Julia Breckenreid is, by her own admission, an artistic magpie: “I grab bits and pieces of inspiration wherever I see it.” The Toronto illustrator and part-time illustration instructor works out of a bright, sunny studio in the city's east end. She regularly posts playful photos of works-in-progress on Instagram. Her finished illustrations — which she mostly does the old-school way, using acrylic paint, watercolour and ink, with minor digital additions — is bright, bold and unapologetically eye-catching.
Julia’s clients are primarily editorial, ranging from niche (Chronicle Books, Johns Hopkins and, depending on who you ask, The New York Times) to A-list (Penguin books, Oprah magazine and, depending on who you ask, The New York Times). "Generally, I love to play with the text that I'm given," she says, "and try to convey something beneath or beyond what the author has composed.”
Julia can also be found at breckenreid.com