James Cohen has been an illustrator for over thirty-five years. His current work - science fiction, future- and fantasy-scapes - began in earnest in 2011. His thought-provoking imagery is meant to educate as well as entertain.

James is also an educator. He has taught illustration, graphic design and interactive media for more than twenty years. Schools include The American Academy of Art, The Illinois Institute of Art, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, SCAD and the Academy of Art University (SF). He currently teaches digital painting in the MFA Illustration program at AAU. He believes being an illustrator is key to teaching illustration.

James has an MA in Illustration from Syracuse University and an MFA in Illustration from The University of Hartford (both under the watchful eye of mentor Murray Tinkelman). He also studied art at Northwestern University under artist Ed Paschke and at The American Academy of Art in Chicago.

James works from his studio in Hawthorn Woods, IL. He is married to designer Mary Cohen and has two kids, two dogs and two cats. He resides on planet Earth.

 

A number of backgrounds and fantasyscapes are available for purchase at Shutterstock.com.

 

To view Jim's collage-style illustration work, go to jimcohenillustration.com.

James' work has appeared in the following:

New York Society of Illustrators, Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, American Illustration, Graphis, Print, 3x3, Step-by-Step Graphics, Communication Arts, 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide

James is a member of the New York Society of Illustrators and the Illustrators' Partnership.

 

Special thanks to:

Vincent Di Fate, John Berkey, Chris Foss, Roger Dean, Robert T. McCall, Frank R. Paul, John Schoenherr, J. Allen St. John, Chesley K. Bonestell, Stanley Meltzoff, Frank Kelly Freas, Virgil Finlay, Wayne Barlowe, H.R. Giger, Darrell K. Sweet, Dean Ellis, Michael Whelan, Tim & Greg Hildebrandt, Don Ivan Punchatz, Alex Schomburg, Alex Raymond, David B. Mattingly, Frank Frazetta, James Gurney, Paul Alexander, Ralph McQuarrie, John Harris, Angus McKie, Tim White, Peter Jones, Chris Moore, Jim Burns, Peter Elson, Alan Lee, Syd Mead, Bruce Pennington, Colin Hay, Tony Roberts, Stephan Martiniere, Doug Chiang, Jae-Cheol Park, Fred Gambino, Scott Robertson, Nicolas Bouvier and Murray Tinkelman.