I am Hannah Northup, an illustrator and a BFA graduate from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Illustration with a minor as a Teaching Artist. My overall aesthetic takes classic imagery found in nature and uses it to create a contemporary style that is influenced by artists such as, Michel Angelo, Tom Haugomat, and Andreas Preis. Their influence is shown throughout my illustrations through the use of generally expressive linework, colors with textures, or flat color. These techniques allow my style to incorporate a more realistic quality as well as explore a more graphic approach to my illustrations. I also tend to use a wide variety of media, but I tend to focus on using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and acrylic paints.

 

I am pursuing illustration to create a visual world that is an expression of what I enjoy and what I am passionate about. My goal is for others to see my work and find their own interests within each piece. But also allowing the viewers to get a sense of who I am as an artist. In order to achieve this, I often enjoy using imagery as symbolic representations of the subject for the viewer to interpret for themselves. I am also greatly influenced by my work as a tattoo artist. The heavy focus on line work and the consistency of each piece and its necessity to please the customer is what drives me to create new and better works. Over time, I found that I could pursue art outside of the tattoo shop and follow a different career path in Illustration that will allow me to utilize the techniques that I learned at MCAD.

 

Currently, I am exploring portraiture and creating more acrylic paintings, and finding a style that incorporates both my illustration and design styles. My desire is to continue this exploration during my free time and within my upcoming work. These illustrations can easily be used in many contexts, however, I would love for them to take me into the world of product design or freelancing. More specifically, I will take what I have learned and not only reconnect with the tattoo world, but will also primarily focus on creating designs for snowboards, advertising, and editorial illustration.