Design & Advertising | Editorial Portfolio | The Bright Agency

DESIGN & ADVERTISING

Editorial Portfolio

WHO WE ARE

Bright is a global agency that nurtures and represents passionate, gifted creatives. You’ll see their work everywhere: from children’s books, events, and film to advertising, newspapers, and homeware. They’re here to make a mark on the world, and our mission is to make it happen.

We’re united and driven by a love of great creative work. So, we’re here to turn raw talent into stellar careers, and client briefs into creative success.

Our team, work across both our UK and US offices. We have the experience to understand the realities and challenges facing editorial commissioners. From delivering conceptual creative work that drives consumer loyalty, to intense schedules that ensure publication. We support your process from brief to delivery.

Bright are experts at matching artists with a huge spectrum of clients, from exciting start-ups to established global brands.

James Burns

james@thebrightagency.com

+1 646 577 9704

James embodies the best of Bright’s values; he is dedicated to protecting, nurturing, and securing creative careers for the artists, authors, and animators. As well as maintaining a select publishing list and heading up Bright US, James also oversees Bright’s Design & Advertising division. He is an advocate for traditionally marginalised voices and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

James is based in the agency’s US office.

MANAGING AGENT DIRECTOR

Ilaria Vigilante

ilaria@thebrightagency.com

+44 7557 995082

As well as speaking four languages, Ilaria manages clients around the globe with a cultural sensitivity and diplomatic approach. Ilaria works closely with James Burns on the Advertising & Design lists, managing and developing artists across editorial, packaging, branding and animation work. Her reliable and calm demeanour makes her a safe pair of hands for complex, fast and intricate projects.

AGENT

EDITORIAL & COMMERCIAL

Ilaria is based in the agency’s UK office.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Beatrice Maffei

Beatrice grew up in Pesaro, a small seaside town in central Italy. She studied as a surveyor in high school and she received a bachelor’s degree in product design soon after. During her university years, until now, she has a deep interest and curiosity towards the field of illustration so she has moved the pencil from the technical projects of furniture products to super colorful and expressive drawings and sketches. In the year 2022 she attends a specialized course in editorial illustration in Rome and after a few months she starts doing her first jobs. Her drawings are characterized by bright, saturated colors and pencil strokes but she never stops being curious to experiment with new ways to communicate through drawing.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Ronan Lynam

Based in Washington DC, Ronan Lynam works as an illustrator contributing to advertising, editorial & retail projects.

Ronan’s work centers around his vivid and colorful style of illustration, capturing the tightness of crisp, graphic work while still retaining a handdrawn feel with a splash of traditional media textures. Projects often focus around decorative illustrations for branding, conceptual editorial work, and various motion illustration projects. Cleverness, humor and movement play an important role in conceptualizing his illustrations.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Viktorija Staseviciute

Viktorija Staseviciute is an editorial illustrator and creative from Lithuania. Her unique style blends classical art techniques with contemporary pop culture references, resulting in elegant and provoking illustrations that seamlessly merge the old and the new.

Originally trained as a fashion designer at University of Westminster in London, Viktorija briefly worked as a designer in Paris before transitioning to freelance illustration. Her hand-drawn style incorporates these experiences by taking artistic influences from Parisian architecture, Victorian engravings and etching techniques, René Gruau, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1950s fashion photography and vintage ads to name a few.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Adrien Gaudin

Adrien Gaudin is an illustrator and a motion designer from Angoulême in France.After a degree in graphic design and 2D animation, he started his career 4 years ago as a freelancer. During this time, he collaborated with various creative agencies, magazines and clients in France and Quebec.

