Illogical and unnerving scenes have long been used by surrealists to depict the machinations of the unconscious mind, and taking inspiration from this genre has opened up these artists' own personal dreamworld.
Concept artist Mélissa Houpert's journey into the unreal began with a painting by dystopian surrealist Zdzisław Beksinski. "It haunted me for a long time," she says. "I found something in it that I had not seen anywhere else." Although the art had affected her profoundly, it took a while for Mélissa to feel confident enough to put something of this into her own work; she thought it wasn't what people wanted her to create, and doing so didn't feel legitimate to her. "I painted a lot of environments and I always loved the melancholic feeling they had. But one day, a client whose work I admire came to me for an album cover and it gave me a chance to express myself, and to believe in myself. It was the kick I needed to trust in my process."
A GATEWAY TO INFINITY
Studying literature nurtured her fascination for certain symbols and themes, which she developed and explored through her art. "The image of the tunnel, the portal, and the mirror are important to me. I love the way they lead us to another universe, another way of thinking, or just another reality. I like the concept of transition," she says.
Cosmic elements feature strongly in Mélissa's work; she enjoys the idea of them as a gateway to somewhere else that is beyond our world. "It's the huge infinity. I have always loved the sensation of being nothing compared to the stars and the galaxy," she says.
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Denne historien er fra August 2022-utgaven av ImagineFX.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Raquel M. Varela
Raquel is inspired by magic, fantasy and fairy tales. She loves designing female characters from distant worlds. \"My greatest reference is Loish's art, thanks to her I learned to draw the movement and fluidity I like to convey.\"
Estrela Lourenço
Estrela is a children's book author and illustrator. Her work is influenced by her background in character animation and storyboards for clients such as Cartoon Network, and she channels comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes.
Daria Widermanska
Daria, also known as Anako, has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Inspired by Disney and classic anime, she loves creating new characters and often finds that a single sketch can spark a unique story.
Allen Douglas
Allen has been painting professionally since 1994 for the publishing and gaming industries. Inspired by folklore, he distorts the size, relationships and environments of animals, and calls his paintings 'unusual wildlife'.
Thaddeus Robeck
Thaddeus has been drawing from the moment he could hold a pencil, but it was the 2020 lockdowns that gave him the time to focus on honing his skills.
DRAW FASCINATING SYMBOLIC ARTWORK
Learn how JULIÁN DE LA MOTA creates a composition from his imagination with a focus on crafting figures, volumetric modelling, and light and shadow
First Impressions
The artist talks about his journey into the mythological world
CREATIVE STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY
Co-founder and creative force André Luís talks about the ethos and evolution of Trojan Horse Was A Unicorn
Gigi Murakami
Shock and terror! Step into the world of the American horror manga artist, where her tastes are on full display
The path to the top at a video games company
No cheat codes required Tanya Combrinck finds out exactly what it takes to make the leap from burgeoning student to game-shaping art director