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Illustratoren und die Repräsentanz.
Pink: A Little Golden Book Biography ist ein neues Kinderbuch über das Leben und die Karriere der Sängerin und Songwriterin. Das Buch begleitet Pink von ihrer Kindheit in Pennsylvania, wo sie als Turnerin trainierte, bis zu ihrem Aufstieg zur erfolgreichen Musikerin, die für ihre energiegeladenen Live-Shows bekannt ist. Mit kraftvollen Formen und einer lebendigen Farbpalette stellen Manus Illustrationen Pinks Entschlossenheit, Stärke und Widerstandsfähigkeit in den Mittelpunkt. Das Buch gibt es hier zu kaufen.
The Fantastic Land of Mistakes is the third book both author and artist have worked on together. The story follows Sophia and her friend Joaquim as they navigate little mistakes, bigger lessons and the adventures that come with them. Isa's soft, playful approach and use of texture help shape the visual world of Sophia and Joaquim’s story.
Tardes de Abril is a 2,000-piece puzzle centred on the quiet details of an afternoon in the city. The scene brings together sidewalk tables, coffee being prepared, conversations in the sun and people looking out from windows, with each small detail contributing to a larger picture of everyday life. Dear Friends creates puzzles, games and offline experiences designed to encourage people to slow down and take a break from the pace of everyday life. For Camila, the project offered an opportunity to build a scene around those ordinary moments that can easily go unnoticed. Buy the puzzle here.
Liam's brief included a basic board layout with pathways and rough ideas for locations such as Causton CID and the train station, which he then developed into a fully illustrated playing board. Liam also decided to base each location on an actual filming site from the television series, researching fan sites to track down the locations. Among them are The George on the Green, featured in Harvest of Souls, and Chinnor Station in Oxfordshire, which appeared in Death in a Chocolate Box. Working in his traditional watercolour style, Liam then had to fit each building into the board's landscape and account for the different angles from which players would see them. Buy the boardgame here.
Becca's new collection of stamps is inspired by the story of Saint Helier, the sixth century hermit and martyr who became Jersey's patron saint. The series explores both the island's history and the myths that have shaped his legacy. The commission brought together many of Becca's longstanding influences, including medieval art, mythology, stained glass, Celtic imagery and Anglo Saxon design. Although Becca usually works in linocut, she created these illustrations digitally. By building each colour as a separate layer and carving away white space with an eraser tool, she was able to recreate the process and texture of traditional lino printing. The collection is available now.
La Mazette is the in-house publication of agricultural cooperative Maïsadour, and for its fifth cover illustration, Luiza turns her attention to the organisation's support functions. Recognising the teams that keep operations running behind the scenes, communications, legal, IT, procurement, fleet management, accounting, human resources, and treasury all feature in Luiza's playful composition. The illustration continues the visual language developed across the series while celebrating the many roles that support the wider business.
The communications team at IKEA Brighton asked Donough to transform the staff canteen with artwork that reflected both Pride month and the store's connection to the city as it approached its first anniversary. Donough responded with a playful collection of local references and oversized characters, including a towering merman, giant pink Allen keys and flying meatballs. One idea, a cowboy riding a hot dog shaped like a banana boat, proved a little too much for a lunchtime setting and was left on the drawing board!
Rohan’s illustration reflects the Paris bookshop’s long history and its place within literary culture. The shop became a European home for Beat writers including Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, giving Rohan a rich history to draw on for the piece. Created for the birthday celebrations and used on store products, his intricate pen work takes on a sepia tone that gives the artwork a fitting sense of age.
Published in Figo Collective, the illustration accompanies a short story about a young boy and his family preparing his late father’s favourite food on the eve of a festival held in his memory. Oliver uses layered textures and colourful imagery to reflect the story’s themes of family, food and remembrance. The shortlist recognises a piece that combines his eclectic visual approach with the emotional weight of the story, using illustration to support a personal tale centred on food and family. Take a look here.
For the piece, Ing combined characters from JamJamma 2 with footage she was sent, featuring an arcade machine where players use a skimmer to catch a real, live goldfish.
The playful concept suits Ing’s lo-fi approach, which combines simple comic-style drawings, contrasting colours and robust line work. While JamJamma 2 does not yet have an official release date, Bamma Studio has recently shared a short documentary offering a behind-the-scenes look at the game’s development process.
