Heather Landis — Vintage Collage Illustrator, Seattle

Seattle based illustrator Heather Landis combines old images, found textures and hand-drawn elements to create illustrations in her own unique style. It’s light, whimsical, nostalgic and surreal, conveying contemporary messages for her clients with the authentic feel of classic illustration.

Heather collects vintage children’s books, analysing the art and printing techniques used and what they say about the psychology of the people who made them, which feeds into her work. After studying Fine Art in Santa Monica, Heather went to the Art Center in Pasadena to major in Photography and Imaging. With a lifelong passion for collage, she attended illustration courses for fun and by her final year was taking commissions from clients.

Approach

Narrative is an important part of Heather’s approach, and she carefully plans her images, sourcing elements from her library of old books and magazines. Her process is half hand-drawn and half-digital, with physical sketches and vintage images brought together in Photoshop where old paper textures and print patterns are added.

Key Software

Photoshop

Style

Playful and with a childlike sense of wonder, Heather’s work juxtaposes nostalgic ideals with modern sensibilities, softened by complementary colour palettes. Often there’s a sense of humour, or even a hint of the ominous, in her creations.

Client list

Heather has been commissioned by a range of clients including Budweiser, Applegate Farms, The Globe and Mail, ESPN, Heaven Hill Brands, O Magazine, Readers Digest, Black & Decker, Glamour and Seventeen.

Surreal portrait with red hair and insects in a countryside setting by Heather Landis