A list of Artists and Illustrators that I take inspiration from for my own work.
Lisa Hanawalt
I would say that Lisa Hanawalt is my biggest inspiration for the work I do. Her work focuses on animals, plants, feminism and is humorously quirky.
I first found out about Lisa Hanawalt through watching 'Bojack Horseman'. Bojack Horseman, on Netflix, is a show I hold close to my heart (which I will probably talk about in a future blog post!)
Lisa then went onto work on 'Tuca and Bertie'. Tuca and Bertie, like Bojack Horseman, focuses on issue in society with humour. Unlike Bojack Horseman, the show is more experimental with its style and focuses a lot on feminist issues: which was the biggest inspiration to my own work.
An example of a clear influence of the show is 'Draca' a plant lady, she inspired my own design for 'Veronica' my own plant lady.
'Coyote Doggirl' is a illustrative book Lisa made that inspired me to approach my own Animation differently. The compositions in the book are laid out to appear like it could be an animation, but the format is a book with some text and illustrations.
Her compositional styles in this book is something I want to apply to my own project '5 Seconds a Week' however my chosen medium will be through animation.
The key points from Lisa Hanawalt's work, that have influenced my own work, are the following:
Character design
Themes : Feminism, comedy, social issues
Mark making and texture
Using various medias to create art
Having fun
Composition
Background design
References:
BoJack Horseman (Tv Show) : 2014-2020
BoJack Horseman: The Art Before the Horse (Book) : 2018
Tuca and Bertie (Tv Show) : 2019 -
Coyote Doggirl (Book) : 2018
My Dirty Dumb Eyes (Book) : 2013
Hot Dog Taste Test (Book) ; 2016
http://www.lisahanawalt.com/ (Website)
Carolyn Gavin
I think Carolyn Gavin, an Illustrator I found through Instagram, is a big influence for me to experiment with mark making, texture and just having fun with my own art.
Her art is based on mostly nature, through plants and animals. Carolyn main medium is brightly coloured watercolour, similar to my own work.
The key points from Carolyn Gavin's work, that have influenced my own work, are the following:
Texture and mark making
Keeping it fun
Experimentation
Colour
References:
www.carolyngavin.com (Website)
Celeste Mountjoy (Filthy Ratbag)
Similar to Lisa Hanawalt, Celeste Mountjoy's (also know as Filthy Ratbag) work is based on comedically highlighting issues within society whilst also having a quirky humour.
I like the simplicity of her work, because it highlights the written point being made which I could use in my own work in the future.
The key points from Filthy Ratbag's work, that have influenced my own work, are the following:
Themes : Feminism, comedy, social issues
Use of limited colours
Use of text, alongside illustration
References:
filthyratbag.bigcartel.com (Website)
Donna Wilson
It's quite funny that I found out about Donna Wilson over summer when needing a reusable bag in a Tesco. The bag was simple but the message strong, "Save our oceans".
After shopping, I researched the artist and started following her own Instagram. She uses her unique character designs for all sorts of pieces of art: bags, rugs, dolls, mugs and so much more.
The way Donna takes her work and makes it into something profitable is very inspiring. I found the artist through a product in a shop, which is something any artist would be proud of.
Similar to other artists I'm influenced by, Donna Wilson's work looks like it was fun making and that's something I always want my own work to be.
If you don't have fun making something, I do think it shows through the confidence of the drawing.
The key points from Donna Wilson's work, that have influenced my own work, are the following:
Unique character designs
Turning art into a profit
Ways of advertising your work
Use of colours
Simplicity, yet effectiveness of design
Themes: environmental issues
References:
www.donnawilson.com (Website)
Izzy Burton
I found Izzy Burton last year when we asked to bring in an animation to show our peers. The animation I chose was 'Via' by Izzy Burton. The animation was simple and was like a moving illustration (then again I guess that's what all animation is in the end!)
The animation is simple, just characters moving through a massive environment, with spoken narration.
The key points from Izzy Burton's work, that have influenced my own work, are the following:
Illustration with subtle animation
Making the environment much bigger then the character
Simple audio to carry a story through
Background Designs
References:
www.izzyburton.co.uk (Website)
VIA (Video) : vimeo.com/242073421
Richard Hogg
Richard Hogg was the brilliant artist behind the game 'Hohokum'. Hohokum is a simple designed game but the art style is what makes it stunning. It's like an interactive vector animation.
The game focuses on environmental issues, colour, sound, movement and everything an artist could draw inspiration for.
To be honest, I don't know much about Richard Hogg's art outside the game however his style within the game is simply brilliant.
The key points from Richard Hogg's work and Hohokum, that have influenced my own work, are the following:
Stylistically
Simplicity in sound and movement
Colour
Playfulness
Using basic shapes to create characters
Background design
References:
Hohokum E3 Trailer (PS4) | E3 2013 (Video) : www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSZ0cLRJWqk
h099.com (Website)
All the artists I have mentioned are obvious influences to my own work, but there are many more then this.
I use both Instagram and Pinterest to get my key influences, and I have made a Pinterest board which I will keep adding to when I find more influences.
Artist Influences Board: www.pinterest.co.uk/kath_rino/artist-influences/
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