The Creatures of Claudio Romo

Though the creatures of Claudio Romo are bizarre and at times, frightening, the illustrator’s distinct linework gives each a certain elegance. The Chile-based artist has produced a number of books carrying his strange monsters and plantlife (among them, the beautifully titled “The Book of Imprudent Flora”). Through often carrying no specific timeline, his practice has also extended into the futuristic, as evidenced below.

“[He] explores the secret meanderings of nature and of the human mind, taking us into a carnivalesque and at times sinister world that shows us how life feeds on anomalies and eccentricities, not on normality,” says publisher LIBRI.it “Drawing on mythological, alchemical, and science-fiction imagery, Romo reminds us of the ephemeral nature of reality, which is nothing but the product of fantasy.”

See more of his work on his Instagram account.

Topics

Claudio Romo, Fantasy, illustration

Adventure Time, Andy Ristaino, illustration

April 24, 2017

Andy Ristaino is an Emmy-winning artist known for being the lead character designer, writer, and background artist on the TV show Adventure Time. Ristaino’s hand always seem to be at work, whether it’s the show’s elegant, detail-packed title cards on the crowded drawings he scratches onto napkins and placemats. Both highlight the artist’s talent for making every corner of the page work for him.

Marianne Gretteberg Engedal’s Deceptive Illustrations of ‘Men With Plants’

illustration, Marianne Gretteberg Engedal, Skinkeape

January 2, 2018

Oslo-based artist Marianne Gretteberg Engedal, also known as “Skinkeape,” crafts illustrations that often focus on humorously proportioned men and houseplants. The artist’s muted palettes push the surrealism of each work even further, as well as her tendency to allow erased lines to become part of the final product. The works are deceptive in their simplicity, the artist’s knack for texture and framing surfacing through the humor of each scene.

Alessandro Ripane’s Humorously Grotesque Illustrations

Alessandro Ripane, digital art, drawing, illustration

September 10, 2014

All that should look solid melts right off in the compositions of Alessandro Ripane. Many of his characters have a mass of dripping liquid with plants protruding in all directions in lieu of real faces. Other figures sprout plants from their limbs while their gleaming white bones peek through. Yet these morbid compositions manage to keep a whimsical twist; in some, giant pink ice cream cones drip heavily. Genoa-born Ripane remembers collecting comic books and volumes on wild animals, a habit that definitely informs his strange imagery. Each vignette gives the sensation that the viewer is walking in on the strange characters. A couple cuddling becomes a strange mass of plants, melting parts and mangled flesh. But not all is lost: Ripane makes sure to let one of the figures keep his socks and shoes on. Part Surrealism, part satire and all visceral, Ripane's works leave few parts intact but offer plenty of visual gems.

The Overflowing Illustrations of Selin Çınar

graphic design, illustration, Selin Çınar

July 11, 2018

Illustrator Selin Çınar crafts unexpected elements tucked inside familiar forms. Creating work under the moniker “Axstone,” the artist is able to move between the worlds of exhibiting and character design. She also implements varying techniques in the pieces, with elements of pointillism, clean linework, and a less controlled approach sometimes appearing in the same piece. Çınar is a member of the illustrator collective Krüw.

The Creatures of Claudio Romo

Elegant Title Cards and Scratchy Napkin Drawings by Andy Ristaino

Marianne Gretteberg Engedal’s Deceptive Illustrations of ‘Men With Plants’

Alessandro Ripane’s Humorously Grotesque Illustrations

The Overflowing Illustrations of Selin Çınar

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List

Follow us on our social networks

Shop

Subscribe

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List