The Rainbow is Me is a picture book introducing children to ideas around emotions, self-awareness and mindfulness. Aimed at children aged six to ten, the book uses the colours of the rainbow to explore different feelings and qualities, from strength and safety to wisdom and peace. Germán’s illustrations accompany this journey through colour, helping to shape the visual world of a book designed for reading at home, in classrooms and in yoga or wellness settings.
Patio Lanterns follows a story of family, love and a little chaos, with Andressa drawing on nostalgic colours and textured details inspired by the book’s title and its late-afternoon, lakeside atmosphere.
The second cover, New Girl Now, accompanies a romantic story set around Lake Whippoorwill, where Dove, a luxury concierge, becomes caught up in a case of mistaken identity involving Hollywood star Barrett Kemp and his twin brother, Bennett. Together, the two books mark another step in Andressa’s growing work in book cover design, a part of her illustration practice she describes as a meaningful creative journey.
Tavos ausdrucksstarkes Porträt des Herpetologen entstand für einen Artikel über dessen Arbeit zur Identifizierung und zum Schutz der Reptilien und Amphibien Ecuadors. Der von Humberto Basilio verfasste und von Marcy Atarod artdirektierte Beitrag beleuchtet Arteagas Beiträge zur Entdeckung neuer Arten ebenso wie die Kontroversen um einige seiner Methoden.
Für den Auftrag zeigt Tavo einen selbstbewusst auftretenden Arteaga inmitten der heimischen Reptilien Ecuadors. Jedes Element wurde dabei sorgfältig einzeln aufgebaut, um während des gesamten redaktionellen Prozesses größtmögliche Flexibilität zu ermöglichen.
The Future of Leadership is a feature exploring how ideas around influence, responsibility, and decision-making are changing. The issue examines different perspectives on what it means to lead, including an interview with Satoko Kishimoto, mayor of Tokyo’s Suginami Ward, on the role of care in society.
Bárbara’s warm, figurative illustrations bring a decorative and nostalgic quality to the feature, creating a visual feast alongside the Japanese text.
Driven by a long-standing interest in folklore, Tom has created Bristol Bestiary, a self-published book that reimagines the city through a collection of strange and unusual creatures inspired by local myths. Having lived in Bristol for over a decade, Tom set out to bring the folklore of the wider Somerset landscape into the city he calls home. Written, illustrated and designed by Tom, the book combines playful characters, humour and detailed world-building to create a fictional menagerie rooted in the character of Bristol. Through each creature and story, Tom celebrates the city’s quirks while exploring the imaginative possibilities hidden within its folklore. Buy the book here.
Liam began the project with a day of on-location sketching to gather references, using the visit to study the building, surroundings and details that would shape the final piece. The Coach & Horses pub in south-west London offered a rich subject, with its picturesque setting and sense of history providing the starting point for the finished painting. Back in the studio, Liam used his location sketches and reference material to complete the final artwork, developing the composition through pencil studies, tonal values and colour.
Created to accompany A.K. Mulford's new dark romantasy novel, the two maps help establish the book's immersive world. Working with editor Natalie Nguyễn at HarperCollins, New York, Juliet approached each illustration with a distinct purpose. One map presents the dream realm of Veldir, charting twelve key locations in a detailed fantasy setting shaped by rocky terrain and gothic influences. The second takes a more conceptual approach, depicting five interconnected planes of existence arranged around a tree, with higher realms in the branches and lower realms in the roots. Inspired by the manuscript, Juliet developed a symmetrical composition that can be viewed in either direction, reflecting the story's shifting ideas of good and evil while reinforcing the dreamlike atmosphere at the heart of the book.
For its biannual publication celebrating food, culture, wellness, and responsible practices, Figo Collective commissioned Oliver to create artwork for a feature focused on Argentine traditions and the native communities living in the Jujuy mountain region.
The commission included a full-page and two spot illustrations, with Oliver using his layered, textured approach to reflect the themes explored in the article.
Heather has illustrated a thought-provoking campaign examining the impact of industrial meat production.
Ultra-Processed Animals encourages people to look beyond the supermarket shelf and consider how animals are bred, medicated and raised in systems designed for speed and efficiency. The campaign asks important questions about the food system and its effects on our health, communities and the environment.
