Briana Kranz — Live Event Fashion Illustrator, Pacific NW

Briana Kranz has a flair for expressive line work, mark making and indulgent splashes of colour that make her a natural in the world of fashion. It’s little surprise that she has caught the eye of some of the biggest names in haute couture. Based in the Pacific Northwest of the US, she frequently travels for her live event work.

With an intuitive sense of style and beauty, Briana carries out both live portraiture and fashion figures at a variety of events ranging from weddings, luxury retail and private parties. She also does lifestyle, editorial and product illustration. She loves experimenting with lines and forms across an array of media, both by hand and digitally. When she’s not working, she enjoys soaking up nature’s beauty out hiking, kayaking and camping with her family in the PNW. Some of her biggest inspirations include Chuck Close, Helen Frankenthaler, Stina Persson, Antonio Lopez and Kenneth Paul Block. Briana majored in Illustration and Graphic Design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where she now teaches fashion illustration alongside her bubbling freelance career.

Approach

With a background in graphic design, Briana looks for balance in her compositions. She works in multiple media, including ink, watercolour and pastel. “Experimentation as well as a seemingly effortless feel is what I strive for, with an element of realism or likeness,” she says.

Style

Briana’s style is sensitive, loose, intuitive and experimental. When drawing live, her work is quick and expressive, whereas her commissions are afforded more time and precision for a finer finish. In both styles, she experiments and plays with the way her bold, expressive line sits with textured and colorful shapes.