Drew Bardana — Colorful Editorial Illustrator, Portland

Big shapes, bright colours and hand-drawn marks and textures come together in the artwork of Drew Bardana to give it major impact, engaging viewers and hitting home with his clients’ core messages. His characters are expressive, his compositions dynamic and he loves to inject a little motion into everything he draws.

It seems like Drew always knew he’d become an illustrator. His grandfather was a painter who predicted that one day Drew’s images would be on national magazines. Painting like a demon as he grew up, Drew honed his personal style and now that dream is a reality. With a BFA in Illustration and Design from Pacific Northwest College of Art, Drew is based in Portland, Oregon. Whenever he responds to a brief, he asks lots of questions, develops plenty of options and works fast, which clients really appreciate.

Approach

Drew sums up his approach in three steps. 1 – Lay down the shapes and draft the composition. 2 – Fill in the textures and patterns. 3 – Finish off the hard lines and details. It’s a system he learned as a sign painter, and Drew’s sign making knowledge is another thing that impresses his clients.

Styles

Colourful and larger than life, Drew’s style nevertheless maintains enough detail to tell subtler stories and deal with more intricate themes. That’s why he’s a hit with editorial and online clients across the United States.

Client list

Drew’s client list includes Facebook Research Group, Oregon Lottery, The Washington Post, Road & Track Magazine, Portland Monthly, Tenderfoot TV and Nashville Country Weekly.