The Perfect Match

A few years ago, animator-by-day Thomas Heinz turned to Instagram to showcase his playful, graphic illustrations. Since then, his growing online presence has netted him commissions for The New York Times editorials, textiles, even basketballs. It's a side hustle, but it's all about play.

His pieces begin as drawings-he sits at the table in the morning, as early as 5AM before his family has risen, with a coffee or tea. He puts the pencil down and fills up the paper.

"What kind of meaning will come when I combine different things, a brain and legs? I'm good at drawing easy things like a hat or a hand or a cloud or a tree. I love to draw abstract shapes. Play around. Sometimes I give shapes eyes and then they are suddenly beings and it comes to life."

Once he has an idea, he plays with it, but a professor once advised him not to fiddle too long, "just make the next one."

He wants a strong image, usually something with a composition that would work on a poster, or a stamp. And he tries to create relationships between the positive and negative. Eventually, he pulls an idea into Photoshop.

When it comes to color, Heinz looks for contrast, though softer combinations can be useful "when the theme is silence." He might overlay a 10% screen on green, or place a red sketch on pink.