Top 25 Designers and Illustrators to Follow on Instagram

Need some artistic inspiration in your social media feed? By following graphic designers and illustrators on Instagram, you’ll get a daily dose of color and design from some of your favorite artists. To get you started, we’ve rounded up 25 illustrators and graphic designers to follow on Instagram, so you can see their latest work and get inspired. 

1. Scott Biersack

@youbringfire

A full-time freelance designer and illustrator, Scott Biersack showcases a stunning collection of type design and lettering work on his Instagram. From lettering on chalkboards to designing hand-printed murals, he continually experiments with different mediums, illustration styles, and typefaces while working with big-name clients like Adobe and Starbucks. His passion for lifelong learning has inspired him to teach classes on Skillshare, where he provides his two cents on custom logo typeface.

2. Petra Eriksson 

@petraerikssonstudio

Illustrator Petra Eriksson has a self-proclaimed love for dots, bright colors, and confetti—and those elements are all apparent on her Instagram. Her bright color blocking style evokes a vintage, pop-art vibe that will inspire you to go bolder in your own work. 

3. Brooke Glaser 

@paperplaygrounds

A Skillshare instructor with several classes on illustrating and animating on Procreate, Brooke Glaser is a multi-talented artist. As a designer, she aims to bring joy, color, and play into the world, which you can easily see in the bright, whimsical designs on her Instagram. Off the screen, her art is used in children’s products, greeting cards, stationery, and more. 

4. Jane Newland

@jane_newland 

Jane Newland’s botanical illustrations span all seasons and landscapes, from warm summer picnics to snowy winter villages. Her designs are intricate and nuanced, showcasing even the smallest details—like individual leaves, branches, and flecks of snow. Her rich color palettes draw you in and make you feel at home within each scene. 

5. Lauren Hom

@homsweethom

Brooklyn-based letterer and designer Lauren Hom will take your breath away with her bold colors and playful letterforms. She began her career with a blog, Daily Dishonesty, which showed illustrations of little lies that got her through the day. Since then, Lauren has worked on numerous projects that combined her love for food, typography, and all things “funny/yummy/pretty.”

6. Ryan Putnam

@ryanputnam

Ryan Putnam, an illustrator who hails from San Francisco, artfully juggles multiple creative endeavors, from working with Dropbox to producing a sleek ceramics line as a part-time potter. In his Skillshare classes, Ryan gives a taste of his creative process, challenging his students with non-traditional exercises and prompts. 

7. Mikey Burton

@mikeyburton

Mikey Burton is a graphic designer based in Brooklyn, NY and has worked with clients such as ESPN, The New York Times, Times Magazine, and Converse. His portfolio sports a distinctive look with extremely relatable topics, including food, animals, and the important message that "Freelance Ain't Free." Is food one of your major creative inspirations? Join Mikey's recent Skillshare class about creating illustrations of your favorite food! 

8. Carlotta Notaro 

@carlotta_notaro 

An illustrator and animator, Carlotta Notaro mixes pencils and digital, creating digital pieces of art with a traditional pen-and-paper feel. On her Instagram, you’ll see portraits of people and dogs, warm colors, and a sunny aesthetic that makes you feel at home. 

9. Linn Warme

@Linn_Warme

Linn Warme is a pattern designer and illustrator from Sweden. From her Instagram feed, it’s apparent that she enjoys experimenting with mixing patterns and experimenting with new techniques—you’ll see colorful digital patterns next to framed, black-and-white ink drawings. 

10. Jarom Vogel 

@jaromvogel

Jarom Vogel is a freelance illustrator who also dabbles in motion, design, and development. His Instagram feed is filled with bold characters and color palettes, as well as the occasional Procreate timelapse to showcase his creative process. If you want to learn more from Vogel, he teaches several Skillshare classes on digital illustration. 

11. Libby VanderPloeg

@libbyvanderploeg

Inspired by storytelling, music, letterforms, and wildlife, Libby VanderPloeg’s Instagram incorporates a variety of different posts, from digital illustrations to photos of her dog to examples of printed materials like tee shirts and calendars that showcase her art. Every so often, you may also catch a quirky GIF, which she provides a tutorial for in her Skillshare class on adding animations to your illustrations. 

12. Bodil Jane

@bodiljane

On Amsterdam illustrator Bodil James’s Instagram, you’ll get a glimpse at her designs in all sorts of different formats—from puzzles to clothing to rugs. Seeing her gorgeous illustrations translated from the screen to material objects can remind you of what’s possible and show you options outside of a digital canvas. Her bright, often female-focused style provides a colorful window into the world of women everywhere. 

13. Mia Charro 

@miacharro

Illustrator Mia Charro specializes in surface patterns—so of course, you’ll see plenty of floral prints on her Instagram page (many of which are also available as fabrics). But you’ll also see illustrations of animals, inspiring words, and otherworldly landscapes. In her own words, she aims for each illustration to be “a small seed that plants the idea of positivity and empowerment.”

