Illustration galore: it's February's Things!

Date
28 February 2017

Back just in time it’s Things! It’s the shortest month but that hasn’t stemmed the pile of lovely post that’s arrived at the It’s Nice That studio. What really stood out this February is a strong focus on illustration, from zines and calendars to planners and posters, using a variety of styles and printing techniques. Here’s our selection of the fine items we received.

Joost Stokhof’s year planner

Illustrator Joost Stokhof is the founder of The Things We Are, a series of illustration works which “focuses on telling visual stories with handrawn lines, shapes and forms,” he says. This February he sent us a limited edition, screen-printed year planner to organise our weeks with. However this isn’t your usual planner that you have hanging up on the kitchen fridge – Joost’s illustrational style finds an alternate way to display the days, weeks and months of the year, embedding them on the books, jumpers, backs of coats and even lampshades in the highly detailed poster.

Maciek Lazowki and Bartosz Symkiewicz: Birds With Regrets

Warsaw-based illustrator Maciek Lazowski sent us this chucklesome zine entitled Birds With Regrets, a joint project with fellow illustrator Bartosz Szymkiewicz. The publication is filled with charming drawings of different birds with similar expressions on their faces, worryingly looking at the floor or sheepishly out the corner of their eye. Maciek and Bartosz also encourage readers to get in touch on what these birds could be worrying about, asking: “What are they regretting? If you have an idea, drop us a line.”

Beneficial Shock!

Beneficial Shock! is a new bi-annual magazine of illustrated cinematic adventures, born out of “a mutual love for movies paired with the desire to see more creative editorial expression,” say founders Gabriel and Phil. This issue uses food as the publications first topic, as an object which “doesn’t just fill our bellies — it is laboured over, passionately discussed and is the diverse glue that binds many families together”. This is just one example of how Beneficial Shock! will continue to interpret film-related content in a reinvigorated way. After reaching its goal on Kickstarter this issue will launch in April.

Utile Studio calendar

London-based studio UTILE combines attributes of art with the usability of design, an approach its used on this calendar. The calendar is rich in texture and colour combinations. It additionally points out the alternate stages of the moon throughout the months ahead using symbols to depict the new moon, a first quarter, a full moon and the last quarter.

Tim Faber: Dat Licht Eraan

Illustrator and data scientist Tim Faber sent us a leporello book of “primarily shitty jokes” his letter explains. “Problem is: they’re all Dutch jokes…”, he continues. However, Tim’s compact, tidy illustrations full of narrative mean we can still appreciate the foldable book despite the apparent language barrier.

Katie Carey: The Future Is Now

Illustrator Katie Carey sent us The Future Is Now, her new zine all the way from Canada. Risoprinted and delicately illustrated, Katie has a talent for capturing everyday elements such as homely interiors and juxtaposing them with other planets, astronauts and beings who live until they’re 163, all in a sweet orange and pink-hued colour palette.

People of Print: Patrick Saville

Patrick Saville is a illustrator and print designer who previously taught at The Print Club. Now, Patrick works on a freelance basis for clients such as Amazon, Warp Records, POP Magazine and the Tate. To give us a better feel of Patrick’s work, People of Print sent us a little introduction to his work in the form of a poster-zine including an in-depth interview with the creative in question.

Michael Parkin: Sweet Breams

Illustrator Michael Parkin has an extensive and impressive client list from The Guardian to The New York Times but it is a personal project he sent us that really caught our eye. Sweet Breams is filled with non-factual ‘facts’ following a narrative that revolves around fishing. “This magazine contains no facts. Anything that may look like a fact is actually a cunningly disguised as a lie. Apart from this bit. This bit is not a lie,” reads its introduction.

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About the Author

Lucy Bourton

Lucy (she/her) is the senior editor at Insights, a research-driven department with It's Nice That. Get in contact with her for potential Insights collaborations or to discuss Insights' fortnightly column, POV. Lucy has been a part of the team at It's Nice That since 2016, first joining as a staff writer after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design Communication.

lb@itsnicethat.com

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