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Ryan Lang is a concept artist currently working at Disney Animation Studios.  While he is mostly known for his work as a concept artist, he has also done a few comics that showcase his abilities as a sequential storyteller.  What I like most about Ryan’s work is how he integrates cinematic qualities into a sequential narrative.  His use of shape and compositional design aren’t so bad either.

Tatsuro Kiuchi is a Japanese illustration who has done work for children’s book illustrations, book jacket illustrations, editorial work, and advertising commissions. He typically creates compositions that depict a lifestyle or an everyday experience with vivid color palettes, simplified subjects, and interesting textural color-blocking. What drew me to his work was the familiarity of the topics he depicted and his strategic use of color to capture the viewer’s attention. It is also very interesting the way he illustrates space by successfully integrating the technique of painting colors flatly and perspective.

Dave Van Patten is an artist based in Long Beach, LA who makes illustrations comics, murals, and designs featured in a variety published pieces. What I found interesting about his pieces was how he worked in blocks of color. Also the use of color where he has a mix of various mute and saturated colors but they all still work as a whole and don’t compete with each other. I also just really enjoy the nonsensical dark humor and absurdity in his work.

https://www.instagram.com/davevanpatten/

Moomin Falls in Love

Kelly Puissegur, also known as Retrowhale, is an artist that specializes in paintings, illustrations, zines, and prints. When researching different artists, I came across their “We Are Special” zine. I found the characters interesting and I appreciate the way they use line and blocks of color in their work.  I also like the way they use hand written text in their prints and the lack of a backgrounds but still depict space. 

Youth In Decline is a small press that publishes zines, comics, and books from various artists. It is based in San Francisco and run by Ryan and Jane Sands. Their publications are printed at Mission Risoplex, the office/risograph print shop they work out of. I find Youth In Decline noteworthy because of the artists they work with, such as Sam Alden and Jillian Tamaki. They are always featuring interesting and unique work from a diverse group of artists. 

Rachel Marie-Crane William’s work takes on subject matter that encompasses sexism, racism and the intersectionality of both. “Her work as a researcher and creative scholar has always been focused on women's issues, community, art, and people who are incarcerated.” She created a zine called “Blue and Black Stories of Policing and Violence”, which is supported by Project NIA. I was intrigued by her loose mark making with inks and how her style fits the unsettling subject matter. This piece is a perfect example of how successful a work can be when the topic and artistic style come together to convey a particular message.

Rachel Marie-Crane William’s website

Faye Moorhouse is a British Illustrator currently working in East Sussex. She has done multiple editorial works for publications such as The New York Times and NYLON Japan and also sells zines of her own creation. She works in gouache, ink, and watercolor to achieve thick-looking figures with brushstrokes that give each a unique texture. Her zines are essentially catalogs of a given topic, like sad dogs, curious cats, dancing men, or outrageous swimwear. These wordless visual lists act as both a showcase of miniature paintings and also an homage to the repetitive nature of life. I enjoy the wonky nature of her painting style and the simplicity of innocent repetition.