14. Karina Eibatova

@karina.eibatova

A London-based illustrator and fine artist, Karina Eibatova presents a beautiful portfolio of surrealist prints, tied together with an overarching theme of nature, landscape, and space. Intricately detailed and masterfully executed, her work portrays a profound sense of otherworldliness that will carry you to another dimension. Sounds too abstract? Karina brings it down to earth with her design classes on watercolor techniques and pencil drawing. 

15. Abbey Lossing

@abbey_lossing

Abbey Lossing’s Instagram feed features distinctive, colorfully-rendered urban-dwelling characters. She typically illustrates in vivid colors, but you’ll occasionally see a black-and-white design as well. She uses her platform to not only share her illustrations and provide artistic inspiration, but also to address social and political issues. 

16. Camille Chew

@camillechew

In her illustrations, Camille Chew explores the themes of mythology, fantasy, and the occult. With a dark yet vibrant color palette (think bright oranges, blues, and greens on a black background), she often showcases patterns or collages of objects around topics like potions and divination. 

17. Nneka Myers

@kinopia

Canadian illustrator and character designer Nneka Myers has produced work for major clients like Disney, Universal, and Nickelodeon. She’s one of the best illustrators to follow on Instagram if you’re looking for character inspiration—her feed showcases a range of characters, from initial sketches to final designs. You’ll also get a glimpse into some of the books she’s illustrated (like the Jada Jones series and I Love King Dad), as well as her takes on famous animated characters like Disney’s Moana. 

18. Joelle Murray

@pannacotta_cupcake

Illustrator Joelle Murray designs characters for a range of mediums, including film, games, books, and comics. She worked as an illustrator on the Khan Academy Kids app, creating whimsical and educational characters for young children. In addition, she recently partnered with Netflix to illustrate characters from the Netflix original show, Umbrella Academy. The diversity in her characters—from the simple and cute to the detailed and lifelike—showcase a great depth of skill that will provide endless inspiration. 

19. Jess Phoenix 

@jessraephoenix

On Jess Phoenix’s Instagram, you’ll find bright colors and flowers galore. But you won’t just see them on a screen—you’ll see how they translate to physical products like greeting cards, cookies, and even nail art. This wide range of applications will give you a wealth of new ideas for how to expand your artistic endeavors. 

20. Adelina Lirius

@adelinaillustration

Adelina Lirius draws much of her inspiration from her childhood and the different cultures she grew up in. She enjoys creating whimsical, imaginary scenes, often incorporating elements of nature. In addition to producing digital drawings, she also illustrates children’s books, including classics like The Secret Garden, as well as new publications, like The Fort. 

21. Sarah Holliday 

@sarahholliday

In a quick glance, you can tell that Scottish illustrator Sarah Holliday has a passion for vibrant color palettes, quirky characters, and whimsical scenes. In her feed, you’ll see images heavily inspired by nature, folklore, and books. In her own words, she likes to “create images that make people happy.” If you like what you see, she teaches a Skillshare class on how to draw people and character poses. 

22. Chungi Yoo 

@chungiyoo

Chungi Yoo is a graphic designer, illustrator, and art director. On her Instagram feed, you’ll find work containing strong female figures and bold colors. Through her art, Yoo wants to spread positivity and build a community where everyone feels accepted—and you can easily see that in the inspiring words she incorporates into her images. 

23. Jade Purple Brown

@jadepurplebrown 

As you can clearly see from her Instagram feed, Jade Purple Brown draws inspiration from strong figures, vibrant colors, and messages of optimism. She constantly experiments to create the unexpected—like murals and other art on display in New York City. You may also see familiar faces on her Instagram; she recently posted campaign work that she completed for Drew Barrymore’s FLOWER by Drew makeup and beauty line.

24. Carla Llanos

@carlallanosillustrations

A deviation from many of the bright, colorful illustrators on this list, Carla Llanos prefers a more neutral, subdued color palette. At the beginning of her artistic journey, Llanos was primarily a knitter, selling homemade blankets and garments online. Eventually, she began to hand paint her own fabrics, which led her to digital illustration. Now, she designs a little bit of everything, inspired primarily by fashion, interior design, powerful women, and beautiful colors. 

25. Maia Faddoul 

@maiafadd

A Canadian illustrator and designer, Maia Faddoul aims to create images that are inspiring, empowering, and colorful. She specializes in painting digital portraits, as you can see from her illustrations of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Maya Angelou, Frida Kahlo, and many more. If you’re inspired by her feed, you can learn to create similar expressive portraits in Procreate in her Skillshare class. 

By following these illustrators and graphic designers on instagram, you’ll have a steady stream of inspiration to get you excited about your next project. So click the follow button, and prepare for a new burst of creativity. 

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