Gary Alphonso: Creates Facebook and Twitter Banners

Recently, Gary Alphonso was asked by The Design Office of Ann Marie Ternullo to create this art for Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association’s Facebook and Twitter pages.  The art was originally created for the co-op's annual report.  Ann Marie’s idea was to have the art modified by Gary, to create digital banners for their social media marketing–a very effective use of the art.  Elements within the art were moved around to accommodate the Facebook and Twitter logos while maximizing the impact of the image area.  Aside from offering a custom solution for their social media marketing it also took advantage of the branding established by the annual report, creating a nice continuity across platforms.  

As a master with Adobe Illustrator, Gary Alphonso creates everything from futuristic high tech art to vintage woodcut illustration--but it's always his dynamic compositions that carry his trademark style into any application so perfectly.

This is the original illustration Gary created for the Annual Report that was modified for use as in social media banners.

Check out Gary Alphonso's entire portfolio.

Mystery Book Covers: Clare Owen for Harlequin

Clare Owen has now created three gorgeous covers with art director Sean Kapitain at Harlequin.  The front cover for Hunting Sweetie Rose and Honestly Dearest, You're Dead are featured below.  Stay tuned to see the third in the series--to be released in March 2015.  Clare's illustrations are so inviting but be careful, with these mystery covers, the devil is in the details.

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I just love the details like the wind blowing the curtain and the steam rising on the coffee. They seem to bring the story to life.

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For much more delightful Clare Owen illustration visit her portfolio here.

The Year of You: Mark Hoffmann for D Magazine

Did you make a resolution this year?  If not, you still can! How about, "prepare to become the most interesting person you know"?  That was the inspiration for Mark Hoffmann's latest commission for D Magazine.  Art director, Jamie Laubhan-Oliver took advantage of Mark's amazing lettering and whimsical style for the article The Year of You which outlines a long list of cool classes available in Dallas, TX for those ready to learn something new.  

So whether your passion is art and photography, fitness and dance or just "making something", check out what's offered in your neighborhood and become just a little more interesting in 2015.

Get inspired by Mark Hoffmann, visit his online portfolio today.

Tim Zeltner for Harlequin

Art director, Sean Kapitain with Harlequin, has a keen eye for quality illustration and knows how to choose the perfect style to capture just the right mood for the novel.  The backdrop for The Lost Artist is a 19th Century New England farmhouse with a nasty storm brewing.  Who better to illustrate a moody landscape than Tim Zeltner?  Tim painstakingly builds the atmostphere of a painting with his unique combination of layering on wood with: paint, glazes and stains.  Sean Kapitain had this to say about Tim Zeltner's art, "We actually heard back from the author about this cover which is rare! She loved the package and thought Tim's art was absolutely spot on. Great work, Tim!".  Thank you Sean for the wonderful feedback.

I love the way Sean has used parts of the illustration for the spine and back cover.

To see more of Tim Zeltner's delightful illustrations take a look at this portfolio.

Ozzie Award for Diabetic Living Story Illustrated by Janice Kun

Congratulations to Diabetic Living, on the Folio Ozzie Award for Consumer Publications: Best Use of Digital Imagery for the “Let’s Go to Camp” story illustrated by Janice Kun.  Many thanks to art director, Michelle Bilyeu who shared the news with Janice, "Our team loved how this story turned out and you did a fantastic job making it come alive!".  Working closely with Michelle Bilyeu, Janice Kun artfully incorporated the many photographic moments with illustrated elements highlighting this true-to-life portrayal of camp life.

Incorporating kids' letters and handwriting really helps make this their personal story.

Love the subtle use of a black and white photo with spots of color (top center).

To see more of Janice Kun's playful illustrations integrating photographic elements, check out her updated portfolio.

Katy Dockrill for ALTO

Creative director at Drive Agency, Mark Bulloch, chose Katy Dockrill for the ALTO marketing campaign because her illustration style suited the hip lifestyle drawings he envisioned for the brand.  ALTO is a gorgeous new rental condo development located in the heart of trendy Little Portugal, in Toronto.  The art needed to speak to the young urbanite seeking to live there.

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We spoke to Katy about her work on this campaign and she shared some interesting insights on her process:

i2i Art:  At the outset, this campaign looked like it would involve four major illustrations and hundred's of small icons.  What was your first response to this request?

Katy Dockrill:  Firstly, I saw the direction that Drive agency was working towards, because they gave me a preliminary visual concept, and I loved it. I loved the simplicity, the icons, the central figure idea.  I love drawing individual things, and because it was black and white, I could  simply focus on the line work.

i2i Art: Can you describe your process?

