English illustrator Luke Brookes creates narrative-driven illustrations using dramatic lighting and a restricted color palette. His graphic compositions boast an atmospheric and energetic aesthetic – one that has drawn clients like Variety, The Telegraph, and Politico.
“My work has evolved quite a lot since I first started illustrating many, many moons ago,” Brookes shared with Inky Goodness. “Initially my work focused on quite heavy textures, juxtaposed with naive shapes and figures. Over the years it changed, evolving to include more dramatic lighting, a bolder more contrasting use of color, often utilizing a limited palette of 3-5 colors, and more polished figurative work.”
While most of his work is digital, his illustrations always start out in the sketchbook. He then inks whatever parts he needs in black ink. Following that, he scans them in, after which he colors them up in Photoshop, using a Wacom. He also enjoys creating more personal illustration work. “Working without a brief can be pretty liberating and it’s a great way to experiment without time pressures or any restrictions,” he says.
And when he’s not illustrating you can find him playing video games, watching movies, or taking long walks with his family and dog, Rufus. We highly recommend you follow his journey on his Instagram page.
