February 2012
14 posts
go instead where there is no path and leave a... →
January 2012
4 posts
Matthew Lyons →
Matthew Lyon is an illustrator from Britain, and his style is beautifully retro-inspired, and yet thoroughly modern. It could be the combination of retro-tinged hues…
December 2011
16 posts
5 things: Books [3] →
While waiting for 2012 to arrive in just a few days, I thought that I’d do a collection of posts to mark some of my favorite things on the blog that I’ve featured throughout the years. First up:…
Season's greetings! [2] →
Season’s greetings everyone! Over here at Pikaland HQ, we have quite a few things to be thankful for this year:
YOUR support for cheering Pikaland on — we’re going to be 4 years old in…
Illustration Friday: Sink [1] →
“Sink”, ink & digital With 2011 coming to a close, I realized that I don’t have an illustration up on Illustration Friday for the longest time. So I decided to draw one on a whim! I…
Yasmin Sandytia for Mira Santo [4] →
As if my previous post didn’t have me swooning enough like a schoolgirl, here are more beautiful things from Yasmin Sandytia – a ceramic plate collection made by …
If not now, then when? [1] →
If you’ve held back on doing something, whether it’s kickstarting your own business or if you’re hesitant about typing out that first post on your new blog, isn’t it about time you…
Hug a porcupine →
Singapore-based shop Hug a Porcupine makes these adorable enamel origami pins that rock my socks! They also have necklaces and various other fun designs, most of them in…
2012 Illustrated calendars part #5 [1] →
Can you believe we’ve covered 40 illustrated calendars this year? Round five shows 8 more of my favorite calendars and I have to say that the talent this year is amazing! I wish I had more than 3…
Tad Carpenter for Case-Mate [2] →
Love these cheery patterns that Tad Carpenter designed for Case-Mate! My favorite is the flower pattern (the first on the left, above). Bonus: listen to Tad speak about his job…
Free your mind and the rest will follow [1] →
So I lied last week. I wanted to check into the blog and write a post on Friday, but I decided that it would be nice to not do work at all (since I already told myself to take the weekend…
3-0 [16] →
I’m 30 today! It’s funny how time flies – when I was 11 I kept wondering when I would turn 13 and be an official teen-ager. And when I turned 19, I was a little bummed about leaving my…
Dan Matutina / Twisted Fork →
Few people can bring texture to an illustration like Dan Matutina of Twisted Fork can. An illustrator and designer from the Philippines, his work runs a wide range – from logo…
Laugh [1] →
I learned very early that an audience would relax and look at things differently if they felt they could laugh with you from time to time. There’s an energy that comes through the release…
Review: Wrap magazine [5] →
Once in a while a magazine comes along and blows the rest out of the water. Wrap is that kind of magazine. Because oh no, it’s not one of those magazines that you throw away when you’re…
6 tags
Why artists and illustrators should get a job. →
The romantic notion of a starving artist isn’t something that I’m buying into, and I think it’s a myth that is dangerous to those out there who believe that living in poverty because of your art is a noble (or even necessary) thing to do.
I believe that those who can’t live off their art (for now) should take on something else that can provide a sense of financial security while they invest in...
2012 Illustrated calendars part #4 [2] →
This week’s Round #4 of our 2012 illustrated calendar round-up features not only artists, but calendars from our favorite consignment shops and publishers too! If you like our picks below, see…
November 2011
17 posts
Minini by Min Lee →
How adorable are these mini-people pins by Min Lee? She’s currently based in Korea, but just recently graduated from HDK School of Design & Craft in Gothenburg, Sweden with…
Giving thanks →
I can’t believe it’s almost the end of the year already (and this would be accompanied by further exclamations on how I’m getting a year older come December!) This time of year will…
Camp Pikaland: Back to Basics with Jamie Shelman →
Art by Calder Jamie Shelman’s Back to Basics: Visual Communication class is the perfect antidote to brush up on your art basics! Perfect for those in need of fresh weekly exercises to…
Sketchbook Project Limited Edition Vol.1 →
Art House Co-op just launched the Sketchbook Project Limited Edition Vol. 1 last week, and this time, the project is open to just 5,000 participating artists! Every contributor to the…
Why you should take a break from your daily... →
I like predictability. A lot. I think it has to do with having a father who was very prompt (to the minute!) and who is a master at organizing tasks at home and work. So I like to plan…
Buy Some Damn Art : Alan Brown →
Kate of the indefatigable Art Hound has started a weekly online art show that exclusively features original artwork with prices starting at just $200 called Buy Some Damn…
Review: Let's Make Some Great Art →
So I have a confession to make. When I first saw Marion Deuchars’ book Let’s Make Some Great Art, I was originally looking for a creative gift for a friend’s kid. But the more…
Inez Tiara →
I’m a little taken in with Inez Tiara’s collages – particularly those that depict landscapes with swells and contours. Like pages from a children’s storybook, I think her…
Sponsor giveaway: Busy Beaver Buttons [22] →
Have you ever felt you needed to do more with your marketing materials? What if you could have your artwork stuck to a person’s attire – ready for them to stare at the whole day? Well if you…
How to challenge yourself →
I’m always up for a challenge. I didn’t know anything about coding and programming 5 years ago, but I picked it up so that I can build Pikaland and many other projects since. I’ve found…
Book review: Graphic Design Thinking [1] →
I like breaking things down. And what I mean by that, is that I like to see things and then break them down (not make them cry!) into more manageable chunks of information, so that I am…
Sponsor giveaway: Poorly Drawn Things [9] →
It’s been quite a while since we had a sponsor giveaway here, and I’m thrilled to welcome Penny Poorly of Poorly Drawn Things here on Pikaland! Penny is based in San Diego, USA and…
What artists & illustrators can learn from... →
I follow each and every Project Runway episode, every season. And the thing is, when I first watched the show, I wasn’t interested at all with Michael Kors or his label. His work was just…
2012 Illustrated calendars part #1 [1] →
It’s that time of the year again where we all have to pick a calendar to fill up that desk (or wall!) Last year’s illustrated calendar roundup was such a success that I thought we should do it…
Indigo Icons [1] →
Loving the digital people in Katy’s Etsy shop. I’m always curious if this is how a computer software might see us – broken down into angles and plays of shade and tones.
Why artists & illustrators should blog [7] →
I see a lot of portfolios online and I get a lot of portfolios forwarded to me as well. But here’s the thing. Anyone can just post up their work online and hope for the best. Some of them…