries to create the perfect shape or form that I’m looking for, whether it be a flower, insect or giraffe,” she notes. “I often have only a vague idea of what I want to make when I get to work, and sometimes the end result is vastly different from what I originally had in mind.”

Her designs are primarily inspired by her love of the plant and animal world, with her pieces reflecting her fascination with the shapes, lines, colors, and movement found in nature. “I’m also inspired by prints and patterns I see in fashion, as well as interior design elements, such as textiles, wallpapers, and ceramics,” writes Elaine. “I’ve always loved folk art from Mexico and woodblock art from India, which is reflected clearly in some of my work.”

Based in Connecticut, where she shares a home with her husband, Doug, and two young sons, Boden and Cody, Elaine admits she makes nearly all of her pieces during her kids’ naps – a feat in and of itself. “My love of animals and color is unabashedly on display in my pieces, and I hope they bring you as much joy when you view them as it brings me to create them,” she writes.

The post These Illustrations Were Made Out of Tissue Paper appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“For editorial illustration, lately I’ve been doing a hybrid process of hand-created elements, plus digital layering with both Procreate and Photoshop,” she explains. “Going digital is very helpful for tight deadlines, and makes changes much easier, of course. But now that I have a little bit of a breather coming up, I’m looking forward to slowing down, working more by hand again, and refining my ‘toolkit.’ Working with my hands and creating actual, physical art, will always be my first love, and I don’t want to stray too far from that.”

Her work includes both commissions and personal projects, as well as a line of T-shirts and prints she sells on her website. “I love the variety,” she stresses. “I love the fact that every project is a different challenge. I love that I get to read brilliant articles and vivid stories, collaborate and connect with thoughtful and kind people, and learn new things all the time.”

Although based in Manhattan, Thada says that her heart has always belonged to the mountains, flowers, and enchanted forests – themes that are also present throughout her work. After earning her Masters of Science in Journalism from Columbia University, she went on to study design and illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology. But her true passion lied in illustration, a passion sparked at a very young age. According to Thada’s bio, from an early age on, she never left the house without her personal trinity of a book to read, paper, and a pen with which to draw.

“There are always new techniques or media to try, new paths to explore, new ways of thinking and seeing and appreciating,” she says. “Every moment in life becomes a treasure hunt for inspiration—even something as mundane as walking my pup, Indie, through the park becomes a seed for an idea or a spark for a vision.”

The post For Sirin Thada, Illustrating Is An Adventure appeared first on PlayJunkie.

With most of her work being digital, Salt uses a combo of iPad, Procreate, Photoshop, and her Cintiq. But she also enjoys sketching outside, using mechanical pencils. “My absolute favorite thing to do is take a sketchbook to a coffee shop and people watch from the window,” she remarked once in an interview with Catapult.

Indeed, according to her website in her spare time, Salt can often be found sipping tea, people watching, and nurturing her growing houseplant brigade. “A typical day entails waking at eight-thirty making coffee or tea and sitting down at my desk to make a list of all the things I need to do throughout the day,” she notes. “Throughout the day, I may take breaks to work out, bug my cat, or tend my houseplants. I usually end my day anywhere between six to eight in the evening, after which I’ll either meet friends, read or watch a film.”

With more than 10k followers on Instagram, her selected clients include publications like the New Yorker, the New York Times, and Time Magazine, as well as brands like Nike, Quartz, and Melinda Gates. Take a look at some of her creations in the gallery below:

The post Kim Salt Celebrates the Inner Magic of the Mundane appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I used to use a lot of ink and watercolor,” she recalled in an interview with Catapult, “then I felt like I’d reached a dead-end with how far I could take the media. I did some experimenting with different media within different projects at university.” According to Lock, it was while studying at the Cambridge School of Art that she began leaning towards colored pencils.

“When I was working on Angela Carter’s short story ‘The Erl King,’ I came across this way of working by accident—as I tried to get some of the feeling from the story into the mark-making with the colored pencils,” she explains. “I think my style has developed since then, but I still try to carry that emotive mark-making with me on different projects.”

