Art Inspiration Part 10: Jon Klassen

As a Canadian, I find it amazing to see another Canadian dominating the art industry. Jon Klassen is a Canadian writer, illustrator, and animator. Klassen graduated with an animation degree from Sheridan College and he is known for his work as a children's book illustrator and author of I Want My Hat Back. 

Looking at Jon Klassen's illustrations, I like how experimental and playful he is with the use of mediums — he commonly uses ink, gouache, watercolor, and acrylics. 

Triangle Illustration by Jon Klassen

That said, from Klassen's works, we can also see the simplicity and the uniqueness of his illustrations with the use of interesting textures, for example, by adding paint splashes, and basic shapes. 

Triangle Print by John Klassen

Jon Klassen Illustration

Lastly, Jon Klassen's art style is very distinctive because of his color palette choices. In most of Klassen's work, we can see his experimentation with black and white. In other pieces, we can see Klassen grabbing the audience's attention via the use of contrasting colors. For example, looking at the illustration below, we can see the contrasting color between greens and red — the red draws the audience's eye to the focal point, which is the boat. 

Illustration by Jon Klassen

Illustration by Jon Klassen 

Overall, I really enjoy looking at Jon Klassen's illustrations. With Jon Klassen's distinctive art style, Klassen is able to bring the character's story to life in a imaginative way.