Supporting the visibility of eco-responsible projects is a goal in Adrien’s work. He loves using natural themes and drawing vegetation. He likes to use small color palettes and simple shapes in order to have a clear and accessible work. Adrien likes to play with the anatomy of his characters. Drawing big hands, making tiny heads allows him to add dynamism and fun to his creations.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Jessica Smith

Jess is a freelance illustrator and artist currently living in Bath, UK. She uses gouache and digital methods to create her fun and playful work. She enjoys working conceptually, so scale and perspective play a large part within the images she creates. Jess’ clients include Simon & Schuster, Kate Spade, Oxfam and Hardie Grant.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Fangyu Ma

Fangyu Ma is a Chinese illustrator designer. Most of her artworks are created digitally. In her decorative illustrations with the theme of still life, she uses bright and vibrant colors to bring pure pleasure to the eyes. In her animal-themed creations, she tries to convey an unconventional and sentimental mood. Illustration acts as a tool for her expression instead of speaking. In her thesis Self-Portrait-The Room, she expresses the pain of sexual harassment from children experience in a metaphorical way. As a record and sharing of her personal experience, which she hopes will bring spiritual strength to the viewer.

Pola Augustynowicz

Pola Augustynowicz is an illustrator and graphic designer, currently living and working in Poznan, Poland. She studied Art Education at the University of the Arts Poznan and Journalism at the University of Adam Mickiewicz and has produced work for magazines, books, textiles, packaging and branding.

Notable clients include; Bombay Sapphire, Somersby and Costa Coffee.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Sofia Salazar

Sofia is an illustrator and tropical creature.

Originally from Venezuela, she’s been living all over Latin America to get inspiration from latino culture. Her style is defined by a combination of her colorful and vibrant cultural heritage, and her background in Graphic Design. Clients include Spotify, Fast Company, Renault and KFC.

ED PALMER ed@thebrightagency.com

Virginia Moura

Virginia Moura is an illustrator and designer from Rio, based in Brooklyn, NY. She has been involved in art from an early age, and she always enjoyed drawing characters. She learned and taught classical drawing and painting at the same art school and ended up discovering Graphic Design. After graduating, she spent over 10 years in the design industry and worked for many brands such as Google, Chase, Revlon, Samsung, and American Express at agencies such as Huge and others.

VIRGINIA MOURA

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Vivien Mildenberger

After graduating from ArtCenter College of Design with honors in Illustration, Vivien Mildenberger packed up her pencils and moved to a lovely farm just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, where she is a part of the Warren Studio of artists.

There she works on her illustrations, pottery, and other general magicmaking. She loves illustrating for children most of all. Vivien’s art is filled with wonder, quirky characters, and nods to history.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Aaron Marin

Aaron is an American illustrator and artist living in Upstate New York. He draws people and places in bold and reimagined color palettes. He aims to capture the defining essence of an environment or person with a fresh perspective and childlike imagination, often challenging assumptions of beauty, power, and intelligence relating to the Black experience in America.

He purposely likes to change the colors of the things that he draws. Choosing these colors reminds him that art should be fun, it allows the inner kid in him to make bold choices without embarrassment and full of love and kindness..

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Mia Mottelson

Mia Mottelson breaks any law in the visual arts. Dynamics and rhythm drive the content, not the laws of perspective or ratios of the human body. The whole image is filled with biomorphic figures, shaped by their actions. She cuts through to clarity and leaves only those body parts in the image that are relevant. Nothing is given. Everything is energy. Simultaneously both raw and fluid in an infinite motion, as if the drawing emerges in front of us. Mottelson combines digital drawing with water color to add a tactile presence to her aesthetic and critical goal. It has to make a difference, because it’s needed. Now.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Bea Muller

Bea is a freelance illustrator and Mama Bear based in London. If you see a bright pink colour against a dark green background combined with some florals and a pinch of quirkiness, the chances are high you landed on her work. Bea’s illustration career started off drawing her daughter Soley and herself as a Bear (Bea), this is when the moniker and brand name Soley and the Bear was born. Diversity, female empowerment and climate change are very important topics to her personally and returning themes in her illustrations. Bea’s clients include Flow Magazine, Cartoon Network, arsEdition, Red Aspen and others.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Ali Kamara

Ali Kamara is a London-based illustrator and motion graphic artist, who creates vibrant and psychedelic visuals with a focus on music, modern culture, and social commentary. Having been influenced by design, hip hop culture, classic Hollywood cinematography and abstract anime from a young age, he always aims to capture cultural events and icons through the influence of these works. Ali’s love of creating original music projects and merging this with vibrant visuals and visual identity design has led him to working on a range of briefs. From album artwork and audiovisuals, to magazine covers and brand design, his notable clients include HBO, Vice Media, Atlantic Records, Virgin EMI Records, Highsnobiety, and hip-hop streetwear pioneer Karl Kani.

