There’s a new article up from me over at Fuel Your Illustration. This time it’s on one of my favorite art subjects: animals! I showcase three of my favorite pet artist and introduce you to some of their best work. Take a moment to look through them and possibly connect with them. They are a great group of women with very different styles. The article is For the Love of Dog: Pet Portrait Artists! Check it out!

I stumbled upon illustrator Rory Doona on accident. I was looking up fanart of Where the Wild Things Are and ran across a speed painting he did of Max. I ended back up at his blog and was blown away by the amazing artwork he has showcased. I cannot even begin to tell you what a treasure I’ve found.

Rory is a manga-style illustrator and animator based in Bristol, UK. He says, “My illustration work is often motivated by a need to create a sense of space and beauty, I also enjoy creating stories and one day hope to be in a position where I can publish these ideas.” His work has been published on local flyers, advertisements in magazines, and used in the well-known publisher TOKYOPOP.

At first glance, it’s easy to mistake Rory’s illustrations for those of animation genius (and personal icon) Hayao Miyazaki. The bright, bold, colors, the seamless linework, the fascinating and whimsical characters: the work demands your attention and your eyes are drawn to every use of light and shadow. I am in love with this other-worldly style he has captured. I want to be in these paintings and experience the worlds he has created. It is easy to see that every piece has a story behind it. Rory says on his facebook page, “My art is for everyone, I draw and design things that inspire me in someway and I hope by sharing them with others I can inspire them too.” I think it’s safe to say that he has certainly inspired me.

Find out more about Rory here:
RoryDoona.com
Rory Doona Blog & Gallery
DeviantArt page
Facebook page
OSnap Prints

Previous Artist Showcases:

I loved James Cameron’s Avatar. Huge, huge fan of this epic film. So when I stumbled onto this fantastic assortment of Avatar fan art, I just had to share. There are some great concept sketches here as well as some breathtaking digital manipulations. Go on and head over to Cretique’s post The Lost Art of Avatar: A Massive Collection of Over 155 Avatar-Inspired Art. Even if you aren’t a fan of the movie (that’s just silly), this artwork is fantastic. Thanks for the great showcase, Cretique!

Who doesn’t love Robots? They are made well, good to have around the house, and they are pretty damn cute. At least the ones drawn by Matt Q. Spangler are. I’m not quite sure when or how it was that I met Matt though I think it was through twitter, but as soon as I saw his illustrations, I was hooked. Robots + Art = Love.

Matt was born and raised in California, and his love for electronics came at an early age. “My mom used to give me broken (and sometimes not) clocks, radios, electronics, and let me to take them apart and see how things worked. Of course I could never put them back together, but the curiosity turned me into a full time tech geek and robot fan.” His passion certainly shines in his artwork.

Matt doesn’t just draw robots – he draws robots with personality. Each bot has a name and a story, from Rock Bot (who I fondly refer to as BowieBot in my head) to Robo-Squids to Heart-bot. I love them all. He gives his reader a daily dose of robot art and since I first started following him, my day just doesn’t start off right without a one. Along with the well drawn robots, Matt also has a great eye for color – these particular illustrations (he does other non-robot artwork) use muted colors but personally, I feel it makes the subject matter come out even more. It adds to their characters. Please take a moment to check out this great illustrator – if you love robots, you’ll love these.

Find out more about Matt here:

Website: MattSpangler.com
Store: Lunarc
Twitter: @mattqspangler

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