Hi!!!

Sorry I’ve been M.I.A lately (again) life has been supremely busy. How do bloggers blog daily anyhow?
The days have been escaping me!

Anyhow, getting into today’s feature. I came across an artist who does work that has really inspired me. I have been chipping away at playing with paper and cuts outs over the years in my art practice, and so finding an artist who takes that method to a whole other level was very exciting!

Eiko Ojala is an artist, illustrator, and designer who lives and works in Estonia. What is really cool about his work as a designer is that works mostly digitally but draws everything by hand, which also how I work when I am designing for Double Dare Print Studio!

I am just over the moon for this work, it makes me want to jump into my studio and get into some personal creative projects! Eiko’s illustrations are simple, and you could even say minimalist. He doesn’t get too buried in details, using mostly layers of large flat shapes of colour.

I am also really interested in how he uses light and shadow to create a line. See this face above? I’m certain that the outline of the profile is a cut, lifted slightly away from the surface of the paper to create a beautiful shadow that shows us the line work. He’s drawing with a knife!

This Bowie piece above is really stunning. He keeps it simple, but he has integrated a wood grain texture in a few different shades to add a funky energy to the work.

In my own work, when I am creating cut outs, it’s almost as though I’m creating my own tiny little world. Bringing illustration into a 3D format has been really a fascination of mine for a long time now. Pop-Up books, paper dolls, and cut outs are just so interesting. There is something magical about cutting out your drawing and giving it mobility. Suddenly that flat drawing becomes an object that you can move into another space if you choose. It has endless possibilities and can transform again and again.

PHEWF. Don’t get me going on paper cut outs and pop up books!!

It is just so cool to find other artists who you can relate so closely to. Even better if you can let their work inspire you rather than discourage you!

PLEASE do check out Eiko Ojala’s website and see his amazing work!!