Jim Madsen is an illustrator based in Provo, Utah who works in children’s books, advertising and educational software.
Madsen has the kind delightfully springy and energetic style I usually associate with animation art, along with a sure sense of color and a clear faculty for narrative illustration.
I was particularly taken with his beautiful illustrations for The Crossing, written by Donna Jo Napoli (images above, top, third down, bottom two).
You will find those, along with more of his professional work, in his portfolio on the site of his artists’ rep, Shannon Associates. Madsen also has a professional portfolio on Directory of Illustration.
Madsen’s own blog serves more as a space for personal works an playful experimentation, including his “keeping in practice” images prompted by Illustration Friday topics (see my post on Illustration Friday).
The pieces on his blog are reproduced much larger than those in the other portfolios, allowing you to see his approach in greater detail.
[Suggestion courtesy of Jake Parker (see my 2005 post on Jake Parker)]
