Designer by day, illustrator by moonlight

Gica Tam is an illustrator and graphic designer born in New York and raised in Manila. Based on a figurative and contemporary style, she specializes in digital illustrations in beautiful and satisfying color palettes. When I stumbled upon her visual diary, I immediately fell in love with her art. I felt like I was transported into someone else's dream, not wanting to leave. But never mind what I have to say, the work speaks for itself.

She graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Information Design from Ateneo de Manila University. During the past years, Gica has worked for brands and publishers such as Airbnb, Havaianas, Nike, Under Armour, Adobo Magazine, CNN Life, Summit Media, Young STAR, GRID Magazine, and Macmillan Publishers.

If you're a fan, like I expect you should be, follow her on Instagram for more art and inspiration.

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Nike Blazer Mid 77 Scribble

When I was in high school, doodling on kicks was a thing. How cool to come into class, learn a few things, then walk out with a pair of scribbled-on sneakers. Even today, many basketball stars are using their shoes for much more than performance. Take a close look at their trainers and you'll find messages written all over. Now Nike is celebrating the process with the release of its Blazer Mid 77 Scribble. Aside from the hand-drawn sidewall Swoosh, the shoe also has smaller notes hidden all over, including the style name and the year it was made. The tongue is also equipped with the brand's logo, which has been hand-drawn in black. I really like the design, especially the imperfect lines. And since we're talking about scribbled-on sneakers, I can't not mention Niko Pelaez . He's a true shoe-drawing machine! [h/t: Sneaker News ]

Poshichi's Digital Take on Nihonga

Using digital tools, Poshichi makes nihonga-style pictures of everyday life. These images can be anywhere from funny to calm, thoughtful, imaginative, or even a bit wild. It's a wonderful harmony: the past rendered perfectly in the present. Nihonga is basically Japanese painting that gets its look from using mineral pigments (and sometimes ink) on surfaces like silk or paper. The term was created back in the Meiji period (1868–1912) just so people could tell it apart from Yōga, which is what they called Western-style painting. Art was everywhere in Poshichi's childhood: the grandfather ran a framing shop, and the grandma was an art teacher. Poshichi loved to draw, and was destined for an art career. But, you know how it goes—life had other plans. Thankfully, a friend encouraged the Japanese artist not to quit drawing, even if just as a hobby. Though Poshichi initially created dark, gloomy pieces due to depression, adopting a cat two years ago changed everything. “I felt the nee...

Hand-Painted Movie Posters by Tony Stella

In the 70s and 80s movie theaters in Manila were usually standalone buildings with nice seats and red curtains. To sell tickets, cinemas needed to advertise their offerings. But they did not have the original posters, or the means to print alternatives. So they made their own, commissioning local artists to hand-paint them. I really miss those hand-painted posters and billboards, which conveyed an artistry that was a form of visual hyperbole. But hand-made objects always have a way of returning. In this digital age, people will always look for things made by hand. I recently stumbled across the work of Tony Stella, whose genuinely cool movie posters have caught the eye of film enthusiasts and art lovers worldwide. He likes to work in watercolor and ink wash but sometimes he will make an oil painting, depending on the film. Tony's very active on social media, and his Tumblr blog contains a massive collection of illustrated movie posters that are often better than the original. ...

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