Adult Publishing Portfolio | The Bright Agency

DESIGN & ADVERTISING Adult Publishing Portfolio

WHO WE ARE

Bright us 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 homewares. 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’rre here to turn raw talent into stellar careers, and client briefs into creative success.

Our team works across both UK and US offices. We have the experience to understand the realities and challenges facing Adult Publishing commissioners. From delivering conceptual creative work that capture the audience’s attention at first sight, 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 6465 779 704

James specializes as an agent in commercial illustration based in the US Bright office. With proven success in his management skills with external and internal stakeholders, James provides fuss-free creative solutions across all genres of children’s literature. He has built a reputation in publishing by understanding the needs of his commercial and fictional audience - not to mention his warm and approachable personality.

James is based in the agency’s US office.

AGENT

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

AGENT

EDITORIAL & COMMERCIAL

Ilaria Vigilante

ilaria@thebrightagency.com

+44

Adele Leyris

Adele is a Franco-English illustrator based in London. Inspired by nature and travel, Adele spends a while observing and researching her subjects before creating her final illustrations. Her work is rooted in observational drawing and travel journalism, which can become anything from botanical compositions to landscapes and portraiture. But she particularly enjoys working on projects that are close to her values which are feminism, animal protection, diversity, and sustainable travel. She also has a passion for confronting antagonist notions such as using old and new techniques, like embroidery and augmented reality.

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.

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.

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. 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.

Becca Stadtlander

Becca Stadtlander is an illustrator and fine artist, inspired by the beauty of everyday objects, the comforts of home, and the lush colors and landscapes of far off places.

She graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2010 and currently lives and works in her hometown of Covington, Kentucky. Her work is featured in children’s and adult books, editorial publications, stationery, home decor products, and book covers.

Bethany Kippax

She expresses her creativity best through digital art; this is where she combines fun looseness with thoughtful realism to create bold and captivating illustrations. Bethany developed her signature style at Manchester Metropolitan University and Leeds Beckett University. Her art has since been featured in book covers, album cover art and posters. Besides being an art enthusiast, Bethany enjoys activities that inspire her creativity, like travelling and reading books. She also loves adapting her art to briefs and finds illustrating her most rewarding and enjoyable creative practice.

Caitlin 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. When she is not illustrating, Caitlin is often working on sewing projects or going to music shows, museums, or the botanic garden. Caitlin finds city life really inspiring and Brooklyn has been her home since 2003.

Claudine Rose

Claudine was born and raised in Luton, UK, once famous for a flourishing hat-making trade. Heavily influenced by her mother, who worked as a milliner and embroiderer, Claudine knew from an early age that she wanted to live a creative life.Over 20 years experience in the greetings card industry has given her the skills to create many varied styles demonstrating a diverse portfolio. During this time Claudine has continuously designed a wellknown best selling handmade card range, which has won the prestigious Henries Award on numerous occasions.

Hugo Vera

Hugo Vera is a Venezuelan-Spanish illustrator and animator, known for his work for music icons such as Nicki Minaj and Meghan Thee Stallion.

He has built a career within the music industry, working closely with all kinds of artists that wanted their album cover painted and designed by him, which has led to huge opportunities and some of Hugo´s most exciting projects. Hugo´s style leans on realism mixed with fantasy and fashion. His portraits are a staple of his work, illustrating beauty while always sprinkling some hints to his culture and his queerness on top.

Jeff Langevin

Jeff has lived on both the east and west coast of the United States, and currently resides in Virginia. His work often focusses on landscapes which emphasize a sense of scale and grandeur, as well as more intimate figural depictions of interactions between humans and flora/fauna. Working entirely digitally, Jeff takes inspiration from popular culture, music, and nature to create images imbued with a sense of the fantastical. His work has contributed to book covers, editorial illustration, album artwork, digital marketing, promotional posters, and more.

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.

Joe Stansbury

Joe Stansbury received his BFA in Illustration and Animation back in 2015 from Montclair State University College of the Arts and has been creating illustrations ever since.

Joe loves to create work that deals with science fiction, fantasy and nature especially when they are used to draw audiences into finding a great book, movie or game. In his free time he enjoys spending time outside, playing adventure games and painting tabletop miniatures to recharge creatively before the next project.

