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Ryan Nelsen

@ryanimate

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Professional scribbler rep’d by @alex.r.gehringer 🗽
Designer @scholastic by day,
duck doodler by night 🦆🌙

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Keeping this secret for a year was not easy!!! I am so excited for my first book and ducks to be waddling out into the galaxy next year 🦆🛸👽

@alex___bright @lueditsbooks @candiceturvey @charmainemcdonough @harpercollinsch @harperkids @the_bright_agency @brightagencypublishing @al_slacker by @ryanimate

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6 months ago

Froggy fountain ⛲️

#kidlit #illustration #visdev #fountain #frogs by @ryanimate

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9 months ago

🛸🦆 Abduckted by @ryanimate

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2 years ago

One of the many ways I use @procreate 🐸👑⛲️

#illustrator #procreate #artist by @ryanimate

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2 months ago

A rainy start to the week. At least this guy has an umbrella ☔️🐡 #illo #fish #rainraingoaway by @ryanimate

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3 months ago

Duck Stop!!! 🦆🚏
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Swipe for the full image!!! Had soooo much fun with this.. really loving finding new ways to incorporate type/texture.
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#illustration #procreate #illustration #art #drawing #artist #digitalart #artwork #sketch #illustrator #design #draw #handdrawing #yankeestadium #instaart #sketchbook #graphicdesign #characterdesign #yankees #characterdesign #childrensbooks #brooklyn #nyc by @ryanimate

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3 years ago

Happy #kidlitpostcard day! 🎆🎇🌃
I’m Ryan, an illustrator based in NYC. My debut picture book ABDUCKTED 🦆👽🛸 is coming out next spring with @harpercollinsch @harperkids! Here’s a piece I made for Highlights July issue of High Five last year!

I am represented by the amazing @alex___bright @the_bright_agency @brightagencypublishing and would love to work with you! by @ryanimate

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3 months ago

🏔️🐝 Look up ☀️ collage/digital finish
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It’s been just about 2 years since I made this illustration. I remember feeling absolutely stuck on my style, voice, and intentions with where I wanted to go as an illustrator. So, I purposefully let go on this one. I forced myself to work with pencil and pen again. I cut and glued paper, scribbled, painted, and let out all of the pent up creativity and tension I had been feeling. It’s always hard to pinpoint a piece that feels like a turning point, because it’s a gradual process. But I always think to myself that this piece was the one that gave me a spark. 🎨⭐️
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#art #collage #waterfall #illustrator #kidlit by @ryanimate

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8 months ago

Ryan Nelsen (@ryanimate) is an illustrator from Long Island, New York. He fell in love with drawing after getting his first Magna Doodle, where he drew a perfect (well, perfect for a 3-year-old) rendering of Thomas the Tank Engine.

He enjoys combining traditional and digital media to create playful and whimsical artwork, cultivating a world full of texture, vibrancy, and imagination. He often starts his pieces by scribbling, cutting paper, painting, and assembling mixed-media collages, ensuring that each illustration starts with a purposeful and tactical approach.

Ryan studied at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, where he earned a BFA in Communications Design. By day, Ryan is a visual designer at Scholastic, living in New York City with his twin sister, Becca.

Ryan’s debut author-illustrated picture book Abduckted is set to publish with HarperCollins in the spring of 2027, followed by Salvador Snake in the fall of 2027, written by Suzy Levinson and published by Balzer + Bray.

Ryan is represented by @alex___bright, take a look at his full portfolio on the Bright website. Link in our bio!

#ChildrensIllustration #BrightArtist #KidLitArt by @ryanimate

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5 months ago

🐻🌻🦋 it was nice to get the paints out again for this one. Gouache/pastel/origami paper on illustration board with digital finish. Swipe to see the process/color comp! by @ryanimate

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5 months ago

NYC Blizzard 2026 (disclaimer: I did see penguins yesterday.)
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#nyc #blizzard #illustration by @ryanimate

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7 months ago

Dinos in paris 🇫🇷🦖🍿 by @ryanimate

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2 years ago