Hello hello!
My name is Kyle, and I'm an illustrator and graphic designer based in Boston, Massachusetts. I moved to Boston from my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin to attend Northeastern University. There, I received my Master of Architecture degree while also working at architecture and design offices in Boston, Honolulu, and Shanghai.
I'm currently the Director of Graphic Design at Utile, an architecture and planning firm where I specialize in creating large-format environmental graphics for libraries and commercial interiors. When I'm not drawing Julia Child whisking a bowl of whipped cream in a Cambridge kitchen or a surfing squid hanging ten on Hokusai’s Great Wave for the Dudley Branch Library, I can be found laying out books, designing posters, animating infographics, and drawing Tinytowns.
Approach to Wall Graphics
When designing a large-format wall graphic, it’s import to consider graphic obstructions—door frames, signs, fire alarms, etc.—early in the design process.
One approach to composing large wall graphics is to first find where the largest elements will fit and then fill in the remaining space with progressively smaller elements.
After the composition is mocked up, the design elements—both large and small—can be embellished in with details. Start with the largest details, and fill in the remaining space with progressively finer details.
It’s easy to draw digital art on a computer screen that looks good… on a computer screen, but what about when the characters from a screen are enlarged ten times… or twenty times when they’re installed on a wall?
It’s essential to always be mindful of the size of the final artwork. It helps to do a few test prints during the design process to check the scale and legibility of design elements. The portion of the wall graphic shown on the screen above is approximately 2.75 inches wide by 1.25 inches tall at full scale.
The completed wall graphic juxtaposes large, cropped elements with smaller, fully visible elements around existing architectural features in a layered approach that simulates the illusion of depth.