Illustrate for magazines

Illustrate for magazines

Wired and Men’s Health illustrator Ronald Kurniawan shares the secrets of his artistic success, revealing how he creates his stunning editorial illustrations.

Illustration is a constantly changing field, especially in today's digital age. It's easy to modify your work quickly and efficiently by using the available tools, and my weapon of choice is Photoshop.

I like to bring inanimate objects to life and surround them with everything that makes me smile - such as numbers, pugs, cowboy hats, typography, animals and even nature itself.

My illustrations start with an article, which I reduce to a simple idea or word. This solo brainstorming session is integral to the illustrative process, because I might have to combat 100 really bad ideas for every good one. I try to create associations with imagery from opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm aiming for bold and surreal combinations, though whatever I come up with has to work within the parameters of the assignment. Let me show you how I create one of my compositions, transforming a sketch into a vividly coloured robot that jumps out of the page.

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