Mikey Burton Illustration

I came across Mikey Burton's "designy illustration" work through a post by Emily Pitts on Write Click Scrapbook recently, and while there are some things on his site I wouldn't support (so I wouldn't recommend browsing through all his work), he does good work, so I wanted to feature a few of his projects today. I really like his fun, textured, and a little bit retro style.

This identity project he did for a comic book shop is so cheerful and fun. I love the use of speech bubbles - very appropriate for a comic book shop. 

carol & john's | by mikey burton

The way the identity is applied to all the items is fun to see:

carol & john's | by mikey burton

The comic book look, with the squares and typography, continues on to the advertisement and business cards. I think the way he made the design fit the subject matter is excellent. The bright, plain colored sides of the cards with a simple white graphic and text provide a nice contrast with the color-on-white style of the rest of the materials in this picture.

His designs for book covers are also really neat. I've read three of these books, and I really like both To Kill a Mockingbird and Fahrenheit 451 as works of literature.

thesis project | by mikey burton

I like the way the covers are similar in style (so they look like a set), but each one also has its own unique feel. This continuity and diversity is great. The design of the box is really nice, too! I like the big, hand-drawn (I think) typography, and the diagonal stripes add an interesting, whimsical touch.

Here's another view of the books, with To Kill a Mockingbird in the forefront.

thesis project | by mikey burton

Overall, the custom, artistic look of all the book covers is what sets them apart in my mind. That's what illustration is, and this is some good illustration. I also think the way the letters on To Kill a Mockingbird are filled in with yellow was an interesting idea.

Finally, I want to show you a poster Mikey Burton made. It has a similar book theme, but it's a poster for a band performance. I just thought the illustration of the bookshelf was really neat, and it's interesting how the event information is smaller and understated in the lower right corner.

wilco | by mikey burton

P.S. Did you notice the little mouse at the bottom of the poster? I just did. How cute!

What do you all think of this illustration? I'd love to know what your opinions are.