Julia Iredale

Julia Iredale is an artist living and working on Salt Spring Island, BC. She grew up as an un-schooler on a sheep farm off the coast of British Columbia, before moving to Vancouver to study illustration at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she graduated in 2015. She now works as a freelance illustrator for clients around the world, specializing in book cover design and illustration for children’s and young adult literature. Her work is inspired by her passion for mythology, history, and a love of fairy tales and fantasy of all kinds, weaving these influences together to create whimsical characters and mysterious worlds.

Karl James Mountford

Karl James Mountford is an illustrator who works in both traditional and digital media. He has created artwork for such titles as ‘The Uncommoners ‘ by Jennifer Bell, published by Penguin Random House (2017), and ‘The Peculiars’ by Kieran Larwood with Chicken House publishing (2018), to name just a couple. Karl specialises in book cover design and chapter illustrations but also works on picture books, with recent titles including ‘Maurice the Unbeastly’ by Amy Dixon, published by Sterling Children’s Books (2017), and ‘The Curious Case of the Missing Mammoth’ by Ellie Hattie with Little Tiger Press (2017).

Kim Ekdahl

Kim is a freelance illustrator based in Sweden with Korean heritage.

She has roots in game development and worked as a Lead 3D Artist in the gaming industry before deciding to pursue illustration full-time. Working with games made her realize her love for creating unique characters and telling enchanting stories with her art. She particularly loves to draw are strong female characters in magical fantasy and sci-fi settings.

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!

Laylie Frazier

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!

Lola Idowu

Lola is a Nigerian-British digital illustrator based in Slough, UK. Inspiration stems from multiple domains of life such as how people interact nature, personal relationships, movies and books.

She combines vibrant colours, textures and floating elements to create her ethereal illustrations. Being an avid daydreamer aids Lola in telling fantastical stories with her art.

Manuel Šumberac

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.

Matthew Taylor Wilson

Born and raised in the United States, Matthew is an illustrator and designer currently living in Kentucky with his brilliant wife, two kids and two neurotic dogs. With picture books, monster movies, and sci-fi novels as a foundation for his creative development, Matthew found himself on a journey from graphic design to a more playful, illustration-centered career. He has spent the better part of two decades drawing monsters and robots, doodling band names, illustrating and hand-lettering quirky book covers, ads, logos, & a myriad of other commercial products.

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.

Olga Baumert

Olga Baumert is an artist and illustrator.

Originally from Poland, she studied Fine Art and Jewellery before moving to the UK where she received her degree in Graphic Design and Illustration at De Montfort University. She is mostly inspired by great stories, interaction between people and nature and natural open landscapes, ideally with tiny looking figures in it.

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.

Rachel Morice

Rachel Morice is a French artist specialising in handmade drawing. She is currently living in France but enjoys travelling across Europe with her pencils and brushes. Fascinated by the natural world and the anatomy of forms, she tries to capture the movement of life as well as the rendering of textures and tactile sensations of her subjects. She likes to put her own a spin on animal illustration, floral still life, culinary illustration and landscape, mixing them with symbolic imagery and tattoo drawing inspirations.

Sarah Long

Sarah graduated with her illustration degree from Cambridge School of Art in 2004 and headed off into the sunset. Not really. She needed to get a paid job.

She started off her career at Caroline Gardner before moving into giftware, where she designed bags, ceramics and textiles from initial concept to final product. This also involved working with licensors designing products for The Beatles and Moomin.

Simiao Wang

Simiao is an illustrator based in New York. She was raised and born in a Chinese seaside city. She earned her BFA at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and her MFA at The School of Visual Arts in New York City. Simiao creates murals for organizations such as Spotify and LinkedIn; public space art for LinkNYC and the City of Vancouver; and illustrations for fashion companies such as SHEIN. Her work was primarily done digitally. She experimented with different materials to create texture and enjoys using vivid colours.

Suzanne Washington

Suzanne loves producing complex vector surface designs with hand drawn motifs as well as mixed media artwork combining watercolour elements with line art. Specializing in highly detailed decorative designs and retro inspired conversational prints inspired by nature, vintage collections and eclectic treasures Suzanne’s work has a quirky narrative quality and a magical sense of nostalgia. Suzanne loves painting florals as well as drawing cute fun designs.

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 artmaking tools and enjoys making illustrations for magazines & newspapers, advertising & branding, books & publishing, and merchandise & crafts. She is detail-oriented and is great with deadlines!