Prime Candidates

...its not an election, but rather a discussion of some artists and designers that I find inspiring. Some because they may be interested in similar themes, others because they explore themes I like or create work that inspires me, and other purely because of the way in which they work.  Been aware of other artists and what they might be doing, is not only important in terms of inspiration, but also learning tool. So here are some of the artists and designers I admire.

Artists such as Jen Stark, Stephanie Posavec, Nicholas Felton and Sue Blackwell inspire me because of the way they translate inspiration and research into creative outcomes.

Jen Stark

 

You can see how her illustrations inspire her 3D work 

In terms of work methods, Thomas Heartherwick and Abrham Games have an innovative use of the design process, which leads to creative and fresh outcomes. Games would render up to 30 small preliminary sketches and then combine two or three into the final one. He would also work small, because he believed that if a poster “don't work an inch high, [it would } never work”.

Abraham Games 

Combining two or three concepts into one final outcome, gives his posters a visually interesting juxtaposition. 

Aubrey Beardsley, is one of my all time favourites. He is a leading figure in illustrative history, and I absolutely love his work. Although Beardsley was an English illustrator in the 1890’s, his drawings, executed in black ink, are influenced by the style of Japanese woodcuts, an inspiration which definitely fits in with my thematic area.

Here is an example of his work, and below it one of my illustrations, inspired by his style. 

Beardsley's Work

My Work 

As for typography, Cathrine Dixon and Phil Baines are two typographers that I would definitely like to research further. Typography has never been one of my strengths, and from their work, I could definitely learn a lot about visualizing information in typographic terms. 

Typographic work 

Tibor Kalman is an artist whom I admire because of his focus on multiculturalism and global awareness; I am inspired by his bold graphic design, typography, and combination of photographs and doctored images. 

Tibor Kalman

This is not a conclusive list of artists and designers, but rather a starting point of inspiration for my project.