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A comic-style illustration split into three panels. The first shows Medusa with snakes for hair and a skeleton; the second features a smiling, balding man next to a skull; the third depicts a giant owl and a monster beside a volcano.

Illustration: Slick film posters and incredible draughtsmanship from Joe Wilson

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Date
16 October 2013

Flippin’ ‘eck, we’re rather startled to find that we’ve never featured Joe Wilson on the site before save for a single image included in a Little White Lies show post way back in the summer of 2011. Allow us to rectify that oversight Joe…

Joe’s a UK-based illustrator and film buff working in a style that’s reliant on a phenomenal attention to detail and precision draughtsmanship. This boy can really draw. Working in pencil, ink and digital colour, Joe creates rich, complex illustrations that evoke vintage movie posters, pulp novels and comics from the 1970s but with a contemporary feel (often the result of Joe’s digital colour palettes). His line work is exemplary and draws inspiration from comic book heroes like Charles Burns, striking a careful balance between fluid lines and dense areas of black. We’d be surprised if you’ve not come across some of Joe’s work out there in the real world already as he’s worked with a pretty impressive range of clients, but if not, here he is in all his glory.

An illustration of Ray Harryhausen surrounded by his most famous creature designs. The image features a central portrait of Harryhausen flanked by a Hydra, a skeleton, and a gorilla. Bold text across the bottom reads “Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan”.
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Joe Wilson: Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan film poster

An illustration of the Forest Spirit from Princess Mononoke standing on a rocky outcrop. The creature has a human-like face and large, branching antlers, surrounded by small white spirits and a dark, wooded landscape. Japanese text is written across the bottom of the image.
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Joe Wilson: Princess Mononoke for Blisters Directors Cut

An illustration for a book cover titled “The Man with Compound Eyes” by Wu Ming-Yi. A large black cat stands on a wave, overlooking a dead whale and a yellow sea turtle amidst floating debris. In the background, a small plane flies over yellow mountains under a full moon.
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Joe Wilson: The Man With Compound Eyes

An illustration for the film Trainspotting. A large, pale face is framed by a border of brown flames and a background of repeating trains. Below, a headless figure lies flat on their back next to the word “Trainspotting”.
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Joe Wilson: Trainspotting

An illustration of a person screaming, their face tilted upwards with eyes wide. Several arrows pierce through the frame, some striking the figure.
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Joe Wilson: Throne of Blood

A black and white illustration of a person in profile, wearing glasses and a collared shirt. They have thick, wavy hair and sideburns, looking off to the right.
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Joe Wilson: H.B Halicki in the original Gone In 60 Seconds

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Further Info

About the Author

James Cartwright

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James started out as an intern in 2011 and came back in summer of 2012 to work online and latterly as Print Editor, before leaving in May 2015.

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