Minimalist Illustration

Illustration using the minimum to create impact. Limited colours, simple lines and bold shapes can tell a story in the simplest of ways.


Ana Yael: Lifeline

Ana’s conceptual editorial illustrations for The Observer Magazine use sweeping fields of colour and fine details to communicate a sense of loneliness. This is heightened by the pastel colours, and tiny figures immersed in a sparse landscape.


Jędrzej Nyka: Worlds: an ongoing series of posters celebrating the wonders of science fiction

These delicate poster illustrations are the artist’s homage to favourite science fiction works. The experimental colours and layered compositions convey a sense of stepping into other worlds.


Gabi Toma: The Children’s Boat by Mario Vargas Llosa

These illustrations were created for the story ‘The Children’s Boat’, a tale inspired by history and ancient fables. The images have a soft, ethereal quality with plenty of space allowing for the details to shine through.


Weronika Marianna: Anima Mundi, a soul of all living things

These short, looped gifs demonstrate the concept of Anima Mundi, the idea that all living things are interconnected. These simple yet conceptual animations are rendered in Procreate, with a handmade quality.

Laura Merz: Flight Mural

The forms in Laura’s mural are highly simplified, abstracted motifs of sea-birds, surf boards and boat sails with impactful colours chosen to convey the sense of adventure, and escape associated with coastal towns.


Yuan: Encounter

This experimental animation shows what happens when passers-by in the street cross over shadows. The softness of the drawing demonstrates this interplay in a few simple seconds.


Dexin Chen: To Live

This elegant illustration uses pared down forms and colour to convey the loneliness of the central character. The figures are marked out only by the silhouettes of their clothes, adding to the sense that they have gone unnoticed in society.


Margarita Louka: Oblivion

These abstract illustrations are intended to accompany Alice Munro’s short story of a woman who is developing dementia. The images are collaged from notes and other items that allude to a fragmented memory.


Monal MEDillustration: Guzheng Hands

This illustration is an infographic explaining how to play the Guzheng (a Chinese zither). The delicate washes and text show the strings of the instrument, creating a beautiful, instructive illustration.