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

Weirdly Charming

If you’re a fan of art that makes you do a double-take, you need to check out Richard Brener . Based in the UK, Richard is an internationally collected artist who works primarily with ink, fineliners, and gouache. When you first see his pieces, they actually look pretty playful. Then you realize the entire canvas is packed with thousands of tiny, ghost-like shapes he calls "champs." They’re all squeezed together like commuters on a rush-hour train, and the level of detail is honestly mind-blowing. Richard spends hundreds of hours drawing these little guys over and over. It’s obsessive, very intentional, and a little bit wild. The cool part is that the longer you stare, the more the vibe shifts. Check out more photos below:

'Star Wars' cutaway illustrations by Hans Jenssen and Richard Chasemore

These illustrations by Hans Jenssen and Richard Chasemore explore the inner workings of some of the most famous Star Wars vehicles, from the AT-AT walker to the Millennium Falcon. The interesting part about these images is that they're completely hand drawn, with no help from a computer whatsoever. Prepare to marvel at these wonderful examples of sci-fi art! [h/t: Galactic Academy ]

Where Bad Space and Good Music Collided

My first apartment was in Malate, and calling it “small” would be generous. I lived there with two girls and one guy, and to this day, I genuinely don’t know how we all fit. It felt like a magic trick. Or a health hazard. We were a musical mess. One roommate lived and breathed ’70s classics. Another was permanently blasting Korn and Slipknot. One survived solely on cheesy love songs. And me? I was floating somewhere between new wave and folk rock, pretending that made sense. Somehow, despite the noise and the chaos, we all lived together in this weird, mismatched harmony. No murders. No lawsuits. A win, honestly. My music taste now is nothing like it was in my twenties. Not even close. But I’ll always be grateful to Jacqueline for introducing me to this song in particular. It was playing when I woke up from a very memorable sleep in 2002. I was 21, half-awake, probably confused about life, and that song stuck. It still hasn’t let go.

finding cain

Search This Blog