stylized magazine spreads
DESCRIPTION
These 8 magazine spreads were created to practice working with layouts. I chose three illustrators; Blanca Gomez, Charley Harper and Julia Rothman because these are all artists that have influenced my work. I collected interviews from each artist and created interesting and graphically pleasing layouts.TRANSCRIPT
The artist that has worked with virtually every major national agency
November 2012 styl ized 15
Winner of the Young Guns X Award
The up and coming artist from Madrid
The multi-talented artist cheering up NYC
The American Modernist artist who started it all
Featured Artists
blancagomez
the up and coming illustrator from Madrid
16 styl ized November 2012
lanca Gómez lives and works in Madrid, Spain.
She is an illustrator and graphic designer. Her
website is called "cosas mínimas,” which means "tiny things"
in Spanish. Simple things inspire her and her work, which
has been described as "colourful” and "whimsical.” She
works on projects ranging from editorial comissions, interior
design, stationery, books and advertising.
bNovember 2012 styl ized 17
blancagomez
WITHQ&A
18 styl ized November 2012
Where are you from originally?
I am originally from Madrid and that
is where I currently reside. I am always
saying that I’d like to move somewhere
else for at least a while, but here I am. I
suppose underneath it all Madrid isn’t
so bad.
Tell us a bit about your art/design
background. Where did you study?
When I was little I would draw all day
long like many kids do and my parents
enrolled me in a painting academy. I
would always say that I wanted to be
a painter, but as I grew older I didn’t
see it as a feasible option and the idea
faded. When it was time to head to col-
lege I wasn’t clear what I wanted to do
with my life. I had
always considered
drawing a hobby,
but never imag-
ined it as one that
could earn me a living. Instead I chose
to study Publicity because I thought
it would lend itself to creativity and
aide in my professional development,
but I soon realized that Publicity was
not for me. I continued my studies, but
explored other alternatives like photog-
raphy and film through my fourth year,
which I spent in Milan. It was in Milan
that I became interested in graphic
design. I remember attending an eye-
opening exhibition of Milton Glaser’s
work and somehow finally figuring out
what I should do. When I returned to
Madrid I enrolled in evening classes at
a design school while I wrapped up my
publicity studies. I was in classes all day
until 11 P.M. and it was very exhausting
but well worth it in the end. One month
after finishing college and my design
coursework I began working for a small
graphic design studio that was mainly
“I suppose that everything that surrounds me and everything that I
like inspires me inevitably.”
November 2012 styl ized 19
dedicated to the production of busi-
ness literature. That is where I learned
to work in a very rigorous and precise
manner. I’ve been working for graphic
design studios for seven years now.
When did Cosas Minimas begin?
Cosas Minimas got its start several
years ago in a very curious way. I was
working for another graphic design
studio at the time and was in the habit
of constantly drawing on post-its. Most
of the drawings ended up in my waste-
basket and my boss would tell me that I
should do something with those draw-
ings, but I never paid much attention.
One day he simply told me that he had
chosen a name for my website and pur-
chased it for me. So it just naturally
morphed out of what was once merely
a hobby at work.
How has Cosas Minimas grown?
What was initially meant to be a per-
sonal project gradually and naturally
turned into a professional project.
Having a site dedicated to my per-
sonal projects forced me to learn more
and more. As time went on I began
dedicating more time and effort into
Cosas Minimas. That is how my first
commissions and collaborations came
about, always via the web, until finally
my hobby became my primary job. It’s
not like I had a plan or predetermined
objective, it just happened. These days
Cosas Minimas continues on its unde-
fined path; dividing my time between
personal projects, the store, and com-
mercial commissions.
Can you tells us about any projects
you’ve been involved in that you’re
particularly proud of?
It’s not a project in the strictest
sense, but I was very flattered that
Janine Vangool chose an illustration
of mine for the cover of the first issue
of Uppercase Magazine . I had never
before seen my work featured on the
cover of a magazine much less the first
issue and now I fear I won’t see it again.