Katy Dockrill:  I felt completely at home, taking pictures of the hood, sitting and sketching. I drew from my pictures, once I got home. I also needed to figure out who was going to be in the middle of all these icons, which took more time because the client was looking for someone in a certain age range, and wanted them doing things that might be particular to them and the neighbourhood.

i2i Art: The art needed to be able to reproduce at any size--blown up huge for signage and small for brochures and Internet advertising.  Knowing that you sketch and draw by hand, how did you approach the final art to accommodate these specifications?

Katy Dockrill:  I knew that these were going to be reproduced at a large size, but I work quite small, with brush and ink. My process in these cases requires I scan all my art as bitmap tiffs and then vector my line work in illustrator so that it most closely resembles the original work.

i2i Art:  What's your impression of the finished campaign materials onsite?  If you were looking for a rental condo, do the marketing materials portray an appealing lifestyle choice?  In what way?

Katy Dockrill:  I'm biased in that I really love how the work onsite turned out. I'm hoping with the icons that surround these figures (who are of a certain age range), that they appeal to the bookworm, the foodie, the nester, the cat lover, the musician, the pal, the mother.  Since most of what I drew came from life, the sidewalks and the stores in that neighbourhood I also hope that perhaps someone sees a bit of their story in there too.

A montage of photos Katy took while researching the neighbourhood.

One of the panels with Katy's art mounted on construction hoarding onsite.

ALTO advertising with two of Katy's illustrations.

The art I call 'Lunching', up close.

This hipster musician would fit right in at Alto.

A day in the life of a mom.

To see more of Katy Dockrill's delightful illustrations visit her profile here.

Eric Chow for TroDent

There's a revolution in the fields of diagnostics and treatment that is changing the face of dentistry.  To depict new advances in the field would take an illustrator with a fertile imagination and strong conceptual skills.  Many thanks to John Hobbs, editor of TroDent (a USC School of Dentistry publication), for recognizing Eric Chow's talent and giving him the perfect creative brief to illustrate the cover story, What does the future hold for Dentistry?  Below are the enlightening results.  To see more of Eric Chow's illustration visit his portfolio here.

Cover Image:  What dentistry will look like in 25 years?

Eric Chow's visual depiction of DNA in dentistry.

Eric Chow's visual depiction of the future of IT in dentistry.

Eric Chow's visual depiction of the future treatment of cavities.

Eric Chow's visual depiction of gene therapy for the prevention of cavities.

Dave Murray: Illlustration 57 Reception, SOI, NYC

Big congratulations to Dave Murray on his Indie Alehouse poster illustration--Glory & Consequences, selected for the Society of Illustrators' Illustration 57 annual.  Last week Dave Murray attended an opening reception of the exhibition at the SOI in NYC.  Of this great honor the SOI website says, "the exhibit features works by leading contemporary illustrators worldwide, selected by a prestigious jury of professionals".  If you're in New York this month, drop by and check out the show.  You won't be disappointed.  Details on the show, which runs until January 31, 2015, are on the SOI website.  

We caught up with Dave to get his reflections on the experience and share some of his pics from the opening reception:

i2i Art:  What comes to mind from the SOI reception in speaking with fellow illustrators and art directors?

Dave Murray:   I got a real feeling of community from everyone there. It was my first time at the SOI (and in the annual), so it was a completely new experience. It was pretty amazing just to soak in the atmosphere. I had a bit of a chuckle talking to one illustrator who's work is currently being displayed in the NYC Subway system, but never manages to catch a train that has the work in it. I saw it on nearly every train I took over the few days I was there.

i2i Art:  Did any trends or themes emerge for you in looking at the advertising and institutional art on display at the show?

Dave Murray:  Themes were harder to nail down - I feel like the SOI does a great job of varying the style of the selections - no one style was represented more than another.

i2i Art:  What did you think of the overall quality of the art in the show?

Dave Murray:  The quality of the art on display was amazing. Conceptually and technically, pretty much everything blew me away. Going back to the variety of work - there was such a mix of styles and media...Coming home, I feel incredibly re-energized and inspired.

i2i Art:  What piece of art by a fellow illustrator was the highlight of the show for you?

Dave Murray:  My personal favorite from the show - Andie Dinkins' absolutely unreal "New Years Eve at the Beverley Hills Hotel" piece.

Dave with the poster he designed and illustrated for Indie Alehouse's Glory & Consequences, hanging on those historic SOI walls.

Dave's personal fave, Andie Dinkin's, New Years Eve at the Beverley Hills Hotel.

To see more of Dave Murray's award winning illustration, visit his portfolio here.

