Graphic designer Russ Mills scans in textures and random scribbles and manipulates them with his computer. The result, however, is anything but digital. The Leeds Metropolitan University graduate paints with bold strokes that frame detailed illustrations of face and character. Mills uses drab canvases to emphasize streaks of color among monotone splatters, which highlights nearly hidden profiles subjects that draw you in with moody gazes. [via picdit]

Creating micro worlds filled with color and wonder, Russian artist Dmitry Maximov blends illustration and photographic technique to create two-dimensional pieces that pulse with personality and whimsy. His pieces are dynamic and dark, often centering around lonely bulbous characters playfully interacting with the world around them. The cute little monsters seem to live in a human-like world filled with familar scenes seen in cities and the countryside — landscapes that are beautiful and lonely, seemingly unwilling or unable to take notice of the colorful creatures. [via fubiz]

It’s hard to figure out exactly what’s going with Norimichi Hirakawa’s high-tech art installation. Using contact microphones, a giant screen and a Mac Pro running some kind of visualization algorithm alchemy, the Japanese artist has created an interactive piece that’s puzzling, mesmerizing and more than a little haunting. Swirling, undulating lines heave and spiral, dance and fade away — it could be a simulation of a trip through hyperspace or an experience we will all witness when the switch is finally thrown on that Large Hadron Collider. It’s also hard to tell if Hirakawa’s explanation of the installation loses something in translation or is a dead-on synopsis of his hypnotic art:

Do we have any way other than facing the surroundings with our body in the situation where the observed object is lost by the observation?

Hrmm… He makes a good point… I think. Either way, the installation looks amazing. Wish I could watch it in person. [via fabrikproject]

With eyes on every crease, line, tuck and fold, master sculptor Dominique Regnier carves intricate female forms out of marble and wood. Some of his more erotic pieces, like “Armelle de Carennac,” (pictured above) are scantily pantied forms captured in mid-movement or cheeky peeks up skirts, but many of Regnier’s works are more classic studies in female form and shape. [via fabrikproject]

Depending on your perspective, the photography of Richard Barnes either inspires wonder– or fear.  While the ornithophobes will see only terror, the rest of us are amazed by the visual appeal of animal nature.  Barnes’ muse is the animals of the sky, and the patterns and shapes they take which don’t look natural at all.  With this, Barnes is a true original, an artist with an aviary paintbrush we have not yet seen on film.  [via boooooooom]

Art imitates life– and while it is hard to capture the magic of nature and the beauty of evolution in a miniature form, renowned Cuban artist Jorge Mayet manages to do so with astonishing ease. Creating lifelike and often haunting images of the plant kingdom, these amazing small scale sculptural installations are simultaneously complex, beautiful, alive and lonely. Perfect for those who love nature and wish to add a touch of the exotic and the eccentric to their home, the high-quality pieces of art are made from acrylic, electric wires, paper and fabric. [via FabrikProject]

The dynamic, colorful images created by German graphic designer Sebastian Onufszak are intricate and detailed, but convey concepts bold enough to find commercial branding buyers. His vibrant work has earned scores of top commissions from image-conscious companies like Sony, Audi, MTV, Bacardi, Jeep, Nike and RayBan, pictured above and below.  In all, a welcome addition to StyleCrave’s artwork favorites… [via coolhunter]

Though it’s sad that even wildlife needs advertising these days, it’s one way of making people aware that our natural environment needs conservation, research and restoration. An established international brand, the WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature) hired the creative folks from Ogilvy & Mather from India to design their latest ad campaign that sends out a clear message “Our Life at the Cost of Theirs?”. It sure looks like the wandering elephant, the endangered turtle or the sad rhino could use our help… [via FrederikSamuel]

While art is always open to interpretation, it’s often the most apparent emotions that can be the most striking. Same goes for Mikel Uribetxeberria’s Animalia, a composite collection of fabulous photographs that creatively portrays wild animals in hollow, empty human settlements. Is the gorilla pondering how to escape extinction or the reindeer how to get on a first flight to the North Pole? Though calm and peaceful, none of the beautiful beasts seem to enjoy a day in the wild world of humans, but the stunning outcome is synonym with art. The art of domesticating the wild? [via Mikel Uribetxeberria]