From geometric patterns to flat design, stamps are proving to be a brilliant canvas when it comes to illustrative efforts. Designers are turning to the medium to celebrate some of the most famous buildings in the world, iconic landmarks and to put their own spin on an age old design. Take a look at some of these inspiring stamp illustrations – you'll never look at letters in the same way again.
01. Tomba Lobos
Portuguese illustrator Tomba Lobos – who has a knack for creating adorably joyous drawings – tackled a brief for the Portuguese postal service, to create a new range of stamps. The efforts see him produce his usual happy-go-lucky characters, using a huge array of bright, in-your-face colours that never fail to raise a smile.
02. Maxime Francout
French designer Maxime Francout has illustrated a series of stamps, which aim to highlight environmental degradation in Canada. Creating minimalist and powerful images through patterns, typography and abstract drawings, it's a gorgeous example of his work. Inspired by skateboards, hip-hop, plants, minerals and black coffee, the pastel aesthetic really make these stamp designs pop.
03. Silence28 Hu
This personal project from China based designer and illustrator Silence28 Hu aims to celebrate the Chinese year of the Horse. Packed full of intricate illustrations and bright, bolshy colours, they're an absolute treat when it comes to postage stamps. We're especially in love with the way the illustrations seamlessly come together.
04. Andrej Barmalej
Originally designed as business cards for a production company, these letterpress illustrated stamps are as beautiful as they come. Designed by Ukrainian designer Andrej Barmalej, the stamps come in four, perfectly selected colours that complicated the project as a whole.
05. Mitzi Schroeder
American based illustrator and artist Mitzi Schroeder was inspired by the seasons for this collection of stamp illustrations. Featuring a different kind of bird for each season, we particularly fell in love with this summer offering. Packed full of colour, the collage effect makes it a stand-out stamp illustration.
06. Kimberly Paulus
"The postage stamps feature products produced in Switzerland that may not be recognizable to those outside the country, but is near and dear to residents," explains Paulus. "Each product symbolizes a trait of Swiss culture. The design of the stamps follow characteristics of the Swiss Style: clean, clear, functional and minimal."
07. dngStudio
This stamp illustration is just one of the offerings compiled by British Columbian based agency dngStudio. The project proposed features many of Canada's national animals, including bears, beavers and all different kinds of birds. The isometric approach teamed with the brilliant, bright colours make these a beauty.
08. Si Maclennan
"These were an entry for the South African Post Office's postage stamp design competition, coinciding with Cape Town playing host to the World Design Capital 2014," explains South Africa based designer Si Maclennan. Each design features an iconic part of South Africa, with the style and colour scheme bringing them all together.
09. Laura Zucker
Washington based illustrator and graphic designer Laura Zucker was inspired by modern architecture with these stamp illustrations. Taking influence from buildings across the world, her geometric stance on the brick-work makes for a wonderful set of postage stamps. The colours used also brilliantly highlight each aspect of the architecture.
10. Lauren Armitt
"The brief was to create postage stamps with the theme of movement and activities within the tourism sector of New Zealand," explains Armitt. "I choose to focus on lighthouses around the New Zealand coast, showing a progression from day to night. Each light house also uses a different type of power, gas, electricity and solar, which is shown through the symbols at the bottom."
Have you created any wonderful stamp illustrations? Let us know in the comments box below!