Holiday gift ideas featuring Greg Stevenson art!

For the person on your list who has everything, check out Greg's online store with over 1,500 print-on-demand products with surface designs by Greg Stevenson!

I'll give you a sneak peek here...two of my favorite gifts...but check it out for yourself.

You must know a little pooch that needs a special holiday T-Shirt!

And half a dozen of these peace dove ornaments would look beautiful on any tree!

If you like what you see here check out Greg Stevenson's entire updated illustration portfolio here.

Mark Hoffmann for D Home Magazine

Ever found your kid hanging from a candelabra or climbing a giant holiday decoration?  In his best playful style, Mark Hoffmann illustrated the story Babes in Toyland:  Activities that will make your kids' holiday season more merryfor art director Jamie Laubhan-Oliver, at D Home Magazine. If you like this image, there are a lot more fun Mark Hoffmann illustrations here.

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Monika Melnychuck adds to the Naked Flock

Monika Melnychuk has designed and illustrated a delightful fourth sku for the growing Naked Flock brand.  The premium cider maker Jonathan Hull (aka Apple Dave) says, "Our Cider is for people who crave unique flavor and are on the hunt for quality." For the interesting story behind the brewers of the Naked Flock Brand, check out this post from the Great Brewers blog.  Read reviews about the new Citra Premium Hard Cider here.  And for those of you who missed our story on the first three skus of Naked Flock cider, check it out here.

To see much more of Monika's illustration check out her portfolio here.

Gary Alphonso for Canada Post: Unveiling New Community Mailboxes

In response to the shrinking demand for snail mail, Canada Post has begun to phase in an expansion of it's Community Mailboxes (CMB's) vs door-to-door delivery.  The process of developing the CMB's was carefully executed with a strategy that involved lots of consumer input through focus testing at various stages in the development.  Canada Post was looking for the perfect CMB to take it's customers into the 21st Century.  One of the key criteria for the new CMB's was to develop an art wrap that would hopefully work as an anti-graffiti barrier.  This is where the call for Gary Alphonso's illustration talents came in.  

Working with the team at Ove Brand | Design, headed up by creative director Peter Baker, Gary Alphonso was given an open creative brief as they embarked on an exploration of various abstract directions.  The art evolved into a beautiful ethereal design that incorporated the maple leaf (a ubiquitous Canadian symbol), floating as if being carried by a gentle wind.   The process was a real contest but in the end, we are proud to report that Gary Alphonso's floating leaf design was among the most popular in focus testing.

Gary Alphonso's illustration applied as a wrap to the mailboxes.

Here are some pics of the mailboxes in communities across the country.

View Gary Alphonso's entire portfolio here!

Katy Dockrill illustrates for Diabetic Living

Katy Dockrill created these illustrations for the article: What's Your Exercise Personality, for the Fall 2014 issue of Diabetic Living magazine.  I'm a playful dolphin, what are you? For more of Katy's delightful illustrations check out her portfolio.

Rémy Simard honoured at the 37th Salon du livre de Montreal

i2i Art Inc. is proud to congratulate Rémy Simard, a guest of honour at the 37th Salon du livre de Montreal.  With over 80 titles to his name, Rémy both authors and illustrates children's books.  His humour is ever present.  

The book fair runs this Wednesday November 19th through Monday November 24th, if you're in Montreal don't miss this opportunity to pick up some perfect holiday gifts!

Rémy's latest book, Mes Dinky is published in the Pomelo Éditions by La Watermelon. This beautifully colorful book is perfect for anyone with a passion for cars--especially small ones.  Rémy has his own collection of 140!  In Rémy Simard's own words, "I can not remain indifferent to a car, it is beautiful or ugly."

This the cover of Mes Dinky

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And here's a sneak peek of the delightful illustrations you'll find inside.

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Rémy is probably best known for his popular series Boris, which he wrote and illustrated.

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Take a look at Rémy's his entire portfolio here.

Introducing new i2i Art illustrator, Dave Murray

Meet Dave Murray.

We wanted to share with you a recent conversation with Dave Murray to give you a little insight into the person behind the art.

i2i Art: Why illustration?

Dave Murray:  Well, I've been drawing for as long as I can remember, and it's something I've always enjoyed. I started with drawing my favorite characters from comic books, and went from there. My illustration career formally began at Sheridan College, I guess - I always thought it was kind of a funny thing, to go to school for art, but it's what I loved to do - so giving myself the chance to make my living from it was really the only decision.

i2i Art:  What makes you tick?

Dave Murray:  Maybe it's a boring answer, but it's keeping my life pretty simple and finding pleasure in the small things. Making interesting work, walking my dog, spending time with my wife, and friends...that's pretty much it.

i2i Art: How do you come up with new ideas when presented with a brief? Tell us a bit about your process?

