5 Typographic Portrait Artists That Will Inspire You
These illustrators play with words and typefaces to create unique and powerful images
We know a picture can be worth more than a thousand words. It can also be made of dozens of them. Typographic portraiture is a booming genre in the world of illustration that combines the beauty of lettering with a powerful illustration to create a striking image, often loaded with meaning.
These five designers have elevated typographic portraiture into an art. Each of them employs a distinct style but with equally surprising results.
Sarah King (@sarahkingart)
Inspired by the animal world, science, surf, and snow, Sarah King's illustrations overflow with expressiveness and motivational words. This English artist, now based in Canada, has collaborated with large publications and companies such as the Washington Post, Oprah magazine or the New York Times.
Peter Strain (@peterstrain)
With a bold and highly personal lettering style, Peter Strain tackles social, political, and cultural issues. His work is hugely influenced by film and music and frequently features well-known characters from movies. Some of his illustrations have been featured in The New Yorker, TIME Magazine, and the Washington Post.
Cris Wicks (@criswicks)
This talented artist from Los Angeles has an impressive portfolio that mixes traditional and digital illustration. Still, his typographic portraits of famous musicians and artists are, without a doubt, some of his finest creations. He started painting them to convey the idea that after we die, our physical bodies leave, but our words remain in the minds of those we interacted with.
Seanings (@seanings)
The work of Sean Williams has been featured on BuzzFeed, DesignTaxi, Laughing Squid, Design Milk, XXL, and Fashion Bomb Daily, to name a few. Inspired by music and pop culture, the hand-drawn illustrations of this Canadian artist stand out with bold colors and defined shapes.
Lorenzo Petrantoni (@lorenzopetrantoni)
Lorenzo Petrantoni's passion for graphic design and his fascination with the 18th century and the victorian aesthetic gives a distinctive look to his illustrations. Mixing words on various typefaces and photos, he creates striking collages full of meaning and intention that have been published in Newsweek, the New York Times, the Washington Post, or the Wall Street Journal.
0 comments