Jonathan Niclaus’ cinematic narrative illustrations for LOST iN

Berlin-based illustrator Jonathan Niclaus creates formidable illustrations to accompany fictional shorts in each issue of LOST iN magazine.

Each issue invites a local author to create a dramatic piece set in that issue’s location. Jonathan’s challenge is to “evoke the particular atmosphere of each story, with the right mood for each city,” he explains. In order to create pieces representative of a location, the illustrator spends time immersing himself in the various creative elements they produce. Jonathan purposefully investigates a city’s past rather than just contemporary influences: “I spent hours flipping through Polish posters from the 60s or trawling through the work of Swiss graphic artists. Everything is a potential source – old Playboy ads, vinyl covers and movie posters can all bring the right vibes.”

The illustrator begins each of these editorial pieces simplistically. “I often start with pencil sketches so that my work is infused with a traditional aesthetic,” Jonathan explains. “I have moved away from perfect vector shapes, imperfect forms and ‘mistakes’, together with different textures, to help me conjure an artisanal feel in the final piece.” The result is a collection of cinematic prints with multi-layered references creating illustrated illusions.