Author: Sara Barnes

10 Best Illustrators of 2015

Illustration encompasses many areas of our visual culture. It’s the picture on your coffee cup and a clever advertisement you see while going to work. Illustration is in books, magazines, and accompanies articles online. With so much illustration in the world, there’s a lot of mediocre images out there. But, the cream rises to the […]

Illustrations of Interconnected Life by Meni Chatzipanagiotou

Illustrator Meni Chatzipanagiotou creates fantastical scenes of figures blended with their nature landscapes. Silhouetted humans and animals are filled to the brim with twisted vines, glittering night skies, and beautiful blooms. Every piece is hand-drawn with a single pen, depicting intricate, fine textures that bring the figures and plants to life. The result are whimsical […]

Masterfully Drafted Tattoos by OOZY Add Twist to Famous Art

South Korean tattoo studio OOZY utilizes exquisitely-etched lines to create body art that demonstrates a mastery of classic draftsmanship. Small hatches and thin precise marks are featured in tattoos of animals, portraiture, and art itself. Some of OOZY’s most impressive works are interpretations of famous paintings, like a series of chest tattoos of iconic Da Vinci […]

10 Tattoo Artists That Create Stunning Animal Portraits

Nature is a powerful force. It’s awe-inspiring in its beauty and wondrous in its diversity. Throughout centuries, its animals of all kinds have intrigued humans, becoming the subject of artistic expression, fables, and of course, tattoos. Animals offer a lot of rich material for tattoo artists: they can be personified, completing human-like activities; a favorite […]

Mind-Bending Body Art: Interview with Tattoo Artist Łukasz Sokołowski

It’s as if the Polish-based creative Łukasz Sokołowski was destined to be a tattoo artist. He started his career not once, but twice: first as an inexperienced teenager that created some bad ink. After a long break, he returned to the field ready to try again. The second time Sokołowski started to tattoo, it stuck—he’s […]

Opulent “Cloud City” Constructed Entirely Out of Paper

The Makerie Studio worked in collaboration with photographer Luke Kirwan to create “Cloud City,” an alluring landscape inspired by the intricate patterns in Moroccan architecture. Three egg-shaped palaces seemingly float in mid-air—connected only by ladders—and give the viewer a bird’s-eye-view into the opulent locales. Gilded rails, tiered fountains, and gold lattices are fashioned entirely out […]

Naturalistic Tattoos Resemble Vintage Etchings

Artist Pony Reinhardt transports us to the woods with her naturalistic tattoos. The monochromatic line drawings feature animals, flowers, and even fungi, stitched together in sprawling scenes that highlight the Earth’s beauty. Their detailed style showcases all of the outdoors, from meticulously-etched veins in leaves to roughly-textured bird beaks to the grain of wood on […]

Intricate Cut Paper Portraits Tell Curious Stories

Artist Monique van Uden creates intricate artworks by making meticulous slices with an X-Acto knife. As she cuts from single sheets of paper, things like twisting vines, lush florals, and grandiose scenes all emerge within silhouetted male and female figures. These fine inner details tell stories of their own, and with every composition, it’s as if […]

Meticulously Stippled Ornamental Tattoos by Jessica Kinzer

Jessica Kinzer has only been tattooing since 2014, but she’s produced stunning body art in that time. She adorns her clients with monochromatic baroque designs that feature stylized flowers and elegant flourishes. To shade these sprawling pieces, she pricks the skin with countless tiny dots and creates a stippled effect. Kinzer’s works are inspired by more than […]