Drawing on her signature mix of hand-drawn elements, vintage imagery and textured collage, Heather's illustrations balance a playful, nostalgic feel with a more unsettling undercurrent.
Read more about the campaign here.
Shiane worked on Louie’s Colorful Feelings, a children’s book by Mariessa Shein that introduces young readers to emotions through the character of Louie the Dragon.
Instead of breathing fire, Louie breathes colourful clouds that reflect different feelings, helping children recognise, name, and understand emotions in a simple, playful way. Written for ages three to seven, the story focuses on emotional literacy, self-awareness, and empathy. Alongside the picture book, a softcover colouring book edition is also available, giving children another way to engage with the story and its themes. Both editions are published in English and Spanish, making the project accessible to a wider audience.
For Harrods’ own-brand collection, Season of Victory developed a series of playful surface patterns under the concept Pop Rockets, which reimagines the iconic Harrods Bear as an astronaut exploring space.
First introduced in 1906, the Harrods Bear has a long history, making the commission a chance to contribute to a familiar part of the store’s visual identity.
The illustrations first appeared on a collection of children’s travel bags and an astronaut keychain, before being rolled out across a wider range of Harrods stationery, homeware and gifting products. Season of Victory adds, "The amazing Harrods in-house team put extraordinary thought into their products – always really well designed and great quality. "
For the latest issue of Humanitas magazine, Danny was commissioned to create a conceptual cover illustration about the role of nursing in supporting mental health from prenatal care through to end-of-life care. The brief came with one key restriction: avoid the familiar brain imagery so often associated with mental health, and instead find a more human-centred way to tell the story.
Danny's solution uses protective hands to cradle people at different stages of life, representing care, compassion and dignity rather than clinical intervention. A nurse becomes the connecting figure across the cover, bringing the different experiences together in a single visual narrative that balances hope with the realities of depression, dementia and Alzheimer's.
The project reflects Danny's thoughtful approach to translating complex healthcare topics into imagery that is both clear and engaging.
July 2026
Articles talking about illustration trends are always interesting, and our eyes are drawn to the accompanying artworks. However, they tend to be arbitrary and subjective. The writer may be very knowledgeable, and might even be correct in their assertions, but usually what appears is based on intuition, leaving us to wonder: are these really trends, or an expression of the author’s own tastes or biases?
Our TrendX report has something others don’t. Because IllustrationX represents over 260 portfolios by artists from around the world, and runs a website attracting over 100,000 visitors per month, we’re able to collect a great deal of data on which artists, working in which styles, are popular with clients. Web visits, enquiries, bookings, revenue – we can use these hard facts to see what’s really happening in illustration.
Alongside the data itself, we can draw on the expertise of an experienced agenting team based in offices in the US, UK, Australia, Asia and South America, who work with a huge number of clients across a broad range of industries. Knowing the intention behind the work, and how artists’ workloads were broken down over the quarter, we can bring insight as to why certain trends are occurring.
Our overall aim in producing this report is to analyse where we’re at and where we’re going, and to share our findings with like-minded friends and partners in the industry. It can be useful to know what’s trending at the moment, and even to cross reference that against what isn’t. Structurally, our market is shifting beneath our feet, heavily impacted by economic and technological factors, but hopefully we are able to provide a grounded appraisal of what’s going on.
If you have any questions or comments, please do get in touch with one of our agents. We’d love to know what you think.
- Our highest earning artist for the quarter works in this style
- Four of our 15 busiest artists work in this style
- Two of our top 10 earners work in this style
Trending: Colourful, conceptual, maybe even cosmic
Swirling auras, saturated colours, organic forms and dreamlike nebulas are used as mood setters as illustrators conjure up conceptual imagery full of imagination and feeling.
Using both natural media and digital techniques – often together – the artists driving this trend have strong visual storytelling skills, and are good at recognising and finessing nuance in a narrative, which makes them popular with clients in editorial and publishing. However, reminiscent of what you’d see in a beautifully printed graphic novel, the artwork also resonates with brands looking to reach a certain type of consumer. One who is beginning to transcend consumerism, perhaps.
