‘Sorry, no pic of product available, but here’s a nice pic of a cat anyway!’
Illustration is a service that, surprisingly, is normally not provided by your average design studio – they commission an illustrator on your behalf. This is where we have the edge. All illustration work is done right here in our studio. Rather than frequently downloaded online clipart, most serious clients prefer original hand-illustrated art. Whether it’s a cover for a CD or DVD, a character for a book, a poster or a logo, there’s nothing tackier than discovering ‘your’ image is commonly used and shared with others. It looks cheap and can reflect negatively on your business.
The aim of an illustration is to elucidate or decorate a story, poem or piece of textual information by providing a visual representation of something described in the text. Illustrations can also supply visual information or assist with instructions for operation manuals, medical books and so on. The style of illustration is usually determined by the culture or industry it targets: simple vector-style art is synonymous with corporate business and hi-tech, while the more adventurous storybook style is reserved for books, apparel and action posters. For this reason, versatility of illustration styles is imperative.
Theo Kats Antoni – illustrator / designer
Theo’s (Theo Saurus-Rex) commercial art career began in the early eighties at Media Advertising Services, a well respected and powerful advertising firm based in Broadway, Sydney. Years later he was appointed in-house illustrator and designer for one of Sydney’s most popular music stores, ‘Venue Music’. At Venue, Theo single-handedly compiled, designed, hand-illustrated and hand-wrote entire 30–50 page newspaper-style monthly catalogues filled with hilarious comical parodies. Each product photo was satirised with a silly cartoon. Each catalogue was a mammoth feat, but worthwhile – his distinct comic book style was a key factor in the success of those sales. Keen and curious punters would come to the store and ask to meet the artist behind all the madness.
It wasn’t until the early nineties that his comical illustration extended beyond musical instruments into more mainstream popular satire and lifestyle magazines like MAD Magazine, Cracked, Born to Sin, Ozbike and the Balmain Village Voice. In 1996 he started his own design company, T-Rex Art, and has since illustrated and designed a plethora of subjects including logos, posters, comics, children’s toy characters, apparel, merchandise, storyboards, instruction manuals, video, CD and DVD covers, and finally the official Wests Tigers Rugby League Club logo.
When it comes to versatility, Theo can deliver just about any style of art asked of him.
Above are some examples from our portfolio. More work is available in our full portfolio.