Ryan Olbrysh — The Joy Of Commissioning

During the years I worked as an editorial art director, the activity I enjoyed the most was commissioning original illustrations. Once I'd read a draft of a story and got a feel for what kind of art might fit its tone, I would begin searching for an artist whose style might work well for the image I had in mind. I'd dig through the ever-growing list of illustrators I hoped to work with one day and pitch the gig to one of them. The only thing more exciting than seeing the final illustration was getting that initial response from an artist saying, "Im in!" Below are some of my favorites, with links to the artists' websites so you can check out more of their work. Enjoy!