Tag Archives: #illustration

Hiroyuki Izutsu

Tokyo-based illustrator Hiroyuki Izutsu began his career as an animator before turning to illustration.  Motifs of his work include humans, landscapes and flowers.  Inspired by everyday life, Hiroyuki primarily works in opaque watercolor, combining hand-drawn and digital techniques to create his distinctive images.  His incredibly vibrant color palette can be seen on book covers in the Japanese publishing industry contributing to the sales of many bestselling books.  On Portfolio-ai he says this about why he became an illustrator:

“I’ve loved drawing since I was a kid, and I was a boy who wanted to be a manga artist. After graduating from animation school, I first started working as an animator. When I first learned about illustration, when I entered the company, the illustrations of Teruhiko Yumura and Yosuke Kawamura came out, and I thought it was cool and started to be aware of the work of “illustration” and wanted to become an illustrator. I thought.”

“When I wondered what I wanted to do, I wanted to do what I liked, and I remember drawing when I was a kid, forgetting time, and I like drawing after all. I thought.”

The artist can be found on his website, Behance, Facebook and Instagram.

Images:  Courtesy of Hiroyuki Izutsu.

Maxim Shkret

These stunning digital illustrations are the work of Moscow-base illustrator and designer, Maxim Shkret.  The artist has over 10 years of experience in the field of graphic design and art direction for various advertising firms.  He mixes a unique method of 3D modeling with carefully applied shadow that evoke paper-like sculptures.  He writes this about his work:

“Being a strong advocate of experiments on the intersection of digital and physical, I firmly believe that imagination is free from any constraints and boundaries. It is a powerful engine that fuels the creative process allowing to propel the aesthetics of the visual art to new heights. Nowadays, the imagination is further equipped with the latest evolving technologies, which make it possible to refine the visual breakthroughs on the continuous basis.”

More of his work can be viewed on his website, Behance and Instagram.  He has a shop here at Society 6.

Images:  Courtesy of Maxim Shkret.

Brandon Ragnar Johnson


Brandon Ragnar Johnson is an illustrator and graphic designer based in California.  He graduated with honors at the Art Center College in Pasadena, California.  The artist moved around much of the west coast of California while growing up, but spent his formative years in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.  Hence the  heavy influence by florescent lights, hard shadows and midcentury design.  His work is often some combination of the things he most loves; film noir, fashion illustration, classic cartoons, the great men’s magazine artists, mid century design and architecture, punk rock, monsters and old Las Vegas.  On an interview with California Home Design he says this about his work:

“I really love simple, abstract shapes that hint at something organic – shapes that may or not be the silhouette of an animal or a plant, maybe something microscopic like an amoeba. I think a design is most
successful when it seems both familiar and completely new at the same time. Being able to accomplish that with just color,
form and line is challenging, but when it works, it’s very rewarding.”

“Mid-century designers were so adept at combining sophistication and humor, and I do my best to strike that same balance in my work. To me, that’s really what makes design appealing rather than rigid and stuffy. I think even the best design can falter when it takes itself too seriously.”


You can follow the artist on his website, Behance and Instagram.  His portfolio can be found here.  

Images:  Courtesy of Brandon Ragnar Johnson.

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