Getting lost in a world of search and find illustration

At a time when small-screen imagery seems to be taking over and illustrators are losing their jobs to AI, it’s nice to know there are still areas where sprawling illustrations full of detail and artistry are always welcome. Let’s take a look at the world of search-and-find illustration and some of its finest practitioners.

The move to a digital economy we’ve experienced over the last 30 years has led to many new opportunities for illustrators. Digital tools have made it easier to create and edit imagery. There are huge new markets for web and social media illustrations, and it’s now much easier for illustrators to see their creations brought to life in animation.

However, the migration of eyeballs from pages and posters to laptops and smartphones can leave the aspiring artist feeling a little… boxed in. Book jackets, for example, have become much more graphic. Covers need to pack a punch at thumbnail size to shift on Amazon, and detail crafted to intrigue readers has largely been lost like tears in the… well, you get the idea.

Yet we still yearn for double-page spreads, full of characters and activity, with unexpected, quirky elements nestling among depictions of everyday life for us to pour over and examine. Remember those fantastic cutaways, as championed by the likes of Dorling Kindersley – annotated cities, pirate ships, rainforests, and more – which kept us scouring the details, page after page?

In an age of apps, multiplayer gaming and series binging on Netflix, we don’t spend as much time getting lost in static artworks as we used to. However, massively detailed imagery is still being produced and remains highly effective for those who commission it. Search-and-find illustration is admittedly a niche, but for the creative soul, it’s one well worth exploring.

We’ve all encountered search-and-find illustrations before, though they may not have been labelled as such. Where’s Wally? (or Waldo), first drawn by Michael Handford in 1987 and now appearing in books in over 50 countries, is the most famous example. In each image, the nerdy little character hides somewhere in a landscape populated by hundreds of people doing different things. City streets, the beach, theme parks – he was always there somewhere amongst people doing wild and wonderful things.

Today, as then, editorial is where search-and-find illustrations continue to thrive, with artists like Rod Hunt creating books like Top Gear Where’s Stig? and his famous covers for the Guinness Book of Records. However, the concept transfers to commercial applications extremely well. Search-and-find is a highly effective approach to illustration if the aim is to get people interacting with a product, a brand or an experience.

In nearly every field of entertainment, search-and-find illustrations are used to capture the imagination of consumers. To promote its range of programmes set in London, Netflix UK commissioned Marija Tiruna to create an isometric map combining over 20 locations, inviting viewers to spot characters and settings from an array of shows based in the city. In music, Spain’s Viña Rock Festival briefed Carles Garcia O’Dowd to create a range of incredibly detailed and complex search-and-find-style images as part of its 2023 identity. His artwork was emblazoned on everything from the stage livery to the festival’s beer glasses.

Gaming is an area where search-and-find can truly thrive. Parallelling the game’s interactivity, the illustration primes players for the experience – not just by introducing the narrative or generating curiosity about the release but by setting a challenge for them to resolve. Easter eggs are common to both video games and search-and-find illustrations and the artwork can sow the seeds for many hours of entertainment to come.

When Logitech celebrated the tenth anniversary of its G502 gaming mouse, its agency Dialect worked with Brazilian artist Ray Punxh to create a search-and-find illustration concealing references to 55 of the biggest computer games of the last decade and used it in an online competition. Gamers were challenged to identify all the titles, exploring the image via a zoomable, scrollable web app, with the prize being a G502 X Plus.

Back in the physical world, everything from pizza and cereal packaging to expansive murals in retail spaces are touchpoints where illustrators can flex their creativity. There are location-based applications, too. Illustrated maps or cutaways of work and education campuses are much more interesting with search-and-find elements hidden within them – little drawings of the features, the tech, the staff, the clients, and even the boss can add a little fun to the culture of the organisation.

Massive complexity is what gives search-and-find imagery its appeal. Equally, this is what makes this area of illustration so challenging. Commissioning, content, composition, feedback, and amendments – everything needs careful planning. Working on layers is essential, as is organising those layers. It’s not unknown for an artist to lose an Easter egg they’ve drawn in their own work.

IP is something to consider from the beginning. Although we see brands, trademarks, and licensed artwork around us in everyday life, including them in a project may lead to legal issues down the line. For a freelance illustrator, it’s worth querying any brief referencing intellectual property that doesn’t belong to the client.

Search-and-find illustration showcase

We share some of the illustrators who are leading the way in the search-and-find category.

Rod Hunt

Based in the UK, Rod Hunt is one of the most experienced search-and-find illustrators in the game. His work spans editorial, advertising, entertainment and corporate projects for clients such as IKEA, Red Bull, Sony Pictures, and Toyota. One of his recent works was for the Swiss watchmaker MB&F, demonstrating how a brand can engage customers and staff with its unique aspects through complex illustration.

“They commissioned me to create a cutaway building illustration of the M.A.D.House, their headquarters in a century-old house in Geneva, Switzerland,” says Rod. “The illustration was an end-of-year thank-you to all their friends, collectors and fans. Built between 1907 and 1908, the house’s exterior exudes history and character.

“The brief called for me to interpret the interior and exterior of the house, including key figures in the company as well as their horological machines. Science fiction is a big inspiration for the brand, so some references to this were included; many of their pieces look like spaceships, robots and strange creatures.”

eBoy

From their Berlin studio, Steffen Sauerteig, Svend Smital, and Kai Vermehr have built the eBoy studio into a global brand in and of itself, creating pixel art illustrations for Adidas, Louis Vuitton, MTV, Nike, The New York Times, Google and more. While their Pixoramas of major cities aren’t necessarily search-and-find illustrations, each contains dozens of landmarks, creatures, characters and vehicles to pore over.

