In the past year or so, in many ads, I’ve noticed a growing number of illustrations depicting what I can only describe as “hip sassy urban girls”, drawn in the same style. A few examples:
Is there a name for this type of illustration style? Any reasons why it has become so prevalent in the past year? It’s starting to become something of a cliche, just like throwing the word “solutions” in a company name.
Cartoon covers for “chick lit” novels became the in thing about three years ago. They’re often done in that style, or at least a style depicting hip, sassy urban girls. I don’t know who picked it up from whom, though.
From my brief stint as a library book shelver, this is totally true. Cartoony skinny girls with big eyes and lips are the in thing for advertising aimed at women – I’ve seen some commercial for crackers (Triscuits or Wheat Thins?) with similar animation to the chick lit covers. The Bratz dolls that seem to be so popular with younger girls resemble this trendy art style as well.
I used to date an illustrator and currently work at a place that probably has the largest full-time employed illustration staff ever…
I don’t think there is a name for the specific style you’re referencing. There a ton of illustration styles out there and though there are general descriptions for artists medium and illustration style — collage, assemblage, abstract, retro, technical — illustrations styles don’t typically get names on par with artistic movements such as Art Nouveau, Art Deco, etc.
Looks to me like a popular series of clip art images. Could it be that a lot of art directors looked at their clip art stocks and thought “That’s IT!” when they saw thjis particular series of clip art images?
Yeah, it’s definitely Shag’s influence. He’s been doing this sort of retro illustration since 1996 or so. He’s been huge since the late 90’s in alternative art circles, but his style is only breaking into the mainstream now.
My wife and I have this Shag print hanging in our entry hall.
Look, whether or not Josh Agle is a “rip-off artist” or not, the OP asked:
I’m positive it’s because of Shag’s influence (well … as positive as you can ever be when tracing artistic influences.) When he started working in this style 10 years ago he was definitely out in the wilderness. The fact that he hit it big doing paintings like this has almost certainly led to the resurgence of this particular style in pop culture.
And it’s not like Hanna-Barbera invented this style. They themselves (and many, many others) were ripping off the incomparable Mary Blair.
The chick-lit-style artwork in the Wheat Thins print ads was done by Stephanie Power (not to be confused with The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'s Stefanie Powers).
