As a child, I was lucky enough to go on cruises, traveling on iconic ships like the Canberra, Black Watch, and the QE2. But oddly, I don’t remember the destinations themselves in much detail. The names of the ports, the landmarks, even the specific places we visited—they’ve all faded over time. What has stayed with me, though, is the feeling of travel. The anticipation of setting sail, the vastness of the ocean, the sense of adventure that came with arriving somewhere new.
That’s why I’ve always been drawn to vintage travel posters. They have a way of capturing not just a location, but an atmosphere, an identity—almost a dream of travel. Unlike photographs, which freeze a single moment, these posters distill an entire place into one striking image. It’s a carefully considered composition that simplifies the essence of a destination, reducing it to bold shapes, rich colors, and a carefully curated mood. That ability to tell a story through design is something I deeply admire and strive for in my own illustrations.
One of the greatest masters of this was Norman Wilkinson, whose travel posters for railway companies and cruise liners helped define the visual style of the early 20th century. His work, alongside that of fellow railway and ocean liner poster artists, is hugely underrated. There’s an elegance in their simplicity—a boldness in their limited palettes and structured compositions. Some posters are incredibly detailed, while others suggest just enough to let your imagination fill in the rest. That balance of suggestion and precision is something I return to again and again in my own work.
I’ve always believed that a great illustration isn’t just about accuracy; it’s about feeling. The best travel posters didn’t just show a place—they made you want to go there. They created an emotional response, whether it was excitement, nostalgia, or pure wanderlust. And that’s the magic of them. They weren’t just advertisements; they were works of art, designed to make you long for a place you’d never even been.
That power of simplification and storytelling is something I bring into my own illustrations. Whether I’m capturing a cityscape, a coastline, or a well-loved landmark, I take inspiration from the way these posters distill the essence of a place into its most compelling visual elements. Every detail in my work is considered—what to emphasize, what to leave out, how to use color and form to evoke a mood rather than just a view.
But what excites me most is how this approach can be applied anywhere. While my personal connection to travel posters comes from my childhood experiences, the beauty of this style is that it works for any location. Every place has a story to tell, and travel posters have long been a way of turning those stories into something iconic. Whether it’s a bustling city, a quiet coastal village, or a dramatic mountain landscape, there’s always a way to capture its essence in a single, powerful image.
That’s what I love about illustration. It’s not just about drawing places—it’s about creating a connection. And just like those vintage posters once inspired travelers to set sail, I hope my work can inspire people to see familiar places in a new way or even discover somewhere they never knew they wanted to visit.
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