The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization wouldn’t be what it is without its illustrations. In fact, a huge part of its success as the go-to gift for curious minds comes down to the hand-drawn artwork. Behind that visual tapestry is lead illustrator Lev Kaplan, the artist responsible for the wonder-inspiring style that defines The Book.
Lev not only led our team of illustrators, he personally contributed a significant number of the illustrations throughout its pages. His experience and deeply unique vision helped bring our founder's ideas to life, tying the entire work together.
We sat down with Lev to talk about his creative process, his experience working on The Book, and some of the other artistic projects he’s passionate about. The result was a fun and informative conversation we’re very excited to share.
A Brief Biography
Lev was born in Ukraine in 1967. After spending many years in Kyiv, where he studied architecture, he left Ukraine in 1992 and relocated to Germany.
There, Lev spent 25 years in advertising while continuing to grow as an artist. He developed his skills in children’s book illustrations, advertising, motion graphics, and graphic design.
Today, Lev resides in Stuttgart, Germany, where he continues his work as an artist and illustrator, and teaches illustration and watercolor painting at the independent art gallery Kunstfabrik in Vienna.
Lev is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Annual Best of American Illustrators (2019), the Troisdorf Book Museum Award for the book Eisbjörn (2019), a place in the Top 200 Illustrators by Lürzer’s Archive (2018), the Michel Tournier Award for Eisbjörn (2018), and the D&AD Award for Outdoor Advertising for Modern Savery (2018).
The Q&A
What inspired you to become an illustrator?
It actually happened quite by chance. Back in 2001, during my solo painting exhibition, an acquaintance of mine who owned a small publishing company asked if I might want to try illustrating a children's book. I gave it a shot and discovered I really enjoyed it.
Which illustration for The Book turned out to be the most challenging for you?
The Mushrooms! Since I've never tried hallucinogenic mushrooms myself, I had to spend considerable time interviewing people who were knowledgeable about the experience. It was a gradual process of trying to bring the illustration closer to matching their visions.
Which illustration from The Book is your favorite, and why?
Probably the Submarine. I tried to come up with an almost realistic bicycle-powered mechanism to spin the propeller, which made the process especially fun and engaging.
How do you usually start your creative process? Do you have any special rituals or habits before starting your work?
Not really, nothing out of the ordinary. I just get to my desk and start drawing. Sometimes I need to spend a bit of time online first, gathering references or looking for material. And I do drink quite a lot of coffee while I work.
What tools and techniques do you use to create such detailed illustrations?
I typically begin with graphite pencil and eraser. From there, depending on the style and project requirements, I might end up using dip pens or technical pens with acrylic ink, watercolor, gouache, or markers. And of course, high-quality watercolor paper made of 100% cotton is essential.
On average, how long does it take you to complete one illustration for a book, such as The Last Book?
It varies greatly. It can be anywhere from one to four days, depending on the size and complexity of the concept.
What Easter eggs and cultural references did you personally add to the illustrations in The Book? Which ones are your favorites? For example, in the chapter about dirigibles, there's an obvious Easter egg from you.
It’s hard to remember them all now. I added Easter eggs not only to my own illustrations, but also asked other illustrators to include a few in theirs.
For example, in the illustration about gears and rolling mills, I asked the artist to write “Danton Inc.” on the guillotine that cuts the metal sheet. In the chess illustration, there’s a turtle carrying a chessboard like a whole world on its back. In the one about dreams, I included Dalí’s burning giraffe.
For the theater chapter, I added a Deus ex machina descending onto the stage from above. The alarm clock illustration features Lenin in perpetual slumber, who is best left undisturbed, and Sully's paw from Monsters, Inc. attempting to do just that!
My favorite is the manticore with Thomas Edison's head in the phonograph illustration. There are a couple more in there, but you'll have to find those yourselves!
[Editor’s note: We won’t spoil the meaning behind the Easter eggs; half the fun is uncovering them yourself.]
Why are there so many octopuses and tentacles in your recent illustrations? Starting with the Octopolis puzzle and continuing into the illustrations for The Last Book, tentacles seem to be everywhere. They’ve appeared on bookmarks, other artwork, and more. Is this somehow connected to Jules Verne?
When I was designing the alien creature for The Last Book, a being inherently smarter than us Earthlings, I recalled stories about the intelligence of octopuses. The tentacled aliens emerged quite naturally from that, slightly modified and augmented with some biomechanics in the style of H.R. Giger.
Actually, there's quite a bit of Giger's influence, perhaps even homage, in the alien ship. Besides, tentacles are, on the one hand, a wonderfully functional invention of nature, offering a wealth of plasticity and compositional solutions in drawing. On the other hand, they’re inherently eerie!
The character Noah Kaplan in out upcoming publication, The Last Book, shares some unmistakable similarities with you. Specifically, he's an artist, left-handed, and you share a last name. Are these just surface-level similarities, or did the character inherit some elements from your own biography?
Perhaps the only thing we truly share is our Jewish heritage, though even that feels somewhat distant. He’s American; I’m more of a German with Ukrainian ancestry and Jewish roots. Noah’s also a bit younger than me. I suppose I did let him borrow my knitted hat, though.
How challenging is it to be a left-handed artist? For example, writing from left to right is clearly more difficult and requires extra care. But what about drawing? Does it force you to develop your own technique?
I don't think it impacts drawing at all. The most important aspect of drawing isn't the hands, but eyes. If you learn to see correctly, like an artist, then either hand will draw well.
What’s your view on AI in the field of illustration?
I have a positive outlook, though I don't use it myself. AI has weeded out those who produced comparable work. However, I'm confident that AI won't be able to draw like skilled illustrators for quite some time. It's difficult to explain why. It's like the warm sound of vinyl compared to digital: it might seem less perfect, but there's something captivating about it. Although, in time, as AI becomes even more sophisticated, "human" illustration will become a niche for connoisseurs, much like vinyl.
Finally, as long as AI-generated images aren't copyrightable, serious publishers won't utilize them en masse. Or maybe they will. Who knows? But I'm not at all worried about my professional future. I'm definitely better than AI. For now.
Which artists and illustrators inspired and continue to inspire you?
The entire Northern Renaissance had a huge impact on me, especially Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Rogier van der Weyden, Jan van Eyck, and Albrecht Dürer. I also love the Viennese Secession: Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Oskar Kokoschka.
Among more modern artists, I admire Andrew Wyeth, as well as the greats of the Golden Age of American illustration, like Norman Rockwell and Joseph Leyendecker.
What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators?
Avoid creating illustrations that merely reiterate the text. Instead, strive to expand upon it visually, giving it a unique and individual voice.
You’ll find Lev's artwork throughout The Last Book, arriving later this year, and The Black Book: The Ultimate Guide to Alternative Inventions, scheduled for release in 2026. If you haven’t seen his work yet, order a copy of The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization and experience it for yourself.
Until next time,
Team Hungry Minds
