HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!
Illustration by Janne Harju for Itella Posti Oy, 2012
(Source: napaillustrations.com)
Welcome to Napa Illustrations’ blog!
Napa Illustrations is an illustration agency representing Finland’s top professional illustrating talent. Here you’ll find our illustrators with their works, stories, sources of inspiration and much more.
• NAPA AGENCY
• Illustrator of the Month
• Anna Virtanen
• Christer Nuutinen
• Eero Lampinen
• Elina Minn
• Helmi Sirola
• Ilja Karsikas
• Jaakko Pallasvuo
• Janne Harju
• Jenni Rope
• Jenni Tuominen
• Jussi Kaakinen
• Kasper Srömman
• Jukka Pylväs
• Jussi Karjalainen
• Kati Rapia
• Marko Turunen
• Ossi Pirkonen
• Pauliina Mäkelä
• Riikka Sormunen
• Terhi Ekebom
• Ask me anything
Napa Agency's Blog
HELMI SIROLA FOR LONG PLAY
Helmi Sirola was commissioned to illustrate a cover for the digital publication Long Play. Long Play is a new Finnish publication focusing on slow journalism. Long Play publishes exploratory articles, wide reportages, profiles and other long stories in digital form.
We asked Helmi to tell us a little about the illustration that she made for the second issue of Long Play about a Finnish philosopher Pekka Himanen:
“The commission was to transform Pekka Himanen as an ancient philosopher statue. When I was briefed for this illustration, I was both excited and a little bit worried about the result. The art director Tuomas Jääskeläinen convinced me that I can make it work. I didn’t get to read the article, but I was hinted that it would be something big – as it was. Trickiest part of this assignment was to turn the hair and beard to sculptured form. Another tricky part was to keep the person recognizable after the eyes don’t have the usual details (iris etc.). I am happy with the result, it was nice to do something so classical and traditional pencil work.”
HELMI SIROLA FEATURED IN DPI MAGAZINE
The Taiwanese design magazine dpi interviewed Helmi Sirola for the issue 163! Here are some of the questions they asked her:
Why do you create mostly for fashion field? How does it attract you?
“The reason why I love fashion is that it is like a constantly changing
playground. There are no rules, style is all that matters.”
How do you describe your art style as a fashion illustrator?
“The following formula fits the description quite well: classic beauty with a modern or surrealistic twist, depending of the brief and customer. Collage technique is good way to make the surrealistic feeling, and it is my favorite way to create illustration.
Helmi Sirola for Stockmann, 2012
What kind of material, techniques and tools do you use for illustration?
“I approach the form via a series of lines and that’s why I like to use something soft to begin with. The pencil allows you to make mistakes instead of forcing you to get things right from the get-go, which is delightfully merciful and pressure-free. I scan the image and edit it quite a bit at Photoshop, so the whole process of drawing on the paper is quite a quick one since I’m only focusing on the form. The light and the shades come about to life on the screen.”
Where did your inspiration come from? Do you follow the fashion trend often?
“I follow trends automatically because it has been significant part of my work so many years. I find it very interesting, but I try to keep good distance to the fastest trends. I believe in style, more than trends. I also try to express this in my illustrations. I want to mix decades, styles and different cultural influences.”
Do you have any on-going project? What is your next plan?
“I have been working this whole year mainly concentrating to my scrapbooking industry related start-up business. I am launching new collection of coloring pictures targeted to cardmakers. Since I’ve been very busy, fashion illustration has been on hold and I’ve done only commissioned works, mainly portraits to magazines. But after the launch, I’m definitely going back to fashion!”
Be sure to check out Helmi’s PORTFOLIO too!
EERO LAMPINEN JOINS NAPA AGENCY
It’s been a while since we last welcomed a new talent to our roster. Even though most of our illustrators are experienced professionals, it’s important for us also to introduce new emerging talents. Hereby we warmly welcome Eero Lampinen to join the Napa Crew!
Eero Lampinen (b. 1988) spent his childhood in Belgium. He’s now living in Helsinki and studying at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
Eero’s most important tools are watercolors, paint brushes and ink. He likes to combine drawing techniques with computer graphics. Eero is interested in comics, screen-printing and designing printed matters. Old children’s books, pop culture and oddity of life inspires Eero.
See more of Eero’s work at his portfolio.
ILJA KARSIKAS FOR RUISROCK FESTIVAL
Ilja Karsikas was commissioned to illustrate a new visual identity for the Finnish music festival Ruisrock. Ruisrock festival is the oldest rock festival in Finland and also the second oldest in the whole of Europe.
Check out the website to see Ilja’s illustrations and to know more about the festival: http://www.ruisrock.fi
COMING SOON! I just left a batch of selected images from my book VEDEN VALTIAAT (Rulers of the Water) to a printing house. In a short while they will be available for purchase as high quality postcards, either individually or as the whole series.
Also, the book itself will be available for direct purchase. At the moment it’s unfortunately available only in Finnish, but we’re currently looking for a foreign publisher.
More details in a few days!
FAIRY TALE CITY
This red elephant friend is called Keksijä Punainen (“Inventor Red”). He’s been illustrated by Ilja Karsikas for the book “Keksijä Punainen ja hatun varjo” (“Inventor Red and the Shadow of a Hat”) written by Heimo Hatakka.
The Helsinki City Planning Department’s exhibition space Laituri has organized an exhibition on theme “What would the city look like if children and childlike people were the ones to decide upon matters?”. The exhibition Satukaupunki (“Fairy Tale City”) is based on the book by Karsikas and Hatakka.
The Satukaupunki exhibition will be open at Laituri from 29 January to 16 February. Laituri will be giving out the fairy tale book “Keksijä Punainen ja hatun varjo” to the first 500 children who visit the exhibition and draw their own dream house.
Laituri
Narinkka 2, Helsinki (Narinkka Square)
Tue - Fri 10-18
Sat 12-16
KASPER STRÖMMAN IS GRAPHIC DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Kasper Strömman has been awarded as Graphic Designer of the Year 2013 by Grafia – Associate of Visual Communication Designers in Finland! The title was announced today at Grafia’s and Ornamo’s (Finnish Association of Designers) Designer Awards 2013 held in Helsinki.
Grafia describes Kasper as “an ideapreneur, catalyzer, questioner, stand-up comic in the field of graphic design and a professional who has an ability to open the eyes of his colleagues”. Kasper is especially noticed for his humorous blog The Kasper Stromman Design Blog.
We’re really really happy for this selection! Not only Kasper being one of the talented illustrators in Napa’s roster, but also being our trusted graphic designer. Kasper has designed Napa Agency’s logo, visual materials, and last but not least the book “Yellow City” which was Napa’s contribution to World Design Capital Helsinki 2012. Click here to see Kasper’s illustration portfolio.
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The award for the Graphic Designer of the Year is awarded annually without applying, primarily for outstanding work noted in the field of graphic design, or any other activity that enhances the level and appreciation of Finnish graphic design.
