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A black and white illustration of a figure crouching on all fours. They are framed by a series of concentric, arched bands in varying shades of grey and black.

Colourful and monochrome new work from our favourite Nathaniel Russell

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Date
23 April 2013

It’s close to a year since we checked up on the brilliant Nathaniel Russell to see what was cooking in his kitchen so, because we’re polite (and because we’ll take any excuse to spend an hour or so on his site), we thought it was about time to update you on his progress. If you’re already familiar with Nat’s work you’ll know why we like him. If not, allow me to explain – he makes use of colour like no other illustrator we know, he also uses plain old brush and ink like an absolute pro, creating sinister, surreal images with short, punchy scraps of written narrative thrown in for good measure. He’s a maker of giant screen prints, a painter of vibrant pictures and he thinks the cosmos is cool! Anyway, most importantly he’s got new work on his site which (SURPRISE!) is really good.

A black and white illustration of a person standing with their back to the viewer in a dense forest. Above them, handwritten text reads “I WISH I WAS BORN AN ANIMAL”.
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Nathaniel Russell: Animal

A watercolour illustration of a yellow hand and red arm reaching upwards. The figure is framed by a rainbow arch of blue, purple, and pink stripes against a black background.
Above

Nathaniel Russell: Rainbow Cave

A black and white illustration of a nude figure seen from behind, standing before a dark, textured void. Hand-drawn text at the top reads “I WANT TO LET THE CURRENT CARRY ME”.
Above

Nathaniel Russell: Current

An illustration of a potted plant with four large, colourful leaves in red, blue, green and yellow. A single black leaf lies on the ground in front of the orange pot.
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Nathaniel Russell: Leaf Pot

A black and white illustration of a bright white light exploding from the centre of the frame. Bold, radiating black lines streak outwards to the edges. Text at the top reads “An important explosion is happening somewhere right now. I can hear it.”
Above

Nathaniel Russell: Explosion

An illustration of a person with blue skin and black hair. Two bright red, jagged leaves partially obscure their face.
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Nathaniel Russell: Leaf Sniff

A black and white illustration of a person’s silhouette, seen from the side, centered within a bright white glow. The figure is surrounded by a hazy, grey circular aura against a solid black background. Hand-drawn text at the top reads “AS LONG AS I EXIST IN THIS GLOWING I AM AN INVISIBLE FORCE: A SPECTRE”.
Above

Nathaniel Russell: Glow

An illustration of a large, orange hand holding a thin green stem. At the top of the stem is a small, blue circular face with a neutral expression.
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Nathaniel Russell: Handheld

A black and white illustration of a figure crouching on all fours beneath a series of concentric grey arches. At the top, handwritten text reads “I AM SENDING MY SONG INTO SPACE”.
Above

Nathaniel Russell: Song

An illustration of a black silhouette of a head, seen from the side. Vibrant, multi-coloured leaves in green, orange and pink sprout from the top and back of the head.
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Nathaniel Russell: Plant Lurk

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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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