The best part is that my work was on
the cover of a fantastic magazine, but
I feel honored more than proud. On
another note, I’ve just finished a series
of greeting cards for Carrie and Hal of
Red Cap (they’re lovely people). They
asked to use existing works, but when
I proposed new illustrations for them
they accepted and gave me free reign
when it came time to work. I think this
will be obvious when you see the final
results. I am very happy with the final
product and recently had a chance to
view some samples. They left a great
impression and I can’t wait to see the
real thing. Generally I feel most proud
of my personal projects. over my com-
mercial projects.
What inspires you most?
To be sincere, I’m not too certain what
inspires me. I suppose that everything
that surrounds me and everything that
I like inspires me inevitably. I’m a huge
collector of objects and books.
Picasso said something along the lines
of it being best for inspiration to find
you working, I happen to think that’s
good way to put it.
20 styl ized November 2012
Julia Rothman is a illustrator and pattern de-
signer located in Brooklyn New York. You can
find her designs on various products for Urban
Outfitters Artist Series, on stationery for Hello!
Lucky, and on a new line of wallpapers for Hygge
& West. Her illustrations have appeared in The
New York Times, Details magazine and on a
line of puzzles for Kid O. She is also part of an
award winning three person design company
called Also. For fun she has a blog about art
books called Book by its Cover.
the multi-talented artist cheering up NYC
November 2012 styl ized 21
How and when did you first become
interested in art and illustration?
I always liked to draw since I as far back
as I can remember. I used to win a lot of
drawing contests in elementary school.
It was never the thing I was going to do
with my life, but it was always some-
thing I was good at. In high school, I
didn’t take art class until senior year
because of my schedule. I only applied
to one art school, RISD, after someone
suggested it to me. When I got in, I
took it more seriously and decided that
was what I wanted.
What attracted and inspired you to
designing patterns?
After graduating school I got hired to
work on the style guide for My Little
Pony. The art director, who is now one
of my close friends- Jess Rosenkranz-
wanted me to try making patterns for
the guide for licensing applications. It
sort of came naturally and I made many
more than she asked for just because
it was so fun. At the time I was just
using the computer and drawing in
Illustrator. I started making patterns
for many of the other Hasbro guides
as well, The Littlest Pet Shop, Plays-
kool, even Transformers. Jess wanted
me to check out Surtex (Surface tex-
tile trade show) one year with her to
see the trends in the market and I saw
individual designers selling patterns
they made. It gave me the idea to try
making patterns with my own draw-
ings and selling them to companies.
What was your first illustration gig?
I interned at City magazine the summer
before my junior year at RISD. They
gave me my first real illustration job,
which was a full-page drawing of a NYC
coffee cup. It was for the back page of
the magazine, which they called the
Icon page. Every issue they wrote the
history of a different NY icon. After I
did that first illustration and it worked
out well, it became a regular job. For
about 5 years I continued illustrating
that back page.
You recently completed The Exqui-
site Book, which is a contemporary
take on a Surrealist game. What
inspired you to create this book?
Jenny, Matt and I played the exquisite
corpse game all through art school. I
was visiting them in Chicago and we
were sitting in a coffee shop, as usual,
trying to think of an interactive project
JULIAROTHMAN
WITHQ&A
22 styl ized November 2012
for my blog. That’s when we thought
it would be fun to play a variation of
the exquisite corpse game. Once the
idea got more fleshed out, it seemed
like it would be better as a book than
as an online project so we casually
approached Chronicle about it. They
loved the idea.
One hundred artists participated in
the making of The Exquisite Book.
How did you find most of the artists?
The internet has made it so easy to
learn about new artists. We are con-
stantly bookmarking artists we like.
Plus I had developed relationships with
artists because of my book blog, Book
By Its Cover, so it has made it easier
to approach them about participating.
Do you prefer hand drawn or digital
since your work uses both?