Dave Murray:  I find a lot of success when I break down ideas and concepts into words and definitions - I'm a bit of a crossword fanatic. At that level, I feel like there's a lot of freedom to play with meanings and definitions - and then translate that wordplay into visual metaphors. From there, small thumbnails and sketches in my sketchbook, larger sketches on the computer, and then a mishmash of stuff to create the final piece.

i2i Art: What other creative projects keep you going aside from illustration?

Dave Murray:  I like to keep myself busy. Aside from illustration, I have an ongoing text-based mapping project. It's mostly focused on Toronto, but I've been brought out to cities such as Stratford and Halifax to apply my work there. I'm also a co-founder of the Garrison Creek Bat Co., which is an artisanal baseball bat company based in Toronto. At GCBC, we focus on making each bat a piece of work in itself, and occasionally curate events where we invite other illustrators, artists, and craftspeople to customize our bats however they like.

i2i Art: How do these projects influence your illustration?

Dave Murray: My other creative projects allow me to take a step back from illustration, and put other creative aspects of my brain to work. It's like a breath of fresh air, which allows me to come back invigorated and often with new perspectives in regards to my illustration work.

i2i Art: What are the best parts of being a freelance illustrator?

Dave Murray:  Probably the whole thing. The fact that I'm doing something I love to make my living is incredible in itself, but it's the opportunities and experiences that I've had solely because of illustration that make it truly special.

Citizen Draper:  Crowd-Sourcing in Advertising

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Commission Dave Murray to contribute to your next campaign or feature!  Check out Dave Murray's entire portfolio here.

Mark Hoffmann for Land of Nod

These very cool images by Mark Hoffmann are now available in framed prints!  Land of Nod invites you to "Give your walls a tune up with this automotive wall art. Each print features a classic vehicle exclusively illustrated for us by artist Mark Hoffman and is framed in a distressed wood frame for a vintage feel." So whether it's a little kid (or big), who would love to have these unique limited edition prints, visit Land of Nod's online store here to purchase them.

Bus

Truck

Police Car

Convertible

i2i Art Inc. is proud to represent Mark Hoffmann and we'd love you to see his entire portfolio here.

Phil: Wild Turkeys for Country Gardens

  The turkey is one of the most famous birds in North America.  In fact, did you know Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the wild turkey, not the Bald Eagle, the national bird of the United States?

Working with art director Nick Crow,  Phil created this beautifully evocative illustration--in his trademark wistful style, for an article in the Fall 2014 issue of Country Gardens magazine called Bird's-Eye Views.  Visit phil's entire portfolio of hand painted illustrations on wood here.

Rémy Simard for Animal Sheltering Magazine

  Art director Jamie Mitchell wanted to take the need for a diagrammatic illustration for the article "Do a good scan, Stan!" and have a little fun with it.

He chose Rémy Simard for his ability to do just this!  Jamie envisioned "...a very cute, funny dog in multiple positions/facial expressions, being scanned by a microchipwand."  Our favorite part of this illustration is in fact the dogs facial expressions.

Here is a peek into Rémy Simard's process.  Upon receiving Jamie's brief, Rémy began sketches for presentation.

Remy Simard Animal Sheltering Magazine Sketches

...and after a bit of back and forth as Jamie and Rémy tweaked the sketches, here is the finished art

Remy Simard Animal Sheltering Magazine

i2i Art Inc. proudly represents Rémy Simard. We invite you to view his entire portfolio.

Happy Halloween!

Tim Zeltner has created this beautifully atmospheric illustration that transports one right into the scene in his trademark style.  The characters are both primitively whimsical and yet the story is so real!  This image always brings a smile to my face.

Here's hoping your Halloween is sufficiently scary + abundant with treats!

To see more of Tim's magical illustrations, check out his portfolio here!

Katy Dockrill for SHE Magazine

Katy Dockrill contributed this illustration to SHE Magazine published by the Canadian Women's Foundation.  We think this illustration tells a remarkable story of strength and optimism with Katy's confident line and hand lettering over the brilliantly optimistic yellow background. When we asked Katy about her inspiration she said: "I felt it was important to illustrate this list of women's accomplishments:  Being a woman in 2014 is very different from being a woman 150 years ago and I have all the women before me to thank. I take all these hard won freedoms for granted because I grew up knowing no different. I think that's where we need to get to in order to check off the others on this list, keep voicing opinions and share the dialogue with our children."

To see more of Katy's hand lettering and illustration, check out her updated portfolio here.