Monthly Archives: December 2011

Bright Quirky Character Illustration from Kaley McKean

Posted at 7 pm on December 29, 2011 by Philip Dennis

Posted in: Character Illustration, Comic Art, Mixed Media, Painting

Fantastically bright as much as they are weird and wonderful, we’re enjoying these illustrations by Toronto-based Kaley McKean. Mixing an interest in cartoons and the paranormal, Kaley’s producing unique and charmingly fun work.

Sketchbook Sneak: Topher MacDonald

Posted at 2 pm on December 28, 2011 by Philip Dennis

Posted in: Pencil Illustration, Photoshop, Sketchbooks

Here’s a look at some of Topher MacDonald’s wonderful sketch books. We love the use of lines and one-directional shading.

“Topher MacDonald is an illustrator and avid sketchbook keeper who just moved his studio from Milwaukee, WI to New York City. He uses pencil, ink, Photoshop and Illustrator to create his illustrations, portraits, zines and comics.”

Nick Sheehy/Show Chicken's Beautifully Surreal Universe

Posted at 5 pm on December 26, 2011 by Philip Dennis

Posted in: Character Illustration, Pencil Illustration

Haunting owl-like creatures brandishing strange instruments, in battle with creepy serpents, fill Nick Sheehy/Show Chicken’s depictions of his mythological world. Perhaps it’s his characters’ hollow eyes that create the unsettling atmosphere, but the lovely pastel colours and delicate pencil work create something altogether beautiful. We’d love to see him work on a children’s book!

Ben Phe's Fresh and Original Layer-driven Style

Posted at 1 pm on December 23, 2011 by Philip Dennis

Posted in: Light Art, Mixed Media, Screen Printing

We really like the thickly-laid patterns and the play with layering in Ben Phe’s work. Building on qualities found in screen printing, such as offset layers and moiré patterns created by the interaction between sets of parallel lines, Ben paints onto panes of glass to explore and develop this technique.

Illustrations Inspired by Myth from Juan Chavarria Jr.

Posted at 5 pm on December 21, 2011 by Philip Dennis

Posted in: Digital Illustration, Pencil Illustration, Photoshop

We love the simplicity in the way Juan Chavarria Jr. treats his pencil illustration in Photoshop. The restricted palette highlights the drawings beautifully. He describes below how he finds inspiration and creates his work.

Dale Edwin Murray's 'Hip Hop Head' Series

Posted at 8 pm on December 18, 2011 by Philip Dennis

Posted in: Digital Illustration, Photoshop, Screen Printing

Here are some examples from graphic artis, Dale Edwin Murray. We like the scanned-in textures he uses in his dital imagery, giving it a screen-printed, tactile feel. For more of sharp-edged forms and bold colours, check out his more recent ‘Hip Hop Head’ series on his site.

'Countdown' an Animated Sequence by Céline Desrumaux

Posted at 7 pm on December 13, 2011 by Alex Mathers

Posted in: Animation, Character Illustration, Digital Illustration

It’s animated work and visual imagery like this that gets me extremely excited about independent artists like Céline who can create pieces of such quality. I’m looking forward to seeing more from this talent.