Brooklyn-based illustrator — and Lost At E Minor contributor — Ilana Kohn creates vibrantly coloured works which practically glow in their playfulness. A graduate of Pratt Institute, Kohn’s regular clients include the New York Times, The Deal, Utne Reader, and The Advocate.

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Anyone who has ever been a fan of those old school cut and paste zines, band fliers, and the like, will really dig the work of Brooklyn illustrator, Ted McGrath, who creates the most fabulously rough and raw, spontaneous collages and ink drawings. Be sure to keep an eye out for the latest edition of American Illustration as McGrath has had the honour of creating this year’s cover.

Vivid technicolor dreamscapes emerge from Brooklyn-based illustrator Matthew Smith’s clever imagination. Always expect the unexpected in his bright, unique, and colourful world, which he builds with detailed line work and bold powerful marker strokes. Yes, I said marker strokes, which is his medium of choice. This allows him to finish his lush pieces with whimsical speed and passion, leaving behind him a stack of imaginative work. His fresh approach and voice are both inspiring and well-appreciated in a world where everyone is trying to be like everyone else.

The brilliant New York illustrator, Fernanda Cohen — who just happens to live down the road from me in Brooklyn — is teaching a portfolio class at Third Ward starting this coming Tuesday. The course, Illustration Portfolio, ‘helps students build a professional portfolio strong enough for them to feel confident to show it to art directors in the illustration field, including editorial and advertising’. She will lead the class in discussions about ‘what goes into a portfolio, and how to choose your best work, and talk about art directors, who they are, and what they expect from illustrators they are looking to hire’. Visit the Third Ward website for more details.

Seems like you can’t throw a rock in Brooklyn these days without hitting an awesome illustrator. Thomas Herpich’s work is intricate and really drawerly (you know, like the drawing equivalent of painterly), but also draws heavily from comic books. His style is expressive and moody without being gimmicky — the idea he is trying to convey takes precedent over any kind of visual one-liners.

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Brooklyn based Illustrator Andrew Dregraff never ceases to amaze. With his bold, graphic language, Degraff has a real knack for quirky storytelling that always seems to bring something new and exciting to the page. Be sure not to miss his books section for a peek at the glorious Pink Gold (and buy a copy while you’re at it!)

Recent MICA illustration graduate, Kali Ciesemier posseses a particularly bold and versatile sensibility. She is clearly having a blast experimenting with different styles which ought to appeal to a wide range of clients. I particularly enjoy her poster section where she explores everything from textured pen and ink, to clean digital lines – all to extraordinary results. Having already illustrated projects from theater sets, to posters, to editorial, Ciesemier has hit the ground running having only graduated this May. With her wide range, it will be exciting to see how defines her work in the successful years ahead.

Brooklyn Illustrator Sam Friedman has the most graceful line quality. In whatever form it takes, from abstract line to bold cursive, it’s this beautiful line quality that is clearly the embodiment of his work. In Friedman’s work, this line is often built up in dense, colorful layers to create the most intense abstract fields, guaranteed make your eyes spin. Punctuated with bold shapes and imagery, with a distinct graffiti influence, Freidman makes it pretty clear that the boundaries for his technique are endless.

I love the colour and textures that permeate Brooklyn illustrator Ilana Kohn’s work. A Pratt graduate, Kohn ‘works mainly through combining traditional painting techniques with various manners of collage and occasional digital media’.

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Oh wow. The illustration work of Brooklyn based James Blagden is amazing. The colours leap out like flouro socks in a mid-80s Wham clip.

]]> http://www.lostateminor.com/2008/01/20/james-blagden/feed/ 1 http://www.lostateminor.com/2006/09/27/katie-yamasaki/ http://www.lostateminor.com/2006/09/27/katie-yamasaki/#comments Tue, 26 Sep 2006 15:30:09 +0000 Zolton http://www.lostateminor.com/2006/09/27/katie-yamasaki/ Brooklyn-based artist, Katie Yamasaki, did a Bachelors of Arts degree at Earlham College and a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She now ‘teaches 4th-8th grade art at Ballet Tech, The New York City Public School for Dance, and shares a studio with fellow [...]]]>

Brooklyn-based artist, Katie Yamasaki, did a Bachelors of Arts degree at Earlham College and a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She now ‘teaches 4th-8th grade art at Ballet Tech, The New York City Public School for Dance, and shares a studio with fellow illustrators and friends John Hendrix, Marcos Chin, and Yuko Shimizu’.

Autumn Whitehurst creates beautiful vector works. Her bold use of colour allows her often cheekily themed line drawings to really leap out, creating a sense of visual serenity despite the occassionally dark subject matter.