It is all in the Math.
I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with Math. I thought that by studying design, I’d be able to get away from it.
And yet, what impresses me time and again is how much Math governs design by way of geometry and proportion. The first time I realized that I could be fascinated with Math is when I laid eyes on the work of M C Escher.
Now, there was a graphic designer before his time! Every work he produced straddles the delicate line 
between artistic finesse and modern graphic appeal. His pieces could be viewed by some as too constrained or calculated, and not ‘free’ enough, but to me, it’s like his work is always getting ready to walk off the page, illustrations that have a mind of their own, and that will confuse your mind if you let them! The kind of command he had over perspective and visual proportion is absolutely stunning. Designers of our time are still inspired by him, and designers of generations to come will continue to be influenced by this maverick.
Just
as I am in awe of artists of times past, I also spend a considerable amount of time looking at the work of current designers and illustrators for sparks of genius that compel me to try and push the envelope of my own work. On one of these random expeditions, I came across Yehrin Tong. Going through her work, I found some pieces that were ‘Escheresque’ in their quality, but beautifully reinvented. Her repertoire doesn’t end with psychedelic pen-and-ink illustration. She has a number of pieces where she mixes line art with ‘realistic’ human portraits and creates visual collages that are obsessively detailed and a little eccentric.
For her complete portfolio, please visit www.yehrintong.com. If you’re looking to be inspired, I promise there will be no disappointment here.
