Briana Kranz

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Fashion

Food & Drink

Line

Loose

Nature

Person reaching for coffee cup on bedside table in morning

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Watercolor living room with pink sofa and large green plant by Briana Kranz

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Top-down illustration of a person in a bathtub with bath items by Briana Kranz

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Mother in downward dog yoga pose with toddler playing nearby, artwork by Briana Kranz

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Hands holding a plate with a slice of citrus tart and fork by Briana Kranz

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Her style combines fashion with applicability

Lively elegance

With an intuitive sense of style and beauty, Briana carries out both live portraiture at fashion events and illustration commissions. She loves experimenting with lines and forms across an array of media, working both by hand and digitally, and when she’s not working enjoys soaking up nature’s beauty out hiking, kayaking and camping with her family. Some of her biggest inspirations include Chuck Close, Helen Frankenthaler, Stina Persson, Antonio Lopez and Kenneth Block. Briana majored in Illustration and Graphic Design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where she now teaches fashion illustration alongside her bubbling freelance career.

Approach

With a background in graphic design, Briana looks for balance in her compositions. She works in multiple media, including ink, watercolour and pastel. “Experimentation as well as a seemingly effortless feel is what I strive for, with an element of realism or likeness,” she says.

Style

Briana’s style is sensitive, loose, intuitive and experimental. When drawing live, her work is quick and expressive, whereas her commissions are afforded more time and precision for a finer finish.

Impressions

Interview

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Interview

What led you to become an illustrator? I’ve loved drawing since I was young, as I’m sure most creatives would say! It’s something that I have always been passionate about. I didn’t just “color in the lines”, I loved using pressure to create gradients with colored pencils and combine markers and paints to outline and fill in shapes. Did you study illustration in college? Yes, I received a Bachelor’s Degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco; I studied Illustration and Graphic Design. Where did you grow up? In sunny Southern California - I am the third of four children. My father is half-Japanese, half-German and my mother is mostly Eastern European. Do you have a childhood memory relating to art that you hold dear? I always loved when the art teacher would come for “Meet The Masters” - we would do exercises to replicate famous artists’ work, like Matisse, Picasso, Pollock, etc. I have very vivid memories of those and always loved the playfulness there. Where do you live now and what drew you there? I am now in Portland, Oregon with my husband and two young daughters! We have always loved camping and visiting the state and love the range of nature here. Portland has such quick access to a variety of nature and we really love the slower pace of life here. Describe your studio for us My studio and office is where the light beams in first thing in the morning - since I am usually up early I love being able to work with the natural light. Being in an area that gets so much rain all year long, I’ve kept my studio white and natural because I feel like it helps the room stay bright even on grey days. Do you have a studio pet? I do, my tuxedo cat Stella is 15 years old! What’s your favourite way to spend a day off? Here in Portland I really love spending a warm day at Willamette River with a picnic and my family. If we have more time, camping for a few days always does great things for my spirit, too! On cooler and rainy days, finding a break in the weather and going for a quick walk on a nearby trail or in the neighborhood can turn my whole day around. How do you separate your work life from your home life? That can be difficult since they tend to blend together! I am a stay-at-home mom along with working remotely. I think having a separate space that I can close the door to and walk away from makes a big difference. I’m also learning to use my Do Not Disturb focus on my iPhone, and that really helps me stay off technology for a health break!What do you listen to when you work? I work best to Classical or soundtracks from movies; I also love meditative music in the background too, it helps me get into more of a flow state with my work! Definitely a strange mixture there, haha but it’s what works best for me! What was your favourite assignment ever? I loved working with Birdies and the design team from Imprint Projects to create large-scale landscapes and even a small bag with my designs on it as activation artwork for an event within a Birdies store in San Francisco. They were a great team to work with, clear about what they wanted and straight forward with feedback and it was a really enjoyable process. It was so fun to get to go to the event and see my artwork large scale, as well! If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would love to go to Japan since I do have Japanese roots within my upbringing. I would also love to visit London, Paris, and Italy! And so many more! I have yet to travel internationally (ridiculous, I know!) and can’t wait to do it soon. What is your go-to comfort food? I’m a noodle girl! Ramen, soba, ph?, pasta - count me in! What was the last concert you went to? It wasn’t the last but the best concert I’ve been to was Sylvan Esso and Local Natives together! I saw them at the Greek in Berkeley, CA - one of my favorite outdoor music venues. What career advice would you give your younger self? Stop worrying about what other people are doing. Create what feels right to you and what your gut guides you towards - the rest will come together! Be authentic and yourself. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? I had a friend and mentor who showed that being creative isn’t just the artwork you create, it’s also about how you live your life. Dale Dombrowski really embodied not only creative thinking but also embraced creativity in the small moments and interactions in each day. Is there a work lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way? Not everything is meant to be. As much as we may want some jobs to move forward and work out, they don’t always happen! I try to remind myself that something better will always come along. Do you have any tips/advice for other illustrators? Your portfolio is a living thing since it’s essentially an extension of you. Be flexible with your work - iron out the basics of your style and the joyful way you move through your process. The subject matter will vary and evolve as you move through your career. Along with that, your work and your voice will change too! And keep in mind - no one’s career looks the same in this field.

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