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October 27, 2017
Andy Smith

The Gouache Paintings of Illustrator Bill Mayer

Illustrator Bill Mayer is known for his humorous, yet earnest characters and scenes, rendered with both digital and traditional means. His works often both personify and look at the real-life nature of the animal world. His gouache paintings, featured in this piece, offer a particular, absorbing characteristic.

“I have been playing with the gouache paintings for some time now,” the artist said about his work in a 2015 blog post. “They have been a joy to explore. Sometimes they fail miserably but I always learn something from each of these little failures. It seems like the subject matter may sometimes seem a bit dark and creepy. I am thinking it’s a natural perception because of the surreal nature of the subject matter.”

Since, Mayer’s work has grown in scope and humor. See more of his recent gouache paintings below.

Topics

Bill Mayer, gouache paintings, illustration

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“I'm not even sure I have an imagination anymore,” Toor says. “Or maybe my process of imagining became fully visual: I need to draw and see things in order to imagine new things. Things happen on the canvas and not in my head so much. It's really important for me to stay surprised. I don't see much point in making anything that I can predict..." Read the full article on Ori Tor by clicking above.

Liqen’s Surreal, Nature-Inspired Murals and Illustrations

illustration, Liqen, street art

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Spanish artist Liqen creates murals and illustrations filled with strange, botanical references. In his street art, giant plants seem to morph into various animals and objects, blurring the boundaries between various life forms — and the biological and the manmade. While his murals utilize a tropical color palette, his illustrations are starkly contrasting and monochromatic. He renders rich textures with precise line work, making his characters come alive in the process.

Moon Chanpil’s Imaginative Illustrations of People and Animals

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Animalism, illustration, Moon Chapil

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Rockwell Museum Connects U.S. Illustrators to History of Narrative Realism

illustration, narrative, Norman Rockwell Museum

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Norman Rockwell Museum connects the work of American illustrators to the history of narrative realism in the upcoming exhibition “Keepers of the Flame: Parrish, Wyeth, Rockwell and the Narrative Tradition.” The exhibition, opening June 9 and running through Oct. 28, tethers Golden Age illustrators in the U.S. to 500 years of European painting, with artists like Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, and Norman Rockwell featured. It arrives at a time when the genre has received renewed interest, as the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open in Los Angeles in 2022.

The Gouache Paintings of Illustrator Bill Mayer

Deciphering the “Gibberish Drawings” of Ori Toor

Liqen’s Surreal, Nature-Inspired Murals and Illustrations

Moon Chanpil’s Imaginative Illustrations of People and Animals

Rockwell Museum Connects U.S. Illustrators to History of Narrative Realism

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