New! Directory of Illustration No. 36 Print Edition :: Cover Art by Lisa Perrin

Welcome to the whimsical fairyland of illustrator Lisa Perrin! We are over the moon to have Lisa’s breathtaking graphics grace the cover of our 2020 book — Directory of Illustration No. 36. Known for her otherworldly illustration style, detailed patterns, and captivating eye for design, Lisa’s work is riddled with an an element of magic that draws viewers straight into an imaginary realm – where one can’t help but find themselves fantasizing about the many adventures awaiting inside Lisa’s mystical fantasy worlds.

Directory of Illustration, the world’s leading illustration resource, is distributed free of charge to thousands of art buyers who regularly hire freelance artists and animators. Advertising agencies, corporations, and publishing companies depend on the searchable directoryofillustration.com website and annual printed Directory to find top talent for their campaigns and projects. Since the book started hitting Art Director‘s desks throughout the month of January, we’ve been thrilled to hear about the many artists that’ve already been scouted for new job opportunities. There’s nothing that brings us more joy than to learn of the successes our program has offered to both new and professional talent from all corners of the globe, which is why we were especially excited that this year’s cover artwork turned out so captivatingly beautiful one can’t help but wonder what’s inside.

Lisa created the cover image, hand-lettering, and six interior illustrations found on the endsheets and introductory pages of the Directory. We were truly blown away by the results, which beautifully reflected Lisa’s signature illustration style of including dreamy details that bring Earth’s natural world to life – yet still offer a uniquely original rendition of our creative vision for the commission. At its heart, her work explores the old world in a new way – combining humor with darkness, and beauty with strangeness. Lisa elaborates:

I have always been inspired by nature, flora, and fauna… I am intrigued by the idea of beauty and challenging it. I like to draw bugs or other conventionally scary things in a way that elevates them. I like creating rich, narrative images where there is a lot to see if you look at them more closely.

After earning her MFA in Illustration Practice from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2013, Lisa worked as an in-house Illustrator for an American Greetings card company for 5 years – which taught her a lot about trend research and learning to understand the marketing. Now Lisa is a full time professor in the Illustration department at MICA, where she can often be found obsessively art making with her beloved rabbit companion, Blanche DuBun. Some of Lisa’s clients include Macy’s, Anthropologie, Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, Macmillan, Scholastic, The Saturday Evening Post, Buzzfeed.com, Nobrow, Scout Books, and Kripsy Kreme. To check out more artwork by Lisa Perrin, view her portfolio or website.