Note: Contains nudity. Throughout history, the nude figure has been a staple of Western art. Ancient Greece was heavily focused on the subject, using it to express the ideals particularly of male beauty. With the Renaissance, the body was a revival of antiquity models, embracing humanism, religion and symbolism. Today, the naked body still acts […]
Author: Sara Barnes
Tattoos Fuse Fine Art with Polygons by Renan Batista
Renan Batista produces colorful tattooed portraits of animals and people. Working in a neo-traditional style, the Berlin-based creative is influenced by fine art painting techniques as well as polygonal shapes. His images are shaded to appear three-dimensional—Batista cites Paulo Frade as a teacher—and are also fractured by small, thinly-outlined flattened forms. Together, these approaches are […]
10 Artists Who Reimagine the Creative Possibilities of Paper
There are endless possibilities when creating with paper. More than just a surface to draw on, artists manipulate the ancient material into sculptures, collages, and even fashion accessories. The diverseness of paper lends itself to a myriad of stylistic approaches and exploration of themes. Some artists use collage cutouts to create mystical characters, while others […]
Minimalist Tattoos by Lee Stewart Mimic the Graceful Flow of Ink
Lee Stewart mimics the graceful, flowing lines of a brushstroke in her minimalist body art. Riding a fine line between tattoos and Japanese sumi-ink paintings, she conveys elegant, sweeping marks in seemingly one motion. At times, this abstract imagery celebrates a love of painting, while in other instances, the powerful strokes define animals, birds, and […]
9 Tattoo Artists Who Have Also Made a Career as Painters
Fine art and tattooing go hand in hand. Both utilize the same skills, such as a talent for drawing and an eye for color. So, it’s no surprise that many prominent tattooers also make time for a second type of artistic practice. And sometimes, their paintings outshine their career in ink. For tattoo artists, painting […]
Soulful-Eyed Girls that Melt Rainbows by Camilla d’Errico
Pop surrealist painter Camilla d’Errico melts rainbows with characters that have oversized, soulful eyes. They stare at the viewer with an overwhelming intensity, simultaneously communicating innocence with feelings of sadness, wonder, and boredom. In addition to her candy-colored characters, animals are another focal point of her paintings. They often act as an elaborate headpiece or […]
Reimagined Reality: The Colorful Tattoos of Giena Todryk
Belarus tattooer Giena Todryk uses vibrant colors to create surrealist neo-traditional body art. The hues are so bright that they vibrate and radiate from the skin, producing the feeling of trippiness, like we’re on some sort of psychedelic drug. There’s nothing realistic about his animal and nature portraits—they’re clad in beautiful jewel tones punctuated by […]
Foreboding Creature Tattoos are Modern Brothers Grimm
Tortoises, hares, skulls, and crows—these are all characters featured in Parvick Faramarz’s blackwork tattoos. The Moscow-based artist combines intricate dot and bold lines, creating a subtle texture and sense of motion in every tattoo. At times, they appear as if they’re crawling over the skin. Together, they conjure vintage illustrations of folklore; not the type […]
Distorted Portraits in a Dreamlike State by Henrik Uldalen
Self-taught artist Henrik Uldalen puts a contemporary spin on 19th century figurative painting. Combining realistic styling with distortion, portraits of people are wiped away and obscured, as if Uldalen is trying to erase their memory. He’s interested in the dark side of life, exploring themes of nihilism, existentialism, and loneliness, juxtaposed with subjects’ vulnerable beauty. […]
Photorealistic Still Life with Something “Wrong”
Artist Tatsuya Erikawa carefully constructs realities through painstakingly-rendered drawings. Created in a photorealistic style, they depict still lifes with objects arranged slightly askew. A tiny skeleton takes a bath in festively-decorated glass, while army men set a curious mouse trap. Erikawa’s awe-inspiring technical abilities are highlighted by the strange situations, and their realism makes them […]