The digital vector style is kind of like
leftovers. I graduated school doing that
style and worked in it for many years
never really loving it. The hand drawn
style was developing in my more per-
sonal work. Finally, when I was con-
fident, I started working in the hand
drawn style more professionally.
What illustrators do you admire?
I love art that looks like it’s for kids but
it’s really for adults. All my very favorite
artists can fit in that category — Marcel
Dzama, Maira Kalman, Keiko Minami.
There’s hundreds more. Luckily I got
to work with so many of them on The
Exquisite Book.
Who or what has had the greatest
influence on your work?
I had the whole Sweet Pickle Books
series as a kid. The style uses thin line
drawings and flat color, super whim-
sically drawn. Looking through those
pages now I realized these might have
had a huge influence on how I draw.
November 2012 styl ized 23
HARPERCHARLEYThe American Modernist Artist that changed it all.
harley Harper's unique mini-
malist aproach is unmistake-
able. From his groundbreaking
mid-century illustrations for Ford Times
Magazine and Golden Books, his impec-
cably composed posters for the National
Parks and other wildlife organizations,
and to his whimsical serigraph and giclée
prints, Charley Harper's art is a beloved
treasure and an inspiration to an entire
generation of artists and designers.
C
PHOTO CREDIT: BOB SMITH
November 2012 styl ized 25
HARPERCHARLEYQ&A with
26 styl ized November 2012
What is your process in creating
each painting?
I start with a sketch. For the Lab’s
painting, I cut out a lot of bird
shapes and pushed them around
until I was sure they were where I
wanted them to be. This let me try
different combinations and different
compositions very easily, and then,
when I finally decided where to put
them, I stuck them down with rubber
cement. That gave me the basis for the
painting. The problem is that I kept
wanting to make changes and every
time I did that it added another hour
or two to the process. I tried so hard
to make this painting the best thing
I’ve ever done, which is a measure of
how important it is to me.
Your works portray the essence of
birds well. Are you a bird watcher?
Over time I have developed an
enjoyment of birds. After I found
out what a feeding station was, I got
one and started drawing birds. But
they wouldn’t sit still. I found a bird
guide by Don Eckelberry and realized
that was all I needed--those birds
didn’t move. I’m the world’s worst
bird watcher. That’s my dirty little
secret. I do all my bird watching in
bird guides. Usually, before I start
painting I look at how everyone else
has interpreted birds. If I can, I do
look at birds. (I will even stoop to do
that sometimes!) I have trouble seeing
how birds look from below, so I also
use study skins.
In the early ‘60s I was asked by
Golden Press to illustrate the Golden
Book of Biology, which was published
in 1961, followed by The Animal
Kingdom, published in 1968. This
was my first education in nature, and
it’s gone on from there. Now I read
about birds and watch them around
my house.
I love the unique and entertaining
essays accompanying each work.
When did you develop this style?
I started doing captions when I was
working for the Ford Times magazine
in the 1950s. The first one or two
groups of birds--backyard birds and
maybe the next one--were written
by E. B. White. He didn’t want to
do them anymore, so they asked if I
would like to. I took off from his style,
then added my own awful puns, too. FORD TIMES FEATURE 1975
“I’ve always enjoyed punsthey are the purest form
of creativity.”
November 2012 styl ized 27
They loved them. And that’s how it came about
that I was a writer.
I’ve always enjoyed puns--they are the purest
form of creativity. Taking two words never
connected, and making a new creation--that
equals creation at its purest. I’m constantly
thinking of puns all the time. If it’s a good pun,
I’ll make a picture for it. Sometimes I will wake
up at 3:00 a.m. with an idea for a pun and write it
down. Later, I may turn that pun into a painting.
If you could sum up your artwork in one
sentence, what would you say?
I don’t count the feathers in the wings, I just
count the number of wings.
Charley Harper passed away at the age of 84 on
June 10, 2007. He will be greatly missed.
CARDINAL WITH BERRIES 1954
TUFTED TITMOUSE 1954