Illustration

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Illustration

Hundreds of Digital Illustrations Imagine Enchanting Storefronts and Their Friendly Shop Cats

Whether adorned with used books, houseplants, or groceries, the tiny shops and corner stores that illustrator Anglea Hao draws are infused with whimsy and admiration for everyday architecture. The digital renderings are part of Hao’s ongoing endeavor to create 365 unique storefronts—she’s already posted hundreds on Instagram that have grown in complexity and depth—and the subject matter is primarily imagined spaces, although some of the earliest works are based on real spots. Prints of the buildings, which frequently feature vine-laden rooftops, pasted advertisements, and a recurring white cat, are available in her shop.

 

Art Colossal Illustration

Interview: Sara Hagale Discusses the Therapeutic Nature of Her Practice and Why She Doesn't Think About Authenticity

Considering their undeniable relatability, it’s no surprise that Sara Hagale’s witty, whimsical, and at times anxious drawings have amassed an incredible following in recent years, a topic she speaks to in a new interview supported by Colossal Members. Her body of work is broad and idiosyncratic, spanning fanciful bouquets of leggy flowers to smudged self-portraits to quirky characters struggling through life, and it offers an array of emotional and aesthetic nuances that are unique to the artist.

I don’t have to feel goofy all the time in order to still be me. And I’m allowed to draw something that feels right to me in that moment even if it doesn’t match up perfectly with the other work I produce.

In a conversation with Colossal managing editor Grace Ebert, Hagale discusses using her practice to process her emotions in real-time, the impossibility of authenticity, and why she prefers to work with limitations.

 

Art Illustration

Fragmented Blocks of Color and Texture Overlap in Lui Ferreyra's Layered Portraits

Curved patches and geometric blocks comprise the layered portraits by Denver-based artist Lui Ferreyra (previously). Working both digitally and with colored pencil on paper, Ferreyra overlaps outlined fragments filled with thin lines to convey shadow and light, creating nuanced portrayals of his subjects. The prismatic works shown here are some of the artist’s more recent personal projects and commissions, which show the development of his distinct style during the last few years, in addition to the contrast he continues to draw between densely composed fields of color and larger expanses of negative space.

Ferreyra is currently a resident in The Ramble Hotel’s Art Can program, and his illustrations will be on view at the Denver location’s pop-up gallery through September 7. A few prints are available in his shop, and you can follow his work on Instagram.

 

Design Illustration

Marine Characters Smile in a Playfully Illustrated Line of Surfboards by Jean Jullien

French artist Jean Jullien (previously) brings his signature cartoonish characters to a new line of minimally illustrated surfboards. A collaboration with the manufacturer Fernand, the four spirited designs feature a pair of grinning fish, a relaxed whale, and a playful seal painted on single-color backdrops. To create the pieces, Jullien hand-illustrates each of the marine creatures on the foam boards before they’re glazed by Resin League and polished by Paul Hyde. You can find out more about the collaboration along with information on purchasing the varied designs on the artist’s Instagram. (via It’s Nice That)

 

Art Illustration

Phlegm’s Monochromatic Comic Book Characters Explode Onto Walls Across Europe

If there’s one theme that ties the epic stories unfolding in works by Sheffield-based Phlegm (previously), it’s a sense of action, toil, and perseverance. The otherworldly characters that appear in the Welsh artist’s murals, prints, paintings, and comic books are often unceasingly busy and cause mischief or wage battles using unusual crafts and weaponry. Each piece is a brilliant balance between his crisp monochromatic painting style born from the pages of his earlier comic books and the folk-ish narratives that often draw from historical artworks, leaving every piece open to interpretation by the viewer. Each piece can seem comical or tragic all at once.

Phlegm recently completed a mural in Sweden and contributed to a sprawling collaboration with artists Sweet Toof, Teddy Baden, Run, and Mighty Mo on a single wall in London’s Hackney Wick neighborhood. You can follow more of his work on Instagram.

 

Across the U

Illustration

Timely Editorial Illustrations by Eiko Ojala Elegantly Explore the World's Most Pressing Topics

Climate change, the pandemic, politics, and social unrest: these are just a few of the topics artist Eiko Ojala (previously) has been asked to depict for some of the world’s largest and most respected publications. Using his immediately recognizable style of paper and shadow, the Estonia-based illustrator wants the viewer “to have a feeling that they would like to touch the illustration with their fingers.” As the world has grown in complexity over the last decade, so has Ojala’s work. His most recent pieces for Apple, The New Yorker, and New Scientist contain multitudes of layers and symbols that crystalize around a central metaphor.

Outside of editorial work, Ojala also focuses on personal work, such as his Hugs series that helped raise money for Peaasi, an organization that supports mental health issues amongst Estonian youth. You can explore more of his work on Behance and pick up select prints on Saatchi Art.