Yuewei Nino Li — Manga-Influenced Lifestyle Illustrator, New York

Chinese illustrator Yuewei Nino Lee couldn’t be better named. “The name Yuewei means ‘to observe carefully’,” she explains. “I have always enjoyed quietly observing the world and then depicting it along with the people in it as I see them.” Her work will take you on an imaginative journey into a strange, fairytale existence where gleeful, manga-esque characters frolic in sparkling metropolises.

Now based in New York City, she goes by the handle Nino and relishes any blank canvas put before her. The bright lights and big city feature in many of Nino’s images, and The Big Apple is one of her biggest inspirations. This is crossed with a lifelong interest in Japanese art and animation. Clients enjoy discussing the various creative possibilities she brings to the table and seeing their ideas brought to life in ways they may not have anticipated. Photography is a key inspiration for Nino and she actively uses it to plan her illustrations, taking numerous pictures to set up the compositions and inform her drawings. She studied animation at the School of Visual Arts in New York, but switched majors to illustration as she discovered her passion for static images.

Approach

Nino paints digitally using Photoshop and Procreate.

Key software

Photoshop, Procreate and Lightroom.

Style

Nino works in three styles. Firstly, decorative illustration inspired by New York and its architecture. Secondly, using simple line work and collage to create portraits. Thirdly, collage illustrations assembled from collected materials.