Creative Musing + Product
September 2023
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Skull & Bones
For a limited time some of the icons I created for Halloween will be available on graphic tees at Cotton Bureau. I’ve paired the icons with the typeface Metalista designed by Tomáš Brousil from Suitcase Type Foundry.
Buy these Tees
Skull & Bones (top right) is the only available tee in this series. Purchase it on Cotton Bureau or check back in early October 2024 to purchase other tees in this series.
Article + Product
February 2023
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MKN Design Reel
Do you like what you see? Well, I’d like to work with you. If you're looking for an experienced independent (freelance) Art Director, Designer, and Illustrator, or if you know of any companies seeking short or long-term project contracts or retainers, feel free to contact me via email.
Note
Design and illustrative projects within this reel are a combination of strategic branding, environmental design, iconography, illustration, graphic design, and packaging.
Creative Musing + Product
August 2022
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The Midwest Coast
A badge-inspired design from my home state of Michigan and its pristine coastline. The inspiration came from our family trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes, National Park—it’s just one of the many places to experience Michigan’s wonderful coast.
Buy this Tee
The Midwest Coast is currently not available. Check back in early June 2024. View additional graphic tee’s on my Cotton Bureau profile page.
Creative Musing + Product
August 2022
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Lady of Guadalupe
A modern Illustrative take on the Our Lady of Guadalupe painting found in Tepeyac Hill, Mexico City.
Buy this Tee
This tee is available for purchase on Cotton Bureau.
Creative Musing + Product
June 2022
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Graphis, Designers for Peace
I submitted a "Designers for Peace" poster series (A.K.A. Ukraine War Series) for the Graphis poster competition. It received an Honorable Mention. This series began as a personal project sparked by Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine. My aim with this project was to capture a powerful, somber, and raw portrayal of the global emotional response to the conflict.
Buy these Purchase
These posters are available for purchase in my shop.
Accolade from Graphis
Congratulations! Your excellent poster design has been chosen as an Honorable Mention in our international Designers for Peace competition.
— B. Martin Pedersen, Creative Director & Publisher
Creative Musing + Product
April 2022
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ReVox
I’ve always had an affinity for vintage electronics, especially buttons, knobs, and sliders. The illustration is a ReVox Studer 700 Reel-To-Reel Tape Recorder, designed, engineered, and manufactured in Switzerland in 1973.
Buy this Poster
This poster is available for purchase in my shop.
Creative Musing + Product
February 2022
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Apparel Iconography
Crisp bold icons designed for an apparel brand. If you need custom designed iconography, I can help you.
Buy this Icon Set
This icon set is available for purchase, email me for licensing and cost.
Creative Musing
January 2022
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Kindly
The aim of this type design exercise was to capture the essence of the name, kindly. I’m not a type designer and crafting this lowercase typeface was challenging. Nonetheless, I'm always eager to tackle new challenges. How’d I do?
Creative Musing
October 2021
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Skull & Bones Iconography
I had some fun this week creating these scary Halloween icons. I’ve paired the icons with the typeface Metalista designed by Tomáš Brousil from Suitcase Type Foundry.
Buy this Icon Set
This icon set is available for purchase, email me for licensing and cost. Some of these graphics are available on tees via Cotton Bureau.
Creative Musing + Product
August 2021
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Bobbin & Thread
I thoroughly enjoyed creating and illustrating this intricate set of modern tailor iconography.
Buy this Icon Set
This icon set is available for purchase, email me for cost.
Creative Musing
June 2021
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Unite & Vote
In addition to offering strategic design communication solutions for my clients, I also create illustrations, design posters, and sell them on my shop page. A poster from my collection is currently en route to a fortunate recipient. If you're seeking distinctive illustrative posters to adorn your empty walls, explore my shop page. Every poster is carefully curated, illustrated, and designed by me, then printed locally at Mercury Head Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Each piece is meticulously printed on 100% cotton rag fine art paper using archival inks for lasting quality.
Buy this Poster
This poster is available for purchase in my shop.
Creative Musing + Product
April 2021
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Fulton Street Farmers Market
An illustration I have been working on the last few weeks is finally finished. Fresh fruit, friendly farmers, and artists provide a diverse, inclusive, vital, and vibrant community marketplace that offers high-quality, locally grown, farm-fresh products.
Buy this Poster
This poster is available for purchase in my shop.
Client Project + Product
March 2021
The project began with drawing a few of my Facebook friends and turned into a series of paid client projects for the CanUX Conference, Herman Miller, Fast Company, and IxDA. This personal initiative were simple portrait line studies and evolved to a refined style without compromising its minimalist feel. Portraits from top to bottom: Sam Bleckley, Steve Frykholm, and Hamad Al Zemami.
+ Portrait Illustration
+ Style Development
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Illustration
Looking for a custom illustrated portrait of yourself or a group? Reach out via email for further information and details.
Creative Musing + Products
December 2020
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A Year Of Prints
Some prints from others and some of my own. From left to right, 1. Architectural Styles via Michael Nÿkamp. 2. Black Cat via Little Friends. 3. Goodbye 2020 via Michael Nÿkamp. 4. House Industries via David Dodde
Purchase:
Architectural Styles and Goodbye 2020 posters are available in my shop.
Creative Musing
December 2020
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Goodbye 2020
A poster designed to say goodbye to 2020. It’s was a colorful and topsy-turvy year and I’m glad that it’s over. Perhaps we should celebrate its end—Goodbye, Au revoir. Adiós, 잘가 (Jalga).
Buy this Poster:
This poster is available for purchase in my shop.
Client Project
November 2020
+ Portrait Illustration
+ Style Development
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Illustration
Looking for a custom illustrated portrait of yourself or a group? Reach out via email for further information and details.
Creative Musing
November 2020
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The Dark Side of the Moon
A modern take on Pick Floyd’s, Dark Side of the Moon album cover.
Purchase this Tee
The Dark Side of the Moon is currently unavailable for purchase. Check back in June 2024 or pursue my entire collection of graphic tees on Cotton Bureau.
Creative Musing + Product
May 2020
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Stayhome Friends
Amidst the U.S. stay-at-home mandate, I crafted a series of playful illustrations, each carrying messages specifically designed for the stay-at-home orders. These illustrations served not only to entertain but also to reinforce the importance of staying home during this time.
Buy these Posters
These posters are available in my shop.
Creative Musing + Product
December 2019
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Chess Pieces
Fun illustration study of chess characters with rosy cheeks. From Left to Right: Rook, Knight, Queen, King, Bishop, and Pawn.
Buy this Icon Set
This icon set is available for purchase, email me for licensing and cost.
Creative Musing + Product
November 2019
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Farout
Using my custom display typeface, Flying Dutchman and added a 2-D effect I placed the word farout on a classic deck by Moose Skateboards.
Buy this Display Typeface
Sum is available for purchase, email me for licensing and cost.
michael@mkn-design.com
1 616 915 1941
Good design is complexity presented simply
MKN Design LLC © 2024
133 Somerset Drive NE
West Michigan
