One of our Good Folk, Lauren Nassef, now has a shop on her site where she’s selling each of her daily drawings. If ya don’t know, now ya know. The biggest problem I have is choosing which are my favorites, they’re all so good!

Lauren is a freelance illustrator living in Chicago. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2001. Her work is whimsical, brilliant and beautiful. Lauren’s illustrations have graced the covers of award-winning Univ. of Chicago Press books as well as an article for the NY Times.

-NAME
Lauren Nassef

-WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I grew up in central Pennsylvania. I’m in Chicago now.

-WHAT DOES YOUR WORK CONSIST OF?
Drawings of people, animals and things

-HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
I always liked to draw. I went to art school, then took a break for seven years. Now I’m back at it.

-WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
Everything that isn’t making money and marketing myself

-WHAT IS THE WORST THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
Making money and marketing myself

-IF YOU WEREN’T DESIGNING, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?
Hanging out with my husband and my dog.

-WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Everything and the internet.

-WHERE DOES CREATIVITY COME FROM?
I have no idea.

-WHO’S WORK DO YOU LOOK UP TO? (Either currently or in the past)
This will be a very incomplete list. I’m not sure if I look up to them, but I really love (in no particular order): persian miniatures, giotto, pisanello (drawings), toulouse lautrec, early picasso, david hockney, scott schuman, cai guo-qiang, david byrne, mark catesby…

-WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR INDUSTRY?
I’m sorry but I have no idea. I’m not very tuned in to my industry. It’s something I’m working on.

-WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU NEXT?
A book! I’m so excited about it. Julia Rothman will be publishing a selection of approximately 100 drawings from my blog.

-WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD ASPIRING TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
It’s different for everyone of course, but I think it was really important for me to make work every day to find a style and a rhythm of working.

-ONE DEFINING MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR.
Getting a request for an illustration from the new york times. It made me feel like my plan was really working for the first time.

-WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Chicago Public Radio

RELATED LINKS:

There must be something in the water out Mid-West that produces some amazing talent, like Micah Lidberg. Micah’s work is solid!

Thanks to Leah for sending me this!

Mattias Adolfsson is an illustrator based in Sweden whose work I love. Best of all, I just found about his “Baroque Star Wars” project! Go find out more at his blog: Mattias Inks

Alberto Seveso is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Italy. His illustrations of Kelly Slater for an editorial piece are absolutely mind-blowing. Combining illustration and photography effectively is quite difficult, but Alberto makes this stuff look effortless.

Frank Chimero is a super-cool designer and illustrator based in Missouri. His self-initiated project titled The States is a pretty clever attempt to display each state in illustrated form. Check out his work, you’ll love it.