Adam Howling’s instantly chucklesome illustrations

The mid-century modern inspired illustrations of Adam Howling create a balance of digital illustrative style and printed matter. After studying illustration at Norwich School of Art and Design, Adam moved to London, honing his style whilst working for national newspapers. He has now returned to Norwich, “where the beer is cheaper and there’s a little less hubbub” to produce some deliciously distinctive work.

Bold Line Style is a personal project of Adam’s that is refreshing in its simplicity. Wishing to develop an alternative style to his regular illustrations, the series was created “by stripping elements down to basics, to allow a conceptual idea to shine through, and restricting myself to using geometric shapes as the basics of the illustrations”. Influenced by Polish poster designs from the 60s and 70s, the pieces are tangible in their format.

“The idea is to contrast the cold utilitarian line work and bold colours with a sense of playfulness and humour in the characters and themes,” Adam explains. The humour within Adam’s drawings is simple, provoking an instant chuckle. Our favourites include Police Helmet where Adam illustrates “the eternal question finally answered, why are British policeman’s helmets so tall?”, Battle for the Oofa Doofa depicting an argument of Strictly vs X Factor and Pasty Protection a drawing about “the (currently) PGI protected status of the cornish pasty.”

In his invigorating but nostalgic style he also has commissions for The BBC, The Guardian and Penguin Books under his belt.