Hello!
Hope your Monday is going well so far.

Today’s feature is illustrator Masako Kubo who currently works out of beautiful New Zealand (another place I’d love to visit someday!).

Massako studied illustration at the University College Falmouth in England, and has worked for an agency in Tokyo. She doesn’t mention on her site what she is up to currently, but I imagine she is working as a freelance illustrator!

I came across her work on pinterest, which I’ve come to re-learn is a very valuable site for finding new artists and illustrators to inspire me! Anyhow, her work really got my attention.

On her website, there is a short video that shows Massako working in her studio and her process is really interesting! She actually uses a combination of drawing and printmaking. She cuts shapes into acetate  and lays them over her drawing, and then uses an inked brayer and rolls over the stencil, which lays a shape of colour onto her drawing. She continues with other shapes, and then goes back in to draw. It’s probably easier to understand if you check out the video here! I love learning about how other people make their art.

I love her style, and the simplicity of it. I love the printed quality of her work. She is really great with light and shadow too. In the image above to the left, she brilliantly uses light and shadow to create a really compelling composition as well as in the very first image at the top of this page to the left of the two people running through a field. The shadows create a lot of the narrative here which I love.

She has created work for many illustrated books, as well as book jackets! She also has made a really beautiful collection of maps, and has worked in advertising as well. I love seeing work like this, it really inspires me as an artist and designer to continue to learn and grow as both artist AND designer, to never forget how important it is to keep drawing and imagining as well as designing! Thanks for the inspiration today Masako!

Please visit her website HERE to see more of her lovely work .