American illustrator Eric Petersen is back with his stylised take on limbo

Eric Petersen’s illustrations have an eerie, slightly ominous tone to them as his characters meander blank, gradient-filled worlds. We featured his work last autumn and in this update, there’s personal work mixed in with even more commissions from The Guardian, M Le magazine du Monde and Contagious. The American illustrator’s unique style is as present as ever with his selective use of shadow and flat colours which add to the unusual mood of his work.

Eric’s depictions of people in colourful voids are strongest when there’s a familiarity in what they do or how they act. The surreal nature of his alternative reality is present even in his editorial commissions. Eric adapts his style to suit the needs of a story by bringing in objects for his characters to interact with or placing more purpose behind their actions.