Leslie Barnes' bursting-bright illustrations have a mysterious way of instantly lifting your spirits

Leslie Barnes is an award-winning illustrator and animator based in Glasgow whose compositions can fill any space with a breath of fresh air. I can't remember when I discovered Leslie's work. It must have been six or seven years ago. But I do remember my reaction when I first saw her unique, vibrant and eye-catching designs.

Although Leslie has always loved drawing, she actually has no formal art training (she has a degree in English Literature). Some of her illustrations are somewhat geometric, and the various patterns and effects that she creates are simply mesmerizing. The best part? You can buy limited edition, signed and numbered pieces in her store at remarkably affordable prices.

Leslie has created exclusive product ranges for both the V&A and the Tate Museums in London. Other clients include Clinique, Glamour Magazine, Random House, Puffin Books, Anorak, and OKIDO. She is the author and illustrator of three children's books.

Comments

The Adorable Sculptures of Yen Yen Lo

These images are from a series of wall sculptures created by Yen Yen Lo . Here you can see her intricately textured ceramic pieces, looking downright adorable. Yen Yen Lo's eye for the unique and whimsical is delightful. Apparently they are not intended for kids under 16. Fifteen-year-olds cannot be trusted with fragile stuff. Get them a Funko Pop instead.

Feast your eyes on the making of 'Heisei Mary'

This is a time-lapse video of Japanese artist Shohei Otomo drawing Heisei Mary — a naked Sailor Moon-like figure completely covered in tattoos. The highly-detailed body ink features Spiderman, Darth Vader, Hello Kitty, Naruto, Street Fighter and Dragon Ball characters to name a few. It's really satisfying to see an artist's process, the way their illustration grows and grows out of nothing. Shohei is known for his hyper-realistic sketches using ballpoint pens. Born in Tokyo in 1980, he is the son of Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of the manga Akira . He exhibits his work regularly in Japan and Australia as well as in Mexico and France. Three weeks worth of work are sped up into less than four minutes.

James DeRosso's ceramic monsters

I really like these whimsical ceramic creatures by James DeRosso. Yes, they have bulging eyes and toothy grins, but they're not scary at all. The Portland-based artist started making cute monsters while he was a student to jokingly create gargoyle-like guardians for the kiln. After other students kept taking his quirky little figures, he realized there was a market for them. "I'm enjoying the whole monster making niche," James says. "It's amazingly gratifying to be doing ceramics full time and especially to be a teacher introducing kids to the joy of clay." Be sure to visit his website and like his Facebook page for the latest monster news.

finding cain

Search This Blog