Cailin Keegan

Caitlin Keegan is a New York-based illustrator and surface designer, and the creator of The Illuminated Tarot and Illuminated Art Series, published by Clarkson Potter. Her clients include Abrams, Chronicle Books, Galison, Penguin Random House, Refinery29, and The Washington Post. Caitlin graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and has been a guest illustration critic and lecturer at Maryland Institute College of Art, University of the Arts, the School of Visual Arts, and RISD.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Kitty O’Rourke

Kitty O’Rourke is a British graphic designer and illustrator based in the North West of England.

Throughout her design career she has always been passionate about illustration, developing a style that is distinctly vibrant, colourful and playful - often with an element of humour. Kitty loves to illustrate diverse characters wearing eye catching outfits, quirky accessories, and a whole lot of personality!

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Amanda Yoshida

Her buzzing imagination meant that no receipt, Post-it, or restaurant napkin escaped her near-constant doodling. This also included all the blank sides of her kindergarten coloring assignments; as she saw it: What’s the point of coloring a picture that someone else already drew? Amanda attended Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Los Angeles and went on to work for several years as a 3D artist and graphic designer. In 2016, she welcomed into the world a son who remains her constant source of inspiration and comic relief. Once again, picture books became part of her daily life, reigniting her childhood dream of creating them herself.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Laylie Frazer

Laylie is a digital illustrator from Houston, Texas.

She combines texture, color, and pattern to create warm and expressive portraits. She often pulls inspiration from nature, utilizing abstract plant, mountain, and sun motifs in her backgrounds. She has worked with Coca Cola, Disney Plus, and Ulta Beauty to create illustrated content for their social media feeds. She is currently illustrating middle grade and YA covers for publishing as well as working in advertising. She’s one to watch!

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Manuel Sumberac

Manuel Šumberac is a Croatian based illustrator and animator.

He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb where he was drawn towards the fascinating world of illustration. His work has been published and recognized in numerous book illustrations and book covers, such as Pinocchio, Snow White, The Night Before Christmas and Steampunk Frankenstein, amongst many others. Manuel creates his illustrations using digital techniques combined with traditional media.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Anna Kuptsova

Anna Kuptsova is an illustrator and creative designer based in Europe. She dedicated last 12 years of her career to illustration, design and art direction. During this time, she collaborated with various international agencies, magazines and individual clients. Anna’s main interest lies in developing and creating unique and eye-catching digital illustrations. As an artist she is known for her vivid, romantic, and thought-provoking art style. Anna often draws her inspiration from nature, classic and modern cinematography, science fiction and her favourite music.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Sam Prentice

Sam Prentice is an illustrator working in Brighton UK who graduated from Arts University Bournemouth in 2019 with a BA Hons in Illustration, specialising in graphic, character-based work. Sam likes to create work that celebrates diversity and queer culture and has even created a queer illustration magazine titled POOF Magazine which has been running since 2019 and has had two issues per year. The goal of this magazine was to help uplift and celebrate LGBTQIA+ creators making themed work for each issue. Sam’s work is mainly digital and has created work for the worlds of book publishing, web design, advertising and product design as well as being featured in art fairs across the UK and being named one of the most influential queer illustrators working in the UK by We Built This City, London.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Yas Imamura

Yas Imamura is an Asian American illustrator living in Portland, Oregon.

