Len Small is the art director at Nautilus, the smart and modern digital and print science magazine. In a little less than three years on the job, Small’s illustration art direction has turned Nautilus into a striking showcase of brilliant visual imagery. His deft direction and wide-ranging tastes have drawn much praise from the illustration community. Working in a format initially conceived by Point Five Design, Small uses his considerable graphic design and visual storytelling skills to present artwork that is bold, elegant, and perfectly in sync with the editorial content of the magazine.“We try to create illustrations that will stand up on their own,” says Small, “and have meaning and story outside of the article to which they were assigned.” Small is quick to give credit to his art team, which includes Francesco Izzo and Nick Garber.
Here is the complete run of all 10 Nautilus illustrated covers, all art directed by Len Small.
See my interview with Len Small via the American Illustration Profiles series here.
(Above): September/October 2015, illustration by Brian Stauffer
Fall 2013, illustration by Jason Holley
Summer 2014, illustration by Ellen Weinstein
Spring 2014, illustration by Shout
Fall 2014, illustration by Chris Buzelli
Winter 2014, illustration by Victo Ngai
Winter 2015, illustration by Ralph Steadman
March/April 2015, illustration by Yuko Shimizu
May/June 2015, illustration by John Hendrix
July/August 2015, illustration by Gerard DuBois
