For the last four years, independent graphic artist Katie Kincade has made her mark on music in Sonoma and Marin counties as an innovative and in-demand concert-poster designer. She also produces eye-popping original album art, band logos, T-shirts, drumheads and more.
“I’ve always been doing art in one form or another,” Kincade says. Growing up in Southern California, she came to San Francisco to study fine art at San Francisco State University and moved to Petaluma in 2005. A photography major with a minor in graphic design, Kincade says that she didn’t do much with the degree until a friend in the rock band The Grain asked her to make a logo for them. She did, and then she made a concert poster for them, then another and another. Word of mouth spread quickly, and now Kincade works almost strictly with local bands and festivals as a full-time graphic artist.
“I often start by considering the type of music the band is, what their music describes,” Kincade says. “Or I just come up with something and roll with it.”
Kincade’s work is marked by highly detailed, densely layered and colorful splashes of illustration that visually match musicians and bands. She says that she’s seen a surge of both local bands and grassroots support for local music in recent years, and she appreciates being connected to the scene through her art.
“Every single person is so into the music and the community. I think everybody is stepping it up creatively; everybody’s influencing each other,” she says. “I don’t take any of this for granted; I still get giddy about it all.”
Kinkykatdesigns.com.
