Luis Mendo is an editorial designer, art director, visual journalist and illustrator from Spain living in Amsterdam.
Born in Spain in 1969, came to The Netherlands some years ago, and after working on a couple of studios he started his own design office called GOOD Inc.® in 2005.
He combines design work for publications and companies with illustration and consultancy work. The accent lies in editorial design for paper and screen, but mixes it with corporate identities, posters, iOS apps or packaging.
Since 2009 tries to get a foot in Tokyo where he recently gained some clients, expanding the reach of his work abroad. Also he teaches editorial design and magazine making in other countries. It is these travels and his network-based workflow that keeps Luis Mendo alive and inspired.
For Smileinyourface I have put together a bunch of artists that inspire me. They all make drawing based work although in different ways. Hope you enjoy it.
Kim Hiorthøy:
I know Kim’s work for a while now, since his book Tree Weekend (2000). It still inspires me to go through that book. Kim is film maker, illustrator, designer and musician. That eclecticism and openness to anything beautiful is something I can admire and rely on. On his drawings he tends to finish something very detailed and realistic while leaving the rest rough and undone of attention. This is something he shares with Picasso, another one of my idols.
Sougwen:
Have had the luck of meeting her. A really nice person which is as her work: fluid, organic and warm. Her Chinese background gives her work a certain exotic feel that I like. Aswell all thouse curls and curves in the lines make me get lost in het work. Love it.
Mogollon NY:
A small studio of 2 venezuelan designers in NYC, they have a fresh approach to design which I can hardly find in other people’s work. They make use of a geometric randomness and organic style I can’t get enough from. This and their wonderful podcasts you should now from their site make them interesting to follow and check every now and then.
Tatsuro Kiuchi:
Tatsuro sensei we call him at the studio. His work is so layered, so wonderfully full in its simplicity. With a little retro touch, I can look and get lost in it for hours. Love the colour schemes too, that reminds me of some 70′s designs and still be modern.
Hiyoko Imai:
Next to being a very important part of GOOD Inc.® and the Goodfellas Network, being a great cook and a lovely plant caretaker, Hiyoko makes wonderful illustration and design work.
She has two different registers: her paper collage work, which in its microscale is touching and sweet to look at, and the more realistic pencil drawings. She seems to be comfortable on both styles, which can be difficult to believe, but it is true.
Laszlito Kovacs:
Being my best friend has little to do with it: I liked his work before meeting him for the first time. Original from Spain, he shares our space in Amsterdam too and collaborates regularly in assignments. Like the icons he did for our design of the Volkskrant V. Visual poetry.
Dan Williams:
Being a landscape artist amongst illustrator and artist, Dan has the ability of capturing atmospheres very very well. He masters the secrets of watercolours and seems to do everything with an extreme easyness. I love his work as it sucks me into the scenery every time I peek into it.
Sempé;
Jean-Jacques Sempé, the artist mostly known as the illustrator of the Petit Nicolas books (written by Asterix’s father Uderzo), Sempé is not that well known outside France and Japan. He has a extense oeuvre with mostly cartoons and ’funny‘ drawings but there’s always an underlining seriousness to it. ”Par Avion” and ”A little bit of Paris” are my recommendations.
I love how he uses the line, composition and weight is a drawing to make his point.
Kappa Senoo 妹尾 河童:
A total sensei. This japanese artist travelled the world and made books full of details about it. Not as much art boks but more detailed travel guides, his descriptions of hotel rooms, food and customs of India or Europe are a delight. As far as I know his books haven’t been translated into other languages but Chinese, but still you can convince a Japanese friend to order some from the Japanese Amazon site. Or send me a convincing handwritten letter on why you want to come to our studio in Amsterdam and see our copies of his books.
