1. Marian
Bantjes

3. Marian
Bantjes

4. &
Illustration
Design

5. Marian Bantjes is known for...
her vibrant colors and untraditional
aesthetic in her designs. Her style is
constantly evolving, and her work
consists of several interests emerging
together. Marian says that her work
is greatly influenced by many different
movements throughout the art world,
as well as different forms of media.
Marian is a well known designer,
typographer, and artist. She works
interationally with several companies
and other designers from her home
base on an island off the west coast
of Canada. Some of the designers and
companties include: Michael Bierut/
Pentagram, Seed, Houghton- Mifflin,
Stefan Sagmeister, AIGA, Winterhouse,
Rick Valicenti (Thirst), Wired, The
New York Times, Pring Magazine, Knopf
Books, Wallpaper, Brown & Co., The
Guardian, FontShop, Saks Fifth Avenue,
and Bruce Mau Design.
Materials and time periods include: 14th-18th
century calligraphy, illuminated manuscripts,
islamic art, art nouveau, the Arts & Crafts
movement, typography, textiles, old lace,
Baroque art, Rococco art, psychedelia,
grafitti, the Victorian Age, engraving,
persian carpets, and anything gothic.

6. Timeline

7. “My one wish, for when I find a genie,
is that when I die, I will be satisfied
with all I have done in my life.”
In 1982, Marian Bantjes attended art school, and used it as her own form of education.
but decided to drop out after only one year. From 1992 to 2002, Marian started and
In 1983, she began working in the field of co-owned a design firm called Digitopolis;
visual communication as a book typesetter. the experience from her business got her
She continued for ten years, trained herself, many job opportunities.

8. Process
“I work best at home, in my studio;
working for a full day on one thing
(no distractions); being alone (no
distractions); and with music.”
It is not uncommon for Marian pen. Most of the time there is an
to go from one sketch straight to idea that usually just ‘pops into
the final production. There are her head.’ There is no ‘map’ to
not several working drawings for follow, but the idea usually has
every project, so she maps it out in some reasoning or concept to
pencil, takes in into Illustrator, and it. Marian thinks of herself
traces it. Other times, the finished largely as a visual designer,
work is in pen and ink, scratch- that is the visuals have some
board, photography, or ballpoint reason for being how they are.

10. What does
Marian
Bantjes
NOW?
do

11. Marian would not be considered an
overnight success. However, the Canadian
illustrator/designer has become more
successful in the past five years of her
career than she has been in her entire
twenty year experience as a designer.
She has received international prominance
as an individual and designer, with a
recognisable signature that stands out
in all of her work. In 2003, after quitting
her design firm that she started, Marian
Bantjes began working for herself. She “I quit to do his thing
works from her home on an island off
the West Coast of Canada, near Vancouver, I do now, which we can
for many big name companies and firms.
call ‘graphic art’ for
lack of a better term.”

12. “I have no desire to
create something I’ve
seen before, and I do
not troll books for
images to trigger ideas...

13. I already have more ideas
than I can handle.”
Marian Bantjes

16. “I think that my work is more adventurous
than many people’s, and more structured
and considered than most, and if I do say
so, it’s also better crafted than most as well.”
I like Marian Bantjes first and vivid colors and design is what
foremost for her aesthetic. I think attracted me to Marian’s work at
that any designer who can use as first glance. As far as Marian herself
many types of media as she does to goes, I admire her honesty. Marian
any project has a little something knows what she is good at, but also
special to go along with their whole knows her weaknesses. Even though
design process. From pencil and she might not be where she wants to
paper, to leather, to cut out steel, be, she does not let anyone or
to fur, all of Marian’s projects turn anything bring her down and she
out both visually appealing and an keeps going until she has a successful
ideal solution with a change from project. I strive to be like Marian
any ordinary design for whatever with not only her aesthetic, but her
it is that she is working on. Her use self motivation, because combined
of bright colors is something that they create wonderful pieces of art.
we share in our work. Bold and

17. WHY I
like
Marian
Bantjes

18. Credits Designer
Lauren Nelsen
Paper
Cover: Neenah. Starwhite
Text Tiara Smooth 80lb
Body Copy: Neenah. Starwhite
Text Tiara Smooth 65lb
Book Size
8 inches x 8 inches
Typefaces
Apollo MT Family
Shelley BT Volante
Sources
www.banjtes.com
www.designboom.com
www.typographica.org
www.eyemagazine.com
www.objectifiedfilm.com
www.underconsideration.com