Justin Gerard is a very talented classical and digital illustrator, whose work I admire. His style mostly consists of subject matter that usually has cartoon-like or heavily stylized perspective and proportions, but that also has believable texture and grit. He seems to specialize/have a heavy interest in the fantasy genre, and his works always look as though they are a lot of fun to work on, if not a little tedious. I admire his style mainly for the qualities of it that I just stated, and there is such a fun atmosphere surrounding his works, even if he is depicting something grim or gruesome.
From his choice of colors, to the way his subject matter is proportioned, he has an extremely satisfying way of depicting said subject matter. He is skilled at avoiding having the often complex nature of his texturing and shading negatively “clash” with the way things are depicted in his works.
There is always an aura of whimsicality to his works, and he is great at building and establishing mood and atmosphere. I think the fantasy genre lends itself really well to they types of gritty textures he seems to love to depict, whether it’s scratched metal, or scaly skin.
I hold this artist with high regard, and will continue to be an inspiration to me, even if/when I get to his skill level.
Jonah Jackson 