The effect of pop culture & advertising on our everyday lives.

While surfing the innerwebz the other day I stumbled upon a portfolio site for an Illustrator name Josh Ellingson. Josh lives and works out of San Fransisco California, and has done work for clients big and small. His work takes a retro yet modern approach to illustration. His use of bold lines and vivid colors make for awesome eye candy. You may have see some of his works for clients such as Wired Magazine, Computer Gaming World, and Others.

I asked Josh a few questions about his work….

So Josh, What inspires you in your work?

I’m inspired mostly by popular culture, past and present. I like the speculation of science fiction and the various daily advancements of science fact. I’m very much a part of the growing internet addiction epidemic. I take in all kinds of art blogs, gadget posts, and twitter feeds.  Everyday something new blows my mind, whether it’s the discovery of a new state of matter, or a goat that sounds like a dude.

What tools do you use to create your art?

Much of my commercial work starts on paper and is finished on the computer in Adobe Illustrator. I have a couple different Wacom tablets that help. One is a regular 6×8 Intuous 3 and the other is a Cintiq. It just helps speed things along sometimes. I don’t think technology will ever supplant creativity, so it’s important to consider that these are just helpful tools. I’ve been painting a lot lately for gallery shows and mostly with acrylic paint on wood. I always sketch on paper first with colored pencils, sometimes in a sketchbook and sometimes just one whatever I have laying around.

Where can people check out your art? Besides your website?

I’m showing at Rotofugi in Chicago, IL in September. I’ll have art there as part of a group show themed around Japanese movie monsters. I have artwork at Super7 Store in San Francisco as well as a few other SF locations. I table at Wondercon, The Alternative Press Expo, and Comic Con annually as well. It’s best to keep an eye on my blog for my next appearance.

I encourage you to check out Josh’s art on his website www.joshuaellingson.com as well as the galleries he is showing in, if you are in those areas
Below are a selected works that I got me inspired and really hyped!