Esther Aarts (brilliant name for an artist) is an illustrator from the Netherlands, whose work exists primarily in postcard/poster format. She does a lot of editorial work, and her strong composition lends itself well to this as she can format her imagery into different specified measurements and situations.
The figures in her illustrations are often in motion, her fluid drawing style creating a lively atmosphere within her work. This visual aspect is what really appeals to me about her illustration, as I've been trying to solve the problem of creating a dynamic composition with consideration for a pre-determined format (the editorial measurements). Her work doesn't feel in any way constrained by the limits of editorial measurements and postcards, and this ability to transcend its borders is something I want to explore in my own designs.
Her general style reminds me of old Disney cartoons, specifically the 1950s shorts with bouncy animation and fluid character designs. Most of those cartoons didn't have any dialogue in them, and focused on the visuals to convey the message. Esther's work works well to do the same thing in a modern context, in explaining quickly, simply and comically, any article it's produced for.
Creative Process
The vintage style of Esther's designs are reinforced by the method by which she creates them. She hand letters most of the typography she uses, and the majority of her work is made using a letterpress. While looking for examples of her old school methods I found that for her last collection of postcards, titled Pushing Your Luck, all her postcards were made with a process called mimeograph (or 'Ditto') printing. I'd never heard of this so I looked it up and found that its a method invented in 1923 that involves a large pressing machine that uses stencils and fibre sheet to press ink into the desired material. It was mainly used as an early way to print copies of things (newspapers, contracts, messages etc), but became mostly obsolete once early photocopiers became invented after WW2.
This blend of her modern design methods coupled with her old school printing methods, and her retro visual style, makes for memorable and unique work that has a personal touch.
I'm really invested in work that isn't mass produced digitally, and where no two prints are exactly the same, as I think it shortens the gap between artist and audience, with a human touch rather than owning just one of millions of something printed in a factory by a third party. It was mainly this reason I found Esther's work inspiring, as a lot of editorial work can be samey and trying to be current and relevant, but this is an illustrator who is all about the craft of an idea, rather than trying to commercialise it, as a lot of editorial artists can do.
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