Back when I was a wee little thing attending a small girls school in Sydney, I always envied my classmate, Elizabeth, and her natural propensity for drawing. What she created was amazing — my stick figures just paled in comparison to her masterpieces.

Subsequently, I can honestly say I’ve always had a soft spot for illustration as an art form after seeing her at work (and seeing how difficult it is to replicate). And she was so cool for many other reasons, but I specifically remember she had the greatest stash of Japanese stationary (including heaps of KeroKeroKeroppi stuff, that was worth some serious cache in the playground in 1993). I hope she still lets her art take her places, because she has an enormous talent.

So when it comes to searching for interesting cards or reproductions to give as gifts, I really value the slightly quirky. For me, it’s not about making an illustration lifelike, it’s more about giving them character, a soul that extends beyond the page.  But I’m a sucker for anything that marries quirky with corny (Pear-fect, anyone? Mwhahaha)…

Here’s some of my favourite illustrators I’ve found on the web recently:

Lisa Stubbs

[Source: Lisa Stubbs]  {via Where the Lovely Things Are}

Gemma Correll

[Source: Gemma Correll]

Lisa Congdon

[Source: Lisa Congdon]

Nan Lawson

[Source: Nan Lawson]

Who are some of your favourite illustrators? And why do you like their work?

xTRP