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

12 TIPS TO DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTERS

Animation artist Brian Weisz gives an inside look at his work, offering insight on drawing exercises, ideation and key principles of design

BUILD ATMOSPHERE IN ILLUSTRATION

Take your art to the next level with Eugenia Vi as she talks through vital techniques for setting a mood in your work

PUSH COLOURS WHILE PAINTING

Richard Lay recommends gradually developing a vibrant palette when creating your next artwork

CREATE EPIC ARTWORK FOR AN RPG COVER

Antonio De Luca shares the key elements that went into crafting an attention-grabbing Gandalf piece

PAINT PORTRAITS WITH URBAN STYLE

Bring a touch of street chic to your artwork as Alvaro Escobar explains his process for creating expressive, stylised portraits

PHOTOBASH FIERCE PROMOTIONAL ART

Lina Sidorova explains the techniques that she used to create a dramatic promo piece for fantasy video game Dragon Nest

DESIGN STYLISED BLENDER WORLDS

Andrés Aponte teaches you how to integrate the free 3D app into your worldbuilding and visual development processes

CREATE A PENCIL PORTRAIT SKETCH

Illustrator Brooks Kim puts methods from the masters into practice as he details the making of his Procreate drawing

THE ART OF NATHAN FOWKES

Dominic Carter talks to the concept pro about getting the most out of his sketchbooks, and the cusp of huge change facing artists

The best of Vertex

Artists reunited We reflect on a fantastic day meeting our incredible digital art community and learning from so many talented speakers

Life with a small animation studio

Size matters Tanya Combrinck looks at how being tasked to do more with less at a small studio can make you a better animator

A Tribute To Akira Toriyama

Remembering a legend Artists from across the world pay homage to the influential manga artist and genius creator of Dragon Ball

First Impressions

The illustrator reveals his journey through the world of art

DEVELOP 3D SKILLS FOR CONCEPT ART

Gaëlle Seguillon creates a breathtaking fantasy environment by combining a selection of techniques within her workflow

DRAW FUTURISTIC VEHICLE DESIGNS

John A. Frye uses just a single brush to transform his messy thumbnail into a bold and colourful hard-surface creation

PART 5: SIMPLIFY THE VALUE SCALE

Charlie Pickard introduces his top advice for achieving strong values in your artwork to create clear and powerful imagery

Charles Ratteray

Page-turner Library meets laboratory in the artist's studio, packed with inspiration and a mix of media

How to tell a story in an image

Narrative masters Tanya Combrinck talks to four artists about using visual elements to imbue their work with personal and universal human stories

ILLUSTRATE A MAGICAL CHARACTER

For this illustration, I was asked to create a fun, bright image with the theme of making artwork magical by the developers behind the digital drawing app Clip Studio Paint.

First Impressions - Glenn Arthur

Influences from Disneyland shape the artist’s work