Tonally, such illustrations tend to be serene and contemplative, floating away from prosaic everyday concerns, observing and exploring our inner selves, and expressing that in colourful ways, escaping the lines and corners of measured spaces. Playful here, introspective there, the style avoids the tropes of comic books and traditional themes often seen in fantasy art.
Soft, surreal, meditative and spiritual, without being bound to any faith, this is artwork that moves us in subtle ways. We have talked about similar trends over the last two to three years and this type of imagery remains very popular. New artists with strong conceptual thinking and astounding creativity continue to step forward, pushing boundaries and redefining possibilities.
Trending: Make learning fun
- Four of our top 20 earners for the quarter work in this style
- Our highest earner in June works in this style
- The artist with the biggest increase in web visits works in this style
Make learning fun sounds like a worthy mantra and many of the children’s illustrators we represent take it to heart. This passion shows through in imagery that is carefully crafted yet full of fun and enthusiasm for young audiences.
While individual styles vary, the idea of turning a simple geometric shape or a slice of fruit into a character is the kind of thinking that catches the imagination of children in the early years of education and engages them with what’s being taught. That might be within formal subject areas such as numeracy, literacy and science, or geared more towards culture, creativity and social skills.
Creating imagery representing what’s being taught sounds like a straightforward task, but publishers today are looking for something more – ways of getting children to feel truly interested in the content. This is where the great kid’s illustrators separate themselves from the good – they’re able to meet the practical requirements of the brief, appeal to the senses and reach the audience at an emotional level.
As a footnote – at IllustrationX we have continually worked hard to improve the way we market our children’s illustrators, and that might be why we are seeing such strong performance from them in our data.
Trending: The artist’s identity shines
- Our third highest earning artist works in this style
- Two of our top 10 earning artists in April work in this style
Diversity, equality and inclusion are ideals that have been under intense attack from certain political parties and administrations. However, we’ve seen unprecedented interest in artists whose work that expresses their identities as part of minority communities, cultures and lifestyles.
As an agency, we see the inclusive approach as being the correct approach, ethically and commercially. We have a diverse, global client base, and this is reflected in the demand for a diverse portfolio of artists. Organisations that connect with specific communities, and those that believe in multiculturalism, are looking for artists whose identities shine through in their work. In turn, their audiences appreciate the sensitivity, the intention and the authenticity of the work.
We have seen tremendous growth here. In fact, some of our artists are creating so much imagery that expresses their cultural backgrounds and lifestyles that, while they would love to tackle unrelated commercial projects, they’re too busy to do so!
Emerging: Paper craft
Such a huge volume of AI-generated content is washing through our lives that genuine human artistry really stands out. While the tools are getting better and better at mimicking and faking authentic craft skills, some audiences just don’t want that, nor do they want to be deceived.
In response, many clients are leaning into handmade artwork more than ever and papercraft is an area that stands out. From intricate dioramas engineered from paper and card through to complex collage work that can seem messy and chaotic – but ultimately real – it’s a type of creativity that takes time and imagination. However, the connection with the viewer is worth it.
Cutting and pasting – not on our keyboards but at classroom tables – is something nearly everyone relates to. Having done it at a basic level in art class, when we see it executed at the highest level by a professional illustrator, it’s something we can truly appreciate. We know how it’s done but can’t do it ourselves. Some of us even imagine giving it a try.
That’s one of the reasons paper craft illustrations are so compelling; the other is their physicality. Layers, textures, colour, tactility, materiality, dimensionality – even when the piece has been photographed or scanned these qualities make us want to reach out and touch it. You just don’t get that with AI slop thrown together with generic cartoon-esque characters, too much text and a vignette applied for no real reason.
Trending: Classic comic looks
- Our second busiest artist in the quarter works in this style
- Two of our top 20 earners work in this style
- Significant increase in enquiries for another artist working in this style
Adopting the heavy line work, primary colours and ink dot patterns of 1960s comic books in his Pop Art collections, Roy Lichtenstein inadvertently turned the classic comic look into a cultural statement. By associating it with what was then the zeitgeist, he gave it a timeless quality and although we are recognising it as a trend because its popularity has ticked up this year, it’s an aesthetic that has evergreen appeal among clients.
Just as Lichtenstein used the style in contexts well away from comic book narratives, art directors work with illustrators who specialise in this look to create imagery with a broad variety of applications. It’s immediate and impactful, making it ideal for commercial projects. There are endless opportunities for dynamism, humour and storytelling.
