Covid-19 Editorial Illustration: Introducing the first post of our August editorial feature series.
2020 has become a watershed year for editorial illustration.
Throughout the month of August, the Directory of Illustration will highlight some of the best editorial work by DOI artists and pay homage to the essential service these artists provide in their field. The content these artists provide is often so visible that it is taken for granted or overshadows the artists themselves. Lockdown and the economic domino effect of Covid-19 has made us all reevaluate essential workers, and the work of these editorial artists is nothing short of fundamental. With their ability to synthesize a complex news event down into a single compelling image, or capture and communicate the essence of an issue through illustration, their artistic skills are more important than ever. Although art often challenges the established order, at other times it can help bring a little order to the chaos. We offer our highest praise for these editorial illustrators, whose ongoing work helps us to make sense of the world.
Daniel Hertzberg — Represented by Rapp Art
Born and raised on Long Island, Daniel Hertzberg is an illustrator, teacher and hockey player currently living in Morristown, N.J. He is a graduate of The Rhode Island School of Design and is currently an adjunct faculty member at the School of Visual Arts. His past clients include: The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Time, Forbes, the Bank of America, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Major League Baseball, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Bryant Park, GQ (Germany), Bloomberg Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal, and others.
“Coronavirus comes for Europe” for Politico
“Coronavirus” cover for de Volkskrant
Based in Suffolk, Beth is a freelance conceptual illustrator who focuses on problem solving and creating one-of-a-kind illustrations that express concepts in bold and exciting ways. Her degree in Illustration and natural flair for graphic design strongly influences her minimalist approach and style. Beth’s global client base includes: Absolut Vodka, National Geographic, British Airways, Coca Cola, Business Edge Magazine, Amazon Audible, Royal Society of Chemistry, Starbucks, and more.
“Isolation.” Work based on dealing with depression in isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Egle Plytnikaite — Represented by Rapp Art
Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, Egle Plytnikaite is a freelance illustrator and creative whose eye-catching work seeks to challenge worldviews. Her works are minimal, colorful and conceptually driven, often utilizing subtle textures that provide a vintage warmth whilst maintaining a contemporary aesthetic. Her broad range of social, editorial and commercial projects have been commissioned by clients including: The United Nations, Die Zeit, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Monocle, Ministry of Culture of Lithuania, Vilnius University and many others.
A conceptual piece featuring a Coronavirus shaped wall clock.
“Do No Harm”
The Balbusso Twins — Represented by Shannon Associates
Covid-19 artworks in support of doctors and healthcare workers.
“Combatting Corona” UCSF Magazine summer 2020
Covid-19 artworks in support of doctors and healthcare workers.
Described by Critic Steven Hellertheir as, “enticingly Renaissance and eerily new wave, Anna and Elena Balbusso are Italian twins with international recognition. Together they have illustrated over 40 books including the award-winning Folio Society edition of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Their accolades include 80 international awards, such as three Gold medals, a Silver medal (2020) and the Stevan Dohanos Award of the New York Society of Illustrators (SI) and many others. Clients and publishers include: Reader’s Digest Magazine, The Economist, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Random House, Harper Collins USA, Simon and Schuster USA, Scholastic, Macmillan, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,The Folio Society , Penguin Group, and many others.
Rocco Baviera — Represented by Mendola Artists
Rocco Baviera for Rutgers University Magazine
The organic and minimalist charm of Rocco Baviera’s illustrations make his work ideal for editorial projects for print and web. Combining old school tools with modern technology, Rocco starts every project with pen and paper and tries to incorporate hand drawn elements and textures for a tactile sense of depth and warmth. Through his signature, graphic style, Rocco has an uncanny ability to convey abstract concepts. Clients include: The World Wildlife Fund, Washington Post, United States Tennis Association, Grammy Awards, Deloitte, Pier One Imports, Getty, The Guardian, as well as numerous book publishers.
“Airline Stocks Are Getting Rocked by the Coronavirus. It Could Get Even Worse.” for Barron’s
Dan Page is an award winning illustrator who works from his home studio near Toronto, Ontario. Dan loves the dynamic process of crafting visual solutions including the vast diversity of subject matter involved in illustration assignments. Dan has received recognition for his illustration work from Communication Arts, American Illustration, 3×3, Silver Award from the National Magazine Awards (Canada) and Gold Award from the Western Magazine Awards (Canada). Clients include: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Charles Schwab, New Scientist, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Deloitte, and Harvard Magazine among others.
“Privacy in the Time of Covid-19.” for IEEE Spectrum
Joan Alturo — Represented by Richard Solomon Artists Representative
“Stay Home. Stay Safe” Conceptual quarantine illustration.
Mike Ellis — Represented by Rapp Art
Graduating from OCAD University’s illustration program in 2011, Mike now works from his studio in Toronto, and enjoys cycling, hanging with his cat, Solly, and exploring the countryside on his motorcycle. His clients include: The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Penguin Random House, GQ, Wired, BuzzFeed News, NBC News, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Facebook, PayPal, The Telegraph, Reader’s Digest, and Deloitte.
“A Chemical Lab” for Business Spotlight
Jason Raish — Represented by Central Illustration Agency
“Clandestine Haircuts.” People have been meeting their barbers for clandestine haircuts during pandemic lockdown. For The New York Times
Cover for Farm Futures, “What’s ahead for farmers in the age of the pandemic?”
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Jason Raish is a freelance illustrator based in New York City. After 4 years studying illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), he went on a 6 year adventure living and freelancing with old and new clients around the world including Beijing, Tokyo, Barcelona, Seoul, London, and Paris. He’s received recognition and honors from The Society of Illustrators NY and LA, Communication Arts, American Illustration, 3×3, and Spectrum. His client list includes: The New York Times, Saatchi and Saatchi, Leo Burnett, The Times, Radio Times, and many more.
Charles Chaisson— Represented by Richard Solomon Artists Representative
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Charles Chaisson is currently a Brooklyn based freelance illustrator with a BFA in illustration from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida After college, he moved to New York and received his MFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts’ Visual Essay Graduate Program. Charles’s illustration incorporate themes of fantasy juxtaposed with reality. His use of bold and pastel colors and composition add towards his conceptual and narrative work. Among others, his clients include Disney Hyperion, Scholastic, Atlantic Records, Adult Swim, and Playboy.
“A Summer Without Blockbusters?” for The Hollywood Reporter
Kotryna Zukauskaite — Represented by Rapp Art
“Coronavirus Has Ushered in the Digital Revolution in Medicine. How Investors Can Play It.” Article for Barron’s
Kotryna Zukauskaite is an editorial illustrator working worldwide from Vilnius, Lithuania who recently earned her Master’s degree in Arts & Cultural Enterprise at Central Saint Martins, London. With a self-proclaimed “head full of random scientific and historic facts” her forte is translating complex information into comprehensible imagery through visual metaphors and humor.