Now based in West Yorkshire, Lock works as a freelance illustrator with her clients including brands like Intercom, Catapult, Bulletin Magazine, and the Covent Gardener. Each piece, whether personal or commercial begins with research and some sketches in her sketchbook. Once the final sketch has been chosen, I move onto the final piece,” says Lock. “Sometimes I start with a loose, faint sketch, and then go on to draw the final on top. Sometimes I just start with a blank piece of paper and work from there.”

Take a look at some of the finished results:

The post Add a Splash of Color to Your Feed with Hannah Lock’s Illustrations appeared first on PlayJunkie.

With almost 200k fans on Instagram, her style of illustration has come to define her as an artist. According to Liu-Wong, this unique style is a result of a lot of trial and error, and after experimenting with different methods and approaches. “When I first applied to art school, I was doing pen and ink drawings of engines and I was wary of painting or even using color,” she recalled in an interview with Studio Cult. “In school, I was forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to try new things and see new work. Eventually, after a lot of experimenting, you find something that just feels right and you keep exploring it,” she says.

Her work is inspired by a mixture of cultures and references that include American folk art, Japanese wood block prints, Chinese pottery, Nickelodeon cartoons, and the Surrealist movement. “I know I listed a lot, but I draw on so many sources for inspiration that it was hard to narrow it down to even these generalizations,” she says.

Being raised in a Chinese American household, Liu-Wong grew up looking and studying Asian art. “The incredible graphic quality of Japanese woodblock prints (especially Shunga) are particularly inspirational to me and I love the beautiful intricacies of Chinese vases,” she says. “And while we’re talking about Asian art and artists, the photography of Nobuyoshi Araki is a big current influence.”

Take a look at some of her cheeky creations:

The post The Cheeky Illustrations of Kristen Liu-Wong appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Her “multi hyphen” career includes illustrating, writing, and textile designing. Based in South Devon, Foster spends much of her time illustrating books and working on licensing designs but she also has a small range of products that she creates for her web shop. “My purpose in life is to bring joy into other people’s lives by creating happy illustrations for children’s books, wall art, mugs, and other products,” she writes. Indeed, her bold, happy designs appeal to children and adults alike.

But carving herself her own path took time, effort, and overcoming her doubts. “I’m very self-critical and worry a lot so it’s quite bizarre in some ways that I left the security of a teaching career (in music) to carve out a new career in an area which is so precarious,” she admitted in an interview with Creative Boom. “However, I also think the uncertainty drives me on and makes me determined to make my life work out.”

Her advice to other creatives? “Don’t be afraid to fail – successful people have failed lots. Talent is only a small part of becoming an illustrator, the rest is sheer dog-eared determination!”

The post Jane Foster’s Playful Illustrations Appeal to Both Children and Adults appeared first on PlayJunkie.

When it comes to her creations, color is key. “I actually regularly pin or photograph things just for the color combination,” she admitted in an interview with Yes I’m a Designer. “Sometimes I want to work with a color combination so bad I will design a screen print specifically for it so that I can play with it. My go-to is shades of green with shades of pink, so many possibilities!”

Her creative process relies on both traditional and digital tools. “I work by hand a lot with felt tip pens but everything ends up in photoshop which I love as you can do so much in that one application,” she explained. “I make my patterns in there, change colors, re-draw things touch up photos for my online shop and just recently I’m learning to make GIFs which is an exciting new thing to learn!”

According to Colley’s website, her favorite themes to tackle are exploration, collections, and play. “My role models are people like Lisa Congdon and Jane Foster whose creative careers happened and blossomed later on in life, that is so inspirational to me,” she added in the interview.

With more than 25k fans on Instagram and selected clients that include Twitter UK, Kate Spade, and FLOW magazine, you’d want to take note:

The post Jacqueline Colley’s Illustrations Are Overflowing with Details appeared first on PlayJunkie.