Spanish illustrator and painter Raquel Aparicio’s watercolours have a folk art undertone, with many of the pieces having a strong grounding in the theme of nature and animals. Her art has a defined, spindly quality to it with the juxtapositioning of the vibrant colours and the earthy shades giving the art a dreamlike air.
Website – http://www.raquelissima.com/
The duo of Kozy ‘n’ Dan create great colourful, illustrations with a playful twist, like this “homage” to Hokusai, painted for Giant Robot Magazine.
Website – www.kozyndan.com
Fun collection of witty ‘typography-based illustrations’ by Londoner, Jody Barton.
Website – jodybarton.co.uk
Nice illustration style which combines the classic comic book style with a hint of fluidity from Japanese brushwork as well as some colour in the form of watercolours, creating a vivid and unique style.
Website – www.d-pi.com
Beautifully detailed, slightly surreal illustrations and watercolours by Alaskan Sam Weber, who recently finished work two projects for Tor Books.
Website – www.sampaints.com
While his tribute art shop is ugly as sin, the art of the late Charley Harper, in itself, is refreshing. Even though it from the 70′s and 80′s, the work shows no sign of wear with its vibrant colours and minimalistic, geometric shapes standing out from the crowd even today. I like how the art was described by Harper himself (sorry it is quite long).
“When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don’t see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures. I regard the picture as an ecosystem in which all the elements are interrelated, interdependent, perfectly balanced, without trimming or unutilized parts; and herein lies the lure of painting; in a world of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe.”
Website – www.charleyharperartstudio.com
Fun and playful portfolio from Brighton University illustration graduate Henrietta Swift. Though she is said to be an illustrator, there is quite a lot of graphic design in her portfolio along with some photography, adding a dimension to her collection.
Shown is her piece ‘Dogs’, consisting of several dog models which can be wheeled around when they need some fresh air.
Website – www.henriettaswift.com
Canadian Stefan Thompson has a beautifully vivid, surreal and sketchy style of painting and drawing, with his work often focusing on animals and nature.
As well as his unique style, Stefan Thompson is relatively unique in that he has a high level awareness of the state of the environment being a environmental science student at Carleton University. This awareness is evident in his approach to art, his work often being done using earth paints which are non-toxic, reducing his effects on the environment.
Website – www.stefanthompson.com
Deviantart – stefanthompson.deviantart.com
Awe-inspiring wish-wash, hybrid illustrations by Australian Ashley Wood, created through using a mixture of traditional painting techniques, digital photography and graphics software.
Website – www.ashleywoodartist.com
Vivid, colourful illustrations with the particular one (Multivox) reminding me of Mexico and ‘Día de los Muertos’, though, surprisingly, Emmanuel Malin is based in Paris.
Website – www.emmanuelmalin.com
