Illustration

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Illustration

Stark Editorial Illustrations by Stuart McReath Examine Society’s Monumental Struggles

Stuart McReath’s high contrast illustrations employ stark shadows that lend an almost three-dimensional quality to his imagined scenes. McReath also uses dramatic juxtapositions of scale and visual metaphors like a doctor determining the “wellness” of a school with a stethoscope. Many of the works shown here were created as editorial images for articles regarding societal issues like gun laws, school testing, and the death penalty. McReath is based in Hampshire, United Kingdom and has been awarded “Best of British Illustration” by the Association of Illustrators. You can see more of his work on Behance and Instagram.

Design Illustration

Hilarious Matchboxes Depict Cats Making Questionable Decisions

Colorado-based artist Arna Miller uses vintage style packaging, advertising, and illustrations as inspiration for her goofy creations. The serious historical aesthetic and matter-of-fact text subtly ridiculous, finding humor in imagining animals experiencing human emotions, ambitions, and failures.

In a statement on her website, Miller describes her guiding principles as an artist: “My aim is to create narrative illustrations that depict magical moments…I often use text to tell part of the story, but like to leave most of the narrative up to the viewer. My guiding rule—which I sometimes break—is Possible, but Not Likely. For example, it’s possible for a vole to sit on a cigarette box and float down a river, but it is not likely. On the other hand, dinosaurs didn’t have laptops and headphones, so I would not draw that.”

The matchbox series “Strike Your Fancy,” which Miller made in collaboration with her husband Ravi Zupa, shows cats staying out late and making dicey decisions. The series is on view at Abstract in Denver through June 30, 2018. Matchboxes are also for sale in Miller and Zupa’s online stores. You can see more of Miller’s clever artwork on her website and Instagram.

Illustration

Swirling Lines and Swaths of Charcoal Form Dramatic Portraits by Lee.K

Seoul-based artist Lee.K creates incredibly dynamic portraits using combinations of charcoal, pencil, and ink. The artist layers fine cross contour lines over broad swaths of charcoal to build hair, cheekbones, noses, and eyes with a strong sense of life despite the grayscale palette. You can see more from Lee on Instagram. (via Booooooom)

 

Illustration

New Psychedelic Tattoos Splashed with Neon Detail by Joanna Swirska

Wrocław-based tattoo artist Joanna Swirska, aka Dżo (previously), produces nature-based tattoos through her own psychedelic lens. In one work a crystal-studded snail inches across ombre leaves, while in another, a ginkgo tree sprouts from the palm of a poised hand. Human forms are often overlaid with plants or animal motifs, such as her Frida Kahlo tattoo above which features the detail of a deep red bird mask inked across the painter’s face.

Dżo initially studied painting, and made her switch from canvas to skin about five years ago. You can follow more of her recent work on Instagram, and buy prints and other merchandise based on her tattoo designs from her online shop. (via Cross Connect Magazine)

Illustration

Imagined Insects Camouflaged as Star Wars Characters by Illustrator Richard Wilkinson

UK-based illustrator Richard Wilkinson created a series of fantastical insects based on the most famous Star Wars characters. It’s easy to imagine these incredibly life-like renderings truly existing as creatures crawling on a planet far away, and each is given a cheeky scientific name with Latin roots that relate to its sci-fi counterpart like Roboduobus Deoduobus for R2D2 or Chaetebarbatus Bonamicii for Chewbacca. Wilkinson has previous experience creating scientifically-minded illustrations for publications like New Scientist and Intelligent Life Magazine.

These first 10 illustrations titled Insects From A Far Away Galaxy are just the first set in a much larger body of work for a planned book, Arthropoda Iconicus Volume I, that will make references to other pop culture characters like Pokemon, Marvel Comics, and Disney. The pieces seen here are now available as limited edition prints, and you can follow more of Wilkinson’s work on Instagram. (via Colossal Submissions)

Art Illustration

Quiet Scenes of Youthful Melancholy and Mystery by Aron Wiesenfeld

In his dreamlike paintings, Aron Wiesenfeld depicts scenes of young women in moments of hushed reflection. Wiesenfeld’s artworks are often set outside in softly illuminated environments at twilight or dusk. Youthful female figures quietly observe their surroundings or are poised at the edge of entering a new realm. In an interview with Juxtapoz, Wiesenfeld describes how he finds and processes inspiration:

Ideas come from anywhere… places, memories, movies, art, etc. A book called Art and Fear said, ‘Notice what you notice.’ I thought that was great advice. So many times something that flashed by my consciousness might be lost just as quickly. There is a kind of discipline to saying, ‘Wait, there was something interesting there, what was it?’ Memory is so transitory… I want to get to my sketchbook as quickly as I can.

Wiesenfeld studied at The Cooper Union and ArtCenter College of Design and currently resides in San Diego, California. His upcoming solo show will be at Arcadia Contemporary in New York in 2019. Wiesenfeld occasionally offers signed print editions of his paintings via his website, and he has also published a book which compiles the last fifteen years of his artworks. You can stay up to date on new paintings and drawings via Instagram and Facebook. (via Arrested Motion)

Illustration

Explore Dawid Planeta’s Mystical World of Bright-Eyed Animal Guides

Polish artist and graphic designer Dawid Planeta summons large beasts in his series of mystical grayscale illustrations set deep in the jungle. The series, Mini People in the Jungle, presents animals in profile, with glistening eyes that illuminate the darkness surrounds them. A small child is also present in each work, bravely facing the towering creatures with a torch or outstretched arms.

Planeta works his own experiences into the mysterious work, channeling his history with depression into a source for creative energy. “Depression – it’s not easy to deal with, but when you try, you can stop thinking about it as a weakness and turn it into something brilliant,” said Planeta. “That’s what I aim to accomplish with my art. [The] things I’m trying to depict are dark, mysterious and frightening, but if you look closely, you will find excitement, passion and joy.”

You can see more jungle explorations from the artist on tumblr and Behance. (via This Isn’t Happiness)