Adam Macauley — Character Illustrator, New Zealand

New Zealand artist Adam Macauley creates playful, energetic imagery that comes with a sense of fun. His illustrations are often soft and approachable, with clever concepts driving them as he communicates his client’s ideas in fresh and original ways.

Adam’s talent for drawing characters and settings was honed early in his career while he trained to become an animator. He developed new skillsets working in gaming and as a graphic designer. Today, all his past experience is channelled into creating outstanding imagery for his clients and he understands how illustration fits into wider creative processes such as creating campaigns and brand identity work. Anime and the artwork of Magic: The Gathering are two of Adam’s favourite influences, and he also admires artists such as Takashi Murakami, James Jean, Moebius, Victo Ngai, Kim Jung Gi and Pat Perry. They inspire him to find a balance between technical proficiency and great storytelling with each illustration brief he tackles.

Approach

Sketching to begin with, Adam explores the composition and identifies where the energy of the image will come from. He then refines his sketches, cleaning up the line work and adding colour, texture and lighting. By controlling the values and contrast, he draws the eye around the image, helping build the narrative.

Key software

Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, Procreate, Clip Studio Paint.

Style

Adam’s line work is crisp yet gentle, inspired by the ligne claire approach, combined with balanced colour palettes that look natural and organic. Three dimensional scenes with occasional 2D objects or graphics contribute to its unique style.