Illustrations have always been a special form of art. Here there are no barriers, restrictions or conventions; every artist can express 100% of what they are thinking. We selected a few of our favourite ones which we found inspirational and captivating. Some of them seem to be inspired by similar vision, whereas others have completely contrasting views of the world. But they’re all stunningly talented.
The artist Aeppol has a fantastic ability to both depict the small things in life which bring us joy, and also to occasionally dive into an imaginary, fairytale world full of unusual adventures and uncharted paths. Her characters are believable, her drawing style warm and friendly, and her imagination can make you believe in wonders.
The young, talented artist Nastya Kamentsova creates astounding illustrations in which every character simply radiates love and light. She draws with the help of felt-tip pens, and then completes the composition using a computer programme.
The illustrations of the artist Puuung bring to life those simple but wonderful moments of love we experience in our everyday lives.
Rina Zenyuk’s favourite subject in her artwork is, clearly, cats. She has created a whole world for them, full of unexpected adventures.
Malaysian illustrator Flying Mouse (or Chow How Lam) not only plays tricks with our perceptions with incredible optical illusions, but has also provided artwork for many famous brands.
Galya Zinko fills her illustrations not only with colour, but also with subtle feelings. She has the amazing ability to draw out what we’re all feeling but can’t always express.
The unique work of Steve Cutts fiercly criticises the modern world. This is not necessarily a bad thing — after all, it makes us face up to the truth, to look it in the eyes.
Dmitry Nepomnyashy and Olga Popugayeva create wonderful illustrations for children’s books, cartoons, and other illustrations for magazines. Sometimes, four hands are better than two.
Pavel Kusha, from Belarus, is a master of creating genuinely amusing images. Each one of his characters has a unique and memorable personality who you can’t help but fall in love with.
The British illustrator John Holcroft has a gift for showing the world around us as it really is — with its absurd obsession with social networks, the ridiculous race of fashion and beauty, and all the other worrying trends which grip our society. He’s sometimes hard to stomach, but always right on target.
Canadian illustrator Steve McDonald lives in Bali, where he spends his time drawing outstanding sketches — including these ones from a series about flying round the world in fantastical machines. His dreamlike images with their fantastical conceptions, architectural wonders, and unusual machines are truly enchanting.