Ironically, the style is now so closely associated with glamour, high living and the pursuit of happiness – the things Lichtenstein often depicted – that when comic book heroes appear in their classic forms it is often regarded as pastiche. Yet sometimes that is what creative directors are looking for, subverting a style that has been subverted. This could be the subject of a thesis, but we’ll leave it there…
Words by Garrick Webster
Cincinnati Opera’s multi-year initiative, The Black Opera Project, explores new possibilities for opera through stories centred on Black voices and experiences. For its feature on the initiative, Cincinnati Magazine commissioned Quincy to create an artwork inspired by the premiere of Lalovavi.
Quincy’s illustration reflects the Afrofuturist themes of the opera, featuring Black performers in striking costumes as they sing and take centre stage. Using his signature bold, minimal style, with strong graphical shapes and expressive portraits, Quincy creates an uplifting image that captures the forward-looking spirit of the work.
Following their previous collaboration on A Vida Secreta de Violeta Picles, Carol and writer Caio Tozzi have reunited for a new story centred on one of Violeta’s friends, Ringo Calado.
Published as part of Leiturinha’s monthly book subscription programme in Brazil, As Férias Heróicas de Ringo Calado follows Ringo during a challenging family holiday that takes an unexpected turn when he becomes determined to win a mysterious stuffed toy from a beachside claw machine.
The book continues the playful world established in the first title, with Carol’s illustrations capturing the characters’ personalities and the humour running through the story.
Drawing on the goddesses and folklore of the British Isles, Zansky developed artwork centred around a powerful female figure whose flowing hair transforms into the waters from which Coventina emerges, a Celtic goddess associated with wells and springs.
Combining symbolic details such as dandelions, bluebells and a spear, the illustration reflects the book’s themes of strength, mythology and resistance.
The final artwork sets the tone for a story where its maidens are not waiting to be rescued, but are ready to fight.
More on the book here.
Luiza has created the fourth cover illustration in a six-part series for Mazette, the in-house publication of international seed company MAS Seeds.
This issue explores the work behind sowing season, following the teams responsible for sorting, quality control, and preparing and shipping seeds to more than fifty countries.
Continuing the visual language established across the series, Luiza combines her poetic and playful style with her imaginative approach to portray the many stages and roles involved in seed production.
Jacob was commissioned by Radio Times to create an illustration exploring how grey water, such as wastewater from cleaning, can be reused in regenerative projects. The piece highlights initiatives that filter and repurpose water to support activities such as crop growth in Brazil.
Jacob’s illustration shows a bath drain transformed into the source of a growing bunch of flowers, offering a simple visual metaphor for how waste water can be given a new purpose.
Using his recognisable style of strong forms, contrast and colour, Jacob combines a light-hearted approach with a message about sustainable solutions.
Ben wurde von Manchester City FC beauftragt, eine Serie von neun Plakaten zu gestalten, die die Spieler des Vereins feiern, die ihre Nationalmannschaften bei der FIFA-Weltmeisterschaft 2026 vertreten.
Die Kampagne zeigt Erling Haaland, Tijjani Reijnders, Rodrigo, Jérémy Doku, Ruben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly, Omar Marmoush und Rayan Cherki. Die Plakate wurden als Wild-Postings in den Straßen der Austragungsstädte der Weltmeisterschaft angebracht.
Inspiriert von den übereinandergeklebten Konzertplakaten im Manchesterer Northern Quarter entwickelte Ben einen Mixed-Media-Ansatz mit aufgerissenen Texturen und markanter Typografie. Handgefertigte Elemente wurden dabei mit digitaler Komposition für den Druck kombiniert.
Die fertigen Plakate bewahren bewusst ihre rauen Kanten und Unvollkommenheiten und spiegeln damit die Energie der Straßen wider, für die sie geschaffen wurden.
Reflecting on identity, ambition, family and the role food plays in shaping our lives, Hungry Eyes is the latest memoir by Dawn O'Porter.
Iratxe's painterly, naïve style is a natural fit for the subject, which centres on the memories and conversations gathered around the kitchen table. Bright colours and hand-painted textures transform everyday food into a warm, inviting composition that hints at the personal stories within.