French Dishes — Editorial Illustration for Raketa Magazine
Created for the Czech children’s magazine Raketa, this illustration accompanies an article exploring classic French dishes and culinary traditions.
I often enjoy playing with the contrast between oversized objects and tiny human figures. It is a visual approach that invites curiosity and creates a sense of discovery, making everyday subjects feel larger than life.
For this piece, I imagined people moving through a landscape of giant French foods, treating them almost like landmarks in a bustling city.
The concept also connects to an earlier illustration I created for Raketa about Italian cuisine.
In both cases, food becomes architecture and the characters become inhabitants of a miniature world, allowing the two illustrations to share a common visual language despite focusing on different cultures.
To support the playful atmosphere, I worked with a limited color palette and simplified character designs.
Rather than aiming for realism, the figures communicate through expressive gestures, movement, and facial expressions. Their personalities emerge from action and interaction rather than detail.
The illustration captures the rhythm of urban life—except that instead of streets lined with buildings, people wander between croissants, cheeses, pastries, and other dishes featured in the article.
My goal was to evoke the energy of a city and its inhabitants, all united by a simple daily ritual: finding a moment to enjoy something delicious, no matter how busy the day may be.
One of my favorite parts of illustrating is hiding small jokes, stories, and details that aren’t immediately obvious. I prefer images that reward a second look rather than reveal everything at once.
With so many characters and situations happening across the scene, this illustration became a playground for visual discoveries and little narrative moments waiting to be found.
Final printed version as it appeared in Raketa magazine.
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