Pete Gamlen's cheeky illustrations tell stories with wit and style

British-born, Brooklyn-based illustrator Pete Gamlan first featured on It’s Nice That back in 2012. Since then his style has evolved into something crisper, but he has retained the distinctly cheeky edge that first caught our attention. What sets Pete’s work apart is his ability to tell stories and convey character succinctly in his illustrations. Already this year his work has appeared in New York Magazine, illustrating an article that reveals the lives of people who live above commercial premises in the city and a feature in The Guardian’s Journal section about Freudian psychoanalysis versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Later in 2016 will see him complete a project with Google for its Primer app, for which he has created hundreds of individual illustrations.

Beyond editorial illustration Peter has ongoing work in collaboration with Elana Schlenker for a restaurant called Scratch F&B, where he has worked with the designer to create an identity, menus and wallpaper. Last year Peter released a 32-page zine with Tan n’ Loose press titled Just The Tip. Described as ‘a rude publication, a moral fable, a cautionary tale,’ the book follows a portly character who is constantly “flying low” finding himself in situations that leave him inches away from experiencing what might be described as intense personal discomfort.