artist|study : COLWYN THOMAS

COLWYN THOMAS creates richly layered illustrations that are both imaginative and emotionally poignant. His work is created by hand, and then scanned and coloured digitally, making for sensitive colour stories with beautiful detail. The thing that entices me so much to his work is his sense of composition and fun that he incorporates. His work evokes feelings of memory and dreaming, making it captivating for audiences to behold.

artist|study : GABHRIELA SWANN

GABHRIELA SWANN was selected by D&AD as a recipient of their prestigious new blood award.  Her work is heavily focussed upon digital illustration with elements of hand drawn textures to give her work an extraordinary depth and tactility. Her subtle use of colour and tone create pieces that really jump off the page and catch the eye.  I'm a big fan of her use of detail, and of her typography skills which add a lovely finish to her work.

artist|study : SIMON PRADES

SIMON PRADES is an illustrator who uses traditional analogue mediums such as pencil and watercolour to create work that is abstract and thought provoking.  He inspires themes and concepts such as memory and dreams within his work, and creates narrative through abstract composition.  I'm draw to his use of texture within his work, and aim to capture this within my own, as a means of blending the hand drawn with digital.

artist|study : 'THE SAND STORM' // JASON WISHNOW

A dystopian vision of a future without water, the production of this film itself was somewhat of an act of rebellion.  Staring Ai Wiewei; an artist heavily under Chinese government surveillance since 2011, the film struggled through a production completely under the radar.  An exciting concept, this film is currently in it's final stages of editing, while the world awaits the potentially revolutionary piece of independent cinema.

artist|study : 'HER' // SPIKE JONZE

'Sometimes I think I have felt everything I'm ever gonna feel. And from here on out, I'm not gonna feel anything new. Just lesser versions of what I've already felt.'  HER is an unconventional love story, playing upon ideas of loneliness, interaction and our perceptions of what love is.  An overarching feeling of melancholy sets the backdrop for a film bursting with moments of powerful emotion and cutting social commentary.  There is a strong sense of social disconnection within the film, revolving around the nature of technology and its dominance over our lives.  Joaquin Phoenix gives a flawless performance as a man suffering through the loneliness of living a life alone within this world.  The styling throughout the film is also a thing of perfection.

artist|study : GEZ FRY

GEZ FRY is a digital illustrator, who combines hand drawn processes alongside digitally generated imagery.  His work has a strong sense of narrative and composition.  The thing that draws me to his work the most is the seamless way in which he mixes different processes to create work that is visually stunning.  I'm aiming to create work that uses the same processes, and have realised that I need to really think about my use of colour and texture, in order to bring things together more successfully.  Also, detail will remain important as ever.

artist|study : JEONGMOON CHOI

JEONGMOON CHOI is a Korean born artist, who specialises in the use of light and thread to create works that effect perceptions of space and room.  Her work uses UV lighting, something that I have been experimenting with myself.  If anything, seeing her work has encouraged me to think bigger and experiment more with the possibilities of what I can achieve.  Her work has a real intricate beauty and delicacy to it.  Simply wonderful.

artist|study : MARGARET ATWOOD / 'THE HANDMAID'S TALE'

'THE HANDMAID'S TALE' by ATWOOD is a cautionary tale of dystopia, objectification and out and out feminism.  The tale deals with a vision of America (renamed Gilead) ravaged by nuclear fallout, falling birth rates and a religious state of dictatorship.  A story with a strong moral message, Margaret Atwood brilliantly and tantalisingly weaves a nightmarish vision of a world wherein women and sexual reproduction have become a commodity and objects of political manipulation. The strongest aspect of the novel is the way in which personal realisation and self value are picked apart and brutally pieced back together again. A truly great read.

artist|study : ANDREAS PREIS

ANDREAS PREIS is a German illustrator who has worked for clients including adidas, Atomic, Bruce Dunlop & Associates, ck one, DC Comics, DigitalArts to name but a few.  He mixes hand drawn elements with strong digital techniques creating work that is bold and vibrant.  I love his use of detail. For me, it would be interesting to mix more digital elements with the hand drawn to give my work the graphic nature that I have been after.

artist|study : GEORGE ORWELL / '1984'

I have just finished reading the incredible '1984' by George Orwell.  Despite being left aghast at the brutal conclusion, the book was awe inspiring.  It dealt with themes from oppression, surveillance, the human spirit, love, social manipulation and even the very meaning of human existance.  Orwell's vision of a future governed by an omnipotent political Party (INGSOC) was so thorough, accurate and absolute that it is difficult to believe that the book itself was written half a century ago.  The most horrifying aspect of his dystopian vision is that he wasn't too far from the truth.  Are we heading into a future of slavery and mindless allegiance to a governing body over which we have no say or input?  The message in this book seems to be more and more relevant.

artist|study : RICHARD KILROY

RICHARD KILROY has to be the undisputed master of male fashion illustration.  His work is simple, beautiful and always manages to capture the light and likeness of his subject exquisitely.  Famed for his use of line, he has worked for clients all over the globe, including Christian Dior, Canali and VMan.  The aspect of his work that I would like to transfer to my own is his way of capturing detail.  I want for my work to be as striking as his.

artist|study : MUSTAFA SOYDAN

MUSTAFA SOYDAN is a fashion illustrator who works using Photoshop and Illustrator to create his complex and detailed pieces.  His work draws themes from all walks of life.  His work is beautiful and inspiring, but the thing that I like the most about him as an artist is the prolific nature in which he works.  I've always been a bit slow at producing work, so maybe I need to take a leaf out of his book and just get on with actually doing it...?

artist|study : JUDITH VAN DEN HOEK

JUDITH VAN DEN HOEK is a fashion illustrator from the Netherlands.  She has worked for clients such as Tom Ford, Chanel and Marc Jacobs.  She also blogs for Vogue.  Her work has a beautiful simplicity to it, and expresses real movement.  She seems to be able to capture outfits and fabrics with just a few brush strokes.  Her use of unusual composition adds a real interest to her work; something that I am working on myself.