Her works include collaborations with Anthropologie, Sanrio as well as her growing list of children’s books. Her preferred materials are gouache and watercolor and often finds herself drawn to projects that are playful, mysterious and a little offbeat.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com phonenumberhere

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Tiziana Longo

Tiziana Longo is an illustrator born in Catania, Italy. She graduated in painting and restoration and for some time worked as a restorer of works of art. Her style ranges from delicate and dreamy children’s illustrations to portraits with intense faces and bold colors that have back stories to tell. Her favorite subjects are female figures from all periods and vegetation. She loves taking care of her plants and one day she would like to have a Garden Room where she can share her passion for art and gardening with people. Some collaborations: Mcmillan Education, Schofield and Sims, Westchester Education, Faithlife Corporation, Parragon, Arcturus Publishing, Discovery Education, Usborne.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Steffi Walthall

Steffi Walthall is a US-based illustrator and character designer born and raised in Virginia.

She was the artist of the family at a young age and could always be found with pencil and paper in hand. Steffi took this passion for art halfway down the east coast to Georgia, where she received her BFA in Game Development from the Savannah College of Art & Design. Working primarily in Photoshop, she focuses on crafting a diverse range of characters and unique stories. Steffi draws most of her inspiration from mythology, history, film, and science fiction.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Aura Lewis

Aura Lewis is an author-illustrator traveling around the world.

She earned her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is inspired by women’s history, fashion, social activism and culture from all over the world, as well as vintage ephemera and retro color palettes and patterns. Aura’s work is featured in books for children and adults, editorial publications, gift books, and stationery.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Kyung Eun Han

Kyung lives in Anyung, Korea. She worked as a corporate credit analyst until 2012 when she decided to become an illustrator. Since then Kyung has worked on illustrations for magazines, advertisements, book covers, calendars, movie posters, animation and products, using both digital and traditional mediums. Recently her focus has shifted to writing and illustrating children’s books. In January her debut author illustrated picture book ‘Into the Forest’ was published in Korea.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Tim Smart

Tim’s illustrations draw inspiration from his experiences growing up by the ocean and climbing trees in forests, from the music he makes with his family and friends, and the strong oral tradition of storytelling that has been around since childhood. He likes pulling faces in the mirror, drinking coffee, sitting by fires, climbing trees, rolling down hills, the smell of the ocean, chasing dogs, watching birds and singing. He hates computer screens, surprising noises, loosing his keys, cutting his nails, sticky fingers, boring grown-ups, the smell of soap and birthdays.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Eva Chatelain

Ever since she was a little girl, Eva has developed a passion for drawing. She grew up in a small French village before moving to Paris to study the art of illustration. After graduating, she has worked with French-speaking publishers. Now she is extremely happy to be represented by Bright agents who give her the chance to work with worldwide publishing houses.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

Nancy Butterworth

Nancy Butterworth is an Illustrator, Designer, Animator and all round creative nerd, living and working in London. She can see the bigger picture in any simple brief or concept and create designs that stand out from the crowd. She always aims to provide an elevated, imaginative and fresh way of thinking through pictures rather than words. Nancy loves the joy of storytelling and enjoys creating an impact with bold, witty, memorable and unique visuals that bring brands to life.

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Nastka Drabot

Nastka Drabot is a Polish illustrator and graphic designer. She graduated from Warsaw University of Technology and has a Masters degree in architectural engineering. Her love for contrasting colours and an architectural background influenced her illustration style. An architect must perform as a straight line – be precise and reliable – and this is the best definition for her vectors. Nastka’s clients included Vogue Poland and Serif alongside with independent brands and city governments.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Berat Pekmezci

Berat grew up in Istanbul where he went on to study graphic arts.

Before becoming a freelance illustrator, Berat worked as an art director in advertising for several years. He now lives in London with his wife and cat. When he is not illustrating, Berat spends his time reading comic books and collecting football jerseys.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Zahra Marwan

Working as a traditional artist with watercolor and ink, Zahra creates work that reflects her cultural roots in Kuwait as well as her life now in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has loved working with museums, nonprofits, theatre companies, cultural centers and has found making picture books to be dreamier than she had dreamed them to be!

Her debut picture book, Where Butterflies Fill the Sky, was published by Bloomsbury Books in 2022 and named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2022. And she is being honored with an award by the UN Human Rights Commission for creating art that brings visibility to statelessness, indigenous groups, and minority rights.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Yennie Wong

Yennie is an illustrator based in London from Hong Kong.

