Bright Colors, Bold Lines: Inside the World of Delphine Meier

Originally from French-speaking Switzerland, Delphine Meier has been living in Montreal for just under ten years. After studying graphic design and working mainly in that field in Switzerland and France, it was in her adopted city that her illustration career truly took off. Since then, she’s been working regularly on a wide range of projects where her colorful and graphic style is instantly recognizable. Her illustration Summer Dream was part of the first Holiyay puzzle collection we launched in 2024. We’re delighted to feature her work again with Hide and Seek, an illustration included in a second collection launching this summer.

Can you tell us a bit about your journey? What led you to illustration?
I’ve always loved illustration. Back in school, I really enjoyed drawing and all that, but when I was 18, I didn’t get into any of the illustration schools I applied to, so I ended up going into graphic design instead. I kept doing a bit of illustration on the side, and I think that became one of my strengths as a graphic designer. But it was really when I moved to Montreal, nine years ago, that things started working out for me as an illustrator. I found a lot of support and appreciation for local illustrators in Montreal, and I was lucky to take part in several beautiful projects.

Do you have any routines or methods that you tend to follow across your projects?
I always work the same way when it comes to illustration projects. I start by discussing the process with the client and setting the parameters of the project. Then I create hand-drawn pencil sketches. I scan them and present them to the client along with a moodboard and a color palette. That’s when we go back and forth and make adjustments. Once everything’s settled, I move on to color. I work in vector format, and for me, coloring is the part that takes the most time—so I try to have all the details figured out before I get there!

Where did the inspiration come from for your Holiyay puzzle illustrations?
Summer Dream was part of the very first Holiyay puzzle series, created for the crowdfunding campaign. It was actually a personal illustration I had made as part of a series of three floral illustrations—because I love flowers! I wanted to depict a sort of spring explosion of blooms. The puzzle shows a person lying in the grass. That’s something I personally find really enjoyable.
For Hide and Seek, Holiyay first proposed three theme ideas. I sketched out two of them in pencil, and the one with the jungle was selected. I was really happy about that because I hadn’t done many illustrations in that style before—it was a fun challenge!

Are there any specific challenges or considerations when creating an illustration for a puzzle?
Summer Dream was the first puzzle project I ever did professionally. It was also the first image Holiyay tested, so we started with the original illustration as-is. Then, through the testing process, I added textures and tweaked the colors to create more contrast and more interesting puzzle pieces. I also used a digital overlay that showed the shape of the pieces, which helped me better visualize how it would turn out. And when I opened the box for the first time, I was so happy to see how the different pieces came together!

You work on a lot of different types of projects—from packaging to editorial and advertising illustration—but your style remains recognizable across them all. How would you describe your style?
I’d say my style is fairly geometric, with rather graphic compositions. My illustrations are very colorful. I like to use bold, flashy colors, even if sometimes I have to adapt to the specific constraints of a project or a client’s request. Right now, I really enjoy illustrating scenes with multiple characters, like groups of people walking, for example. I’m also really interested in more graphic elements within flowers and floral arrangements.

Summer Dream by Delphine Meier