Tag Archives: illustrator

artist: jesse lefkowitz

by Erika Firm Posted on March 23, 2011

Illustration by Jesse Lefkowitz for Washington Post

Because I occasionally outsource illustration (for Delphine stationery and for graphic design projects for clients) I am on a bunch of illustrators’ eblast lists. I consider it one of the best perks of being a graphic designer! Lots of interesting pieces of art end up in my in box each week. It’s super inspiring, and a welcome break from pharma spam and “you’ve just won one billion euros from the Italian lotto” notices.

I just have to share these awesome illustrations Jesse Lefkowitz sent me; he illustrated the chipmunk/turtle/toad one for a story about how and why animals hibernate for the Washington Post, and the money pyramid illustration for Money Magazine.

Illustration by Jesse Lefkowitz for Money Magazine/Making Money in 2011

Sidenote: I love Jesse’s bio. You should read it. And then you should hire him. Clipart: booooooo. Real illustrations by real people: yaaaaaay! 

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inspired by: American artist Charles Demuth

by Erika Firm Posted on February 1, 2011

The Figure Five in Gold, by Charles Demuth (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

It’s difficult to explain, so I won’t really try, but this painting is one of the reasons I became a graphic designer. It’s a portrait of William Carlos Williams (he wrote that sweet poem about plums, the icebox and forgiveness). Every time I go to New York I make a point of visiting this painting at the Met.

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la lune et le soleil prints

by Erika Firm Posted on November 26, 2010

How fab are these limited edition prints from Double Merrick?!? The moon print would look amazing in our son’s new grey and blue bedroom. Santa?

Inspired by vintage classroom wall charts, they have a very cool, retro vibe. Want to learn some French slang to describe something way cool? Say, “C’est La Vache!” Which translates literally to “It’s the cow!” Weird, but in French slang the meaning is “It’s so cool” (or “it’s the bomb,” or “it’s the shit”).

Scoot over to Double Merrick’s shop before all the prints are gone. Vite (quickly). It’s a limited edition run of just 25 pair.

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graphic art: eleanor

by Erika Firm Posted on June 3, 2010

How cute are these birdie mugs by Eleanor? I had the great pleasure of meeting her last month at the National Stationery Show, and was totally blown away by her cute booth and her gorgeous illustrations. Of course I forgot my camera the day I walked the show, so I have no pictures. Bummer! But check out Eleanor‘s work on her Push Me Pull You site. She’s going to be speaking at the HOW conference this weekend and I so wish I could be there.

 

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illustrator: marcos chin

by Erika Firm Posted on January 5, 2010

Yesterday I was at the gym and felt very much like Marcos Chin’s girl with bubble gum: in my own, fun world, with lots (surprise, Erika: it was crowded on the first Monday after the New Year) and lots of boring and serious (seriously boring, you might say) people surrounding me. I listen to my Godbrother’s iPod when I work out; he had extremely quirky and silly taste in music, which reminds me of all the fun times we had growing up, which makes me giggle out loud (and, occasionally, do a little “Drew” dance while on the cardio machines), which makes me happy that I’m in my own little world and not in boring matchy matching gym lady world. You know who I’m talking about, right? The ladies who are all over the gym lobby and locker room; they wear their workout clothes all day long; they have $100 yoga pants with a pink stripe down the legs, matching extra-clingy shirts with pink stripes, and matching nikes with pink swooshes; their hair always looks perfect even after a workout; and they never seem to sweat. Promise me if you ever see me in a matchy matchy gym outfit you torture me by making me listen to a musical soundtrack.

Ummmm… what was I supposed to be discussing here … oh, yes, Marcos Chin. His work and his philosophy about work are both amazing. He creates most of his work using Illustrator. Check out his website here, his blog here,  a nice interview with him here in Communication Arts (impressed? I am). And if that’s not enough you can watch his lecture “Pretty Pictures” at FITC Toronto 2009 here.

The work shown above is titled, “Falling off the Workout Wagon.”

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graphic design: penguin classics

by Erika Firm Posted on November 3, 2009

I was browsing at my local Borders the other day and came across these fabulous updated covers of three of my very favorite books. (My all-time favorite is The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton, in case you’re wondering. And no, I didn’t see a fabulous new cover for it). They’re all Penguin Classics imprints. The illustrations in this series are by über-talents (including Ruben Toledo and Jeffrey Brown).

The cover illustrations on the cover make these classics a bit more accessible to teen readers than the dour looking oil portrait that usually stares up from the covers, don’t you think? How old were you when you first read these books? I was in ninth grade.

I’ll admit that the cover of a book (the packaging of anything, really) matters to me. Although I have read all three of these books, and have perfectly good copies sitting on my shelves, I was extremely tempted to purchase them. I have a coupon, after all, I tried to justify to myself. Instead I walked out with a newish novel by Leif Enger: So Brave, Young, and Handsome. The cover is not particularly interesting … which totally blows my theory.

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artist: caitlin kuhwald

by Erika Firm Posted on November 2, 2009

No matter what you think of our President’s politics, there is no doubt that he is married to a super stylish first lady! Caitlin Kuhwald‘s paper doll illustration of Mrs. Obama (for Psychology Today magazine) is utterly charming. When I first saw the illustration I laughed out loud, then seriously considered cutting it up and playing with the doll (something I never would have done as a child…I always played with cars and trucks). Caitlin’s other work is just as darling. I’m especially smitten with her woodland and barnyard animal illustrations. You can check out her portfolio here and her Etsy shop here. 

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illustrator: aleks sennwald

by Erika Firm Posted on June 26, 2009

Don’t you just love this illustration by Aleks Sennwald? One of the things I like best about Aleks’ work is the sense of fun and whimsy that comes through in each illustration. This one, called “Art in Bloom,” appeared in Vegetarian Times for a story about the art of Ikebana flower arrangements.

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way cool: 3-d drawing pad

by Erika Firm Posted on October 30, 2008

3-D drawing pad from Restoration Hardware


Know an illustrator? Want to make their head explode? Give them this 50 sheet 3-D drawing pad ($10) from Restoration Hardware and let the craziness begin.

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botanical illustration

by Erika Firm Posted on September 10, 2008

illustrations by Tim Gunther


I met Tim Gunther last weekend at the Rancho Santa Fe, California art show and fell hard for his work. I am in awe.

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