Referencing games like SimCity 2000, pixel art chimes with the generation of people who grew up with eight-bit computer graphics and subsequent generations who have enjoyed the aesthetic in retrospect. “I’d say that for us, it’s more about discovering random things that kickstart the imagination of the viewer,” says Kai Vermehr. “We share the exploration aspect with Where’s Waldo? But there isn’t one central character or thing that has to be found. Sometimes, we show one of our Blockbob characters, but it’s not really a rule.”

Founded in 1997, eBoy has inspired countless digital artists, but AI hasn’t made inroads into the studio’s style as yet. “We have not seen viable alternatives to our art so far. But I think provenance will play an increasing role. Authentic human-made art will be its own category and especially valuable,” says Kai.

Marija Tiurina

Tonally, Maria Tiurina’s style is a departure from the world of search-and-find illustration. There’s more depth here, and her images are often moody and atmospheric, with fantastical and surreal elements rendered to look traditional. It must take her ages to create pieces like her London cityscape for Netflix or the promotional poster for the film White Noise by Noah Baumbach. She has also worked with the publisher Wonderbly to create personalised search-and-find adventure books, demonstrating her skills in a more light-hearted format.

Based in London, her approach is meticulous, but she has learned to cope with the complexity. “My trick is to break the project into pieces, and over the years, I’ve developed a workflow structure that helps me preserve my sanity when developing something for several months.

Normally, that involves linear steps like concepting, sketching, grouping scenes and layers, colouring and aftereffects, and I try to avoid rushing anything as that could lead to stress that is similar to running late for a plane with a ton of heavy bags. Home Alone-style. No one likes to experience that,” she says.

Ray Punxh

With recent clients, including Logitech and Ubisoft, Ray Punxh is an artist based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, who has a growing reputation working with the gaming industry. Creating the Big Game Hunt illustration for Logitech, he created Logicity, which not only concealed cryptic clues relating to 55 games, but also elements of the technology within the G-502 gaming mouse and elements from the Logitech brand guidelines.

His light-hearted, cartoony images are typically packed with colour and beyond gaming. His search-and-find style work has been used by sneaker companies and burger restaurants and even became part of the Rio LGBTQIA+ International Film Festival in 2023.

Carles Garcia O’Dowd

Based in New York, Carles Garcia O’Dowd is a Spanish artist whose work is rich in detail and full of strange, sometimes saucy activity. In 2021, his artwork Back for the Future for the Save the Med Foundation was shortlisted in the World Illustration Awards. The educational poster includes dozens of species above and below the surface and demonstrates the impact of human activity on their habitats.

“It is a very special project for me. I grew up in Mallorca and spent most of my summers swimming in its waters, diving from the rocks, and exploring caves and coves. In my lifetime, I have seen the destruction that greedy industries perpetuate, as well as the effects of climate change. I’m happy to collaborate with organisations whose missions I believe in,” says Carles.

Gus Morais

Like Rod Hunt, Gus Morais has been creating search-and-find illustrations for many years with clients including Heinz, Frontify, AT&T, and the Washington Post. In 2023, Warner Bros Games commissioned him to create a search-and-find poster for Hogwarts Legacy, filled with characters, settings and storylines from the Harry Potter universe. It helped the company sell 24 million copies worldwide.

“I’m not saying that there’s a boom, but I think it’s really interesting how illustrations in this style have become very complex and diverse – more so than three decades ago when the Where’s Wally? books were so popular. I always tell clients that more than being beautiful and interesting, search-and-find images are great for creating interaction and engagement with people. People spend time looking at them, finding the Easter eggs and sharing the images with friends,” says Gus.

Mauro Martins

Working with The Brand Crafters agency, Mauro Martins created a search-and-find illustration for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, or Sucrilhos, as they are known in Brazil. Across the country, parents were forced to purchase the 1.5kg box so their kids could join the fun. Based in Argentina, Mauro’s work has also been used on what might be the most interesting Domino’s Pizza box ever printed.

“The first thing I do is brainstorm a lot to develop a huge list of visual elements,” says Mauro. “After that, I do a rough sketch to define the scenario, main architecture and design of the scene. Then, I illustrate and add the details. My illustrations are 100% vector. It makes it easier for me to adjust and reposition things. Hiding the elements is actually the last step, and I always create a new layer to point out where the hidden objects are because the whole artwork is so complex that I might forget where I dropped them.”

Sveta Dorsheva

Even in the world of high culture, search-and-find illustration draws a crowd. In 2023, the British Library commissioned Sveta Dorosheva to create an image combining stories, myths, and legends to form a centrepiece for its Fantasy: Realms of Imagination Exhibition. The Ukrainian artist, who is based in Israel, normally illustrates children’s books, but here, she packed an illustration with 65 references to folklore, fairytales, legends, and mythology from cultures around the world.

“Gregor Samsa, as a cockroach, reading Kafka, is one of my favourites,” says Sveta. “There’s a reference to Hieronymus Bosch’s tree man. This wasn’t in the brief; I just love Bosch. Another favourite is the underworld labyrinth, with seething snakes and a dreamlike figure at its centre. I took special pleasure in inserting characters who were reading books throughout the illustration. The Earth is reading a book, standing on the world elephant under the tree of life. A stone giant is reading The Divine Comedy, reclining over the entrance to Hell with tiny figures of Dante and Virgil leaving the underworld.”