ACCENT / BLOG

International Paper recently teamed up with illustrator Kyle Beckett to create the original children’s book Apollo the Spacedog. This adventure story introduces young readers to Apollo, a shelter dog who longs to find a home, and Andi, a 7-year-old girl who’s into astronomy — two daring characters who team up to outrun a space monster. Apollo the Spacedog gives readers a glimpse of Andi’s vivid imagination, with action scenes brought to life through the magic of augmented reality. 

Max Mahn is a printmaker and illustrator working between Montana and Wyoming under the pseudonym Twin Home. He’s passionate about the art of the gig poster, and he spoke with us about how he got his start and what’s inspiring him today.

Kelly Bjork is an artist and illustrator based in Seattle, Washington who works mainly in gouache, a type of paint like watercolor made of natural pigment, water, and a binding agent like gum arabic or dextrin that is used to make the paint opaque. The word most often used to describe her gouache paintings is intimate, not only because it often features people in their homes but also because Bjork gives the viewer a glimpse of the tiny moments in our daily routines that are often overlooked: drawing a bath, doing the dishes, cuddling the cat.

We first encountered Adé Hogue when he spoke at Adobe MAX, and we were immediately enchanted with his lettering and the way he brings that lettering into physical spaces using all sorts of creative materials. Adé was named one of PRINT Magazine’s New Visual Artists in 2017 and since then has been collecting accolades — and producing inspiring work. He chatted with us about his process, where he finds inspiration and his favorite Chicago food spot.

We’ve been following the work of graphic designer Aaron Draplin since the early days of Draplin Design Co. His elegant logos and brand work have won him many fans, and when he’s not working on new projects, he spends a lot of his time traveling around the country, inspiring other designers.