Workbook is proud to welcome a new group of Artists from IllustrationX. These Illustrators and Animators elevate every project with their signature styles. For more information on IllustrationX, visit their Workbook portfolio.
Featured Image: Superama
Meet Superama – aka Amaranta Martínez – an artist whose work feels larger than life whether it’s on the side of a building or on an iPhone screen. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Amaranta came to the US and settled in Miami to become a successful animator with Nickelodeon. After that she pursued a freelance career, building her own creative brand – Superama – using her image-making and motion skills on global campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands. There’s nothing not to love about Superama and her work. She’s passionate, idea-driven, professional and always meets her deadlines. Miami life is her biggest inspiration and it shows in her work – colourful flowers, pink skies, carnivals, the sea and having fun are what she loves. You can see her work on garments worn by Heidi Klum, Paula Abdul and Steve Aoki.
The secret to Genna Blackburn’s unique style is her willingness to listen to her childhood self in the creative process. She draws whatever she feels like drawing on a daily basis – characters and environments that are innocent, accessible and comfortable, in colors that tantalize. And this is why her work has such broad appeal. Clients know what to expect and Genna delivers, using her past experience as a graphic designer to ensure she meets the brief accurately and delightfully. Based in Michigan, Genna has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Wayne State University in Detroit. In addition to her successful career as an illustrator and surface designer, she is now an educator herself, helping young artists develop their skills and find their own creative voices. What she learns by teaching also enhances her own practice.
Based in Kazakhstan, Veronika is a multi-talented artist. She’s an accomplished pianist and an experienced graphic designer, but it’s illustration that sets her heart free. She sketches daily, taking random words and exploring new ways of expressing her ideas. Clients are confident in Veronika’s creativity, always enjoy her idea-based approach and appreciate her punctuality. With a BA in Design for Graphic Communication from the London College of Communication, Veronika has agency experience and is quick to grasp what her clients are looking for. She’s inspired by the Symbolist movement; artists like Frida Kahlo, Edvard Munch and Gustav Klimt; and also loves illustrators like Cristina Daura and Alex Gamsu Jenkins.
Working in a unique cartoony style that’s a touch folksy and a touch naïve, Germany-based illustrator Maxim Usik infuses each of his images with wit, charm and natural warmth. His skill in finding clever ways to communicate what might normally seem dry and serious subjects has won him editorial and publishing clients around the world, who also benefit from his ability to meet tight deadlines. Beginning with pencil sketches, Maxim draws and inks his images the traditional way before scanning them in and carrying out the colouring process on his laptop.
Irish illustrator Donough O’Malley’s bold, graphical style stands apart from the rest thanks to its quirky humour, enticing old print and paper texturing and his exceptional ability to create something fresh and unique for every client. Hailing from Monaghan, Donough is based in Brighton where he works as an illustrator and storyboard artist for a range of publishers, broadcasters and production houses. He loves the challenge of creating new visuals for clients, and two of his favourite fellow illustrators are Steve Simpson and Peter Donnelly. He has a BA in Illustration from the University of the West of England and an MA in Narrative and Sequential Design from Brighton University.
