Australian illustrator Megan McKean simply loves travel, maps, scenes and stories from all over the world, and she expresses this passion abundantly in her art. Every trip she takes is a research opportunity – a chance to unlock new ideas and fresh takes on the joys to be discovered at locations across the globe. And it’s all done with a light touch in her easy-going, hand-drawn style.
With her design background, Megan’s bright colors and playful linework are underpinned by well-structured compositions that lead the viewer’s eye through any image or across the illustrated maps she draws. Like her work, Megan is easy going and collaborative, and clients praise her reliability and professionalism. She loves to delight the viewer with little details they can discover – something to surprise and charm, bringing them into the image.
Megan studied Visual Communication at the University of Technology in Sydney, has run her own design label and built a creative business, so she brings a good understanding of how the industry works. She draws inspiration from mid-century design and the likes of Ray Eames, Alexander Girard, Josef Albers and Josef Frank.
Approach
Projects begin with loose sketching on scrap paper and Post-it notes in the ideation phase. Then, Megan refines her sketches on the iPad in Procreate and finishes the artwork in Photoshop or Illustrator. For book projects, she may lay out the pages in InDesign.Key software
Procreate; Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.Style
Megan’s natural, instinctive line work brings a sense of joy to each image she creates. Her style is graphic, bold and colorful, with strong, well-designed compositions and touches of detail that add depth to the storytelling.Languages
English