With the mixed cultural background and her fascination with traditional Chinese cultures and heritage like Chinese ink paintings, Gong-bi Hua, Chinese propaganda posters and Dunhuang murals, Yennie aims to share her perspectives and tell stories using flowing lines, vibrant colours with urbanised textures & intricate details. Yennie loves working with both digital and traditional art-making tools and enjoys making illustrations for magazines & newspapers, advertising & branding, books & publishing, and merchandise & crafts. She is detail-oriented and is great with deadlines!

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Angel Chang

Angel Chang is an artist from Taiwan.

She was born with a sensitive heart and is drawn to observing connections between all manner of things. With a unique way of using colours and compositions, Chang’s artwork often radiate both her wild imagination and sophisticated observation at the same time.

Chang’s clients included Chronicle Books, Macmillan Publishers, The Washington Post, National Geographic, etc.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Nuno Ramalhão

Nuno Ramalhão was born in the small island of S. Miguel in Açores - Portugal (1987). Product designer, illustrator, art, travel and cinema enthusiast. Graduated from Escola Superior de Artes e Design (ESAD) in Porto where he currently lives.

Nuno Ramalhão’s work is characterised by the use of traditional tools (pencils and pen), attention to composition and detail as well as a strong sense of colour. He also tries to make use of the latest technology available by combining traditional drawing with digital illustration, and by creating fully digital graphics.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Olivia Daisy Coles

Olivia Daisy Coles is a Welsh illustrator living in a small city called Newport, UK.

Olivia works almost exclusively with coloured pencils to create illustrations that represent the colourful, diverse people in the world around her. Using coloured pencil, Olivia is able to create vivid, eye-pleasing work that can deal with a wide range of subject matter and that can convey diverse narratives. As well as creating illustrations for charities, independent magazines, and zines; Olivia also exhibits and sells her work at Illustration fairs across the United Kingdom.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

David Habben

David “HABBENINK” Habben is an illustrator, artist, and educator based in Utah, USA. His unique work has been featured in children’s books, magazines, and even on snowboards. He’s received awards from 3x3 Creative Quarterly, Communication Arts, Graphis Magazine, and the AIGA, and David’s first author-illustrated children’s book, “Mr. Sherman’s Cloud” (Page Street Publishing), was named one of Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of the Year for 2020. His imaginative style applies intricate line work to create distinctive characters and worlds. He also combines bold brushwork with dynamic shapes in striking story-filled imagery. David’s education includes a BFA in Illustration and MFA in Studio Art.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Ana Kovačić

Ana is an illustrator currently based in Zagreb, Croatia, where she also completed her studies with an MA in graphic design.

She worked as a designer for a while and decided to take on illustration full-time after wrapping up a particularly illustration-heavy design project. She has been working and living happily as an illustrator ever since.

Her work takes the form of digital illustration loaded with bold colours, simple shapes and hidden meanings. She finds inspiration in all corners of life and likes to use illustration as a tool for explaining inexplicable situations and emotions.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Jodi Feddon

Jodi is a British illustrator based in London, UK. Her work focuses on digital illustration with the use of bold colour, shadows and line details along with thought-provoking typography to portray an empowering attitude.

Whilst studying and working at designer Christopher Kane, she realised that the area of fashion she most enjoyed was illustration for print design, creating artwork either digitally or by hand. Since graduating, Jodi has remained in London and began working as an illustrator, mixing her design knowledge with digital illustration to create clever imagery and finding inspiration from current events and her surroundings.

JAMES BURNS james@thebrightagency.com

ILARIA VIGILANTE ilaria@thebrightagency.com

Dongni Wei

Dongni is an illustrator from China, based in Beijing for now. Her first children’s picture book The Forest Dress-up Competition (2017) won the 1st Sunflower Picture Book Competition-Promising Award in 2016. Her work was recommended by the AOI and the Bookseller at 2019 Bologna Children’s Book Fair. In her extraordinary stories, there always are some brave characters, which are the ways to show early age children to solve some problems. The technique she used arranges from mixed media to screen printing. She is interested in the storytelling based on journey, interactive children’s book design and how colours work in children’s picture books.