As we welcome in 2014, it’s key for the art licensing industry to reflect and identify which trends and popular styles have been prominent in recent months & to spot emerging looks for the year ahead. Yellow House Art Licensing keeps a close eye on trends and indeed on the all-important matter of which artists will be out of copyright in 2014 including Beatrix Potter, Wassily Kandinsky, and Edvard Munch.
2013 saw an emphasis on ‘Vintage Retro and Nostalgia’; from sweet nostalgic gingham patterns and hand-stitched illustrations to decadent retro photography and packaging driven by hand-lettering and typography.
Illustrative i-phone cases exploded onto the market in 2013 and this trend is expected to grow ten-fold this year. Exploring innovative materials, Yellow House has seen a marked increase in art submissions from designers formatting their designs onto i-phone cases and other devices.Artist Sean Bennett’s clean, solid shapes were licensed to a leading i-phone case manufacturer, defining another popular trend of the year; simplified shapes with playful, graphic styles and strong colour.
2014 will no doubt see an ever-increased activity and interest in communication and research via Twitter. 2013 was huge for Twitter, with celebrity birthdays and deaths seemingly being the most popular source of tweets.
Yellow House has welcomed an exciting group of artists purely via twitter communications including illustrator Olivia Villet, paper-cut artist Louise Jenkins, and popular blogger & illustrator Craig McCann a.k.a ‘Fish-ink’.
Yellow House Art Licensing envisages that the modern use of black colourways and black tone-in-tone artwork will continue to attract interest in 2014.
Their contemporary artist Luke James’ stylish piece ’99 things’ shows how the use of black immediately transforms an image into something of luxury by a simple use of a reduced dark palette. Creating an opportunity for manufacturers to embellish product with varnish and high-gloss effects, this trend also combines matt and shiny surfaces to reflect varying shades of black.
Photomontage and futuristic nature will be strong in the fashion world of 2014 with colours of rocks and crystals taking centre stage. The wonderful world of Neon is also set to continue in 2014 with vibrant yellow making more than the occasional appearance for a real stand-out statement. Yellow House Art Licensing says ‘Bring it on, Happy New Year & all good things for 2014!’
