All images © Russ Mills, shared with permission
Artist Russ Mills (previously) describes his chaotic, illustrated portraits as being ruled by the absurd. Bright bursts of color, paint splatters, and doodles scrawl across the canvas and surround single figures with a mishmash of markings. “I try to convey the ridiculousness of the world we all share in a way that only I really relate to,” he tells Colossal.
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Currently based near Brighton, Mills balances analog and digital techniques in his practice. He begins each piece with a sketch and scanned source materials that become the crayon-like textures and thick brushstrokes in his final works. Once he places the central figure, he layers an array of markings that both conceal and help define the subject, and the resulting portraits feature curled edges, scraps of paper haphazardly taped together, and bold streaks and splotches.
Shop prints of the pieces shown here, and explore a larger collection of Mills’s works on Behance and Instagram.
Source: thisiscolossal.com