Jacquie Severs

I was sent along a link to the work of illustrator Alexey Kurbatov by a friend. At first I was confused, was this digital or watercolour? Hand-rendered or careful digital tracings?
I'm left with the answer that it doesn't really matter how an illustration this stunning is created. If it is successful, it is successful and I am trying not to question it much more than that. I have to leave my technical questions behind, and what remains is stunning work from this young Russian artist.

please click to enlarge as always

He has a gift for mixing bold areas of black with thin lines in a way that is balanced. Tone and shadow become dimensional. The portraits he creates are stunning. I love how areas of the works fade into nothingness, like watercolours washed out into the paper. Beautiful technique.

I love the image of Frida Khalo (below right) because the artist herself painted so many self portraits, yet this image still seems like a fresh interpretation of her. In particular her head is turned to the side, giving the viewer a fresh perspective but still the familiar images we are used to seeing alongside her are there, the flowers, the brows. I like the pensive expression as well.





The artist is Moscow-based and works as a graphic designer, illustrator, photographer and fine artist.
His work has appeared in the Russian publication Snob magazine, among others. A public gallery that shows experimental work had an exhibition of his illustrations last year.