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There are a lot of ways that you can use Instagram. You can use it as a secondhand way to watch TikTok dances. You could use it as a way to get fashion inspiration to apply to your own wardrobe. You can use it to follow your friends, follow your favorite celebrities, or add to the follower count of some of the Insta-sphere’s notorious “influencers.”
My personal favorite way to use Instagram is to follow artists from all over the world whose art I would never have the chance to be exposed to if it weren’t for Instagram. It amazes me that I can be scrolling down my feed and see a work by an artist from New York City (very close to where my home is) and then keep scrolling and the very next post is from someone in some remote part of Japan. That’s pretty cool if you ask me.
Yes, the internet has connected the world in some pretty interesting ways and has given us the opportunity to be exposed to different ideas, styles, and aesthetics that we wouldn’t normally come in contact with.
Additionally, Instagram has become a major business tool for those seeking to make a living from their visual art. It allows them to garner a fanbase, get more exposure, and ultimately make money from that audience, all while inspiring the world with their creative work. In fact, Instagram may be the most important development of all time for the proliferation of independent artists as a career.
So, in honor of all the amazing artists sharing their work out there on the internet, I thought that I could use my sphere of influence here at ALittleBitHuman to draw some attention to some of my favorite artists out there on Instagram. If you like the works shown in this article, give these artists a follow and maybe even consider buying one of their pieces.
@barcthedog
@barcthedog has been one of my favorite artists on Instagram for a long time. The man behind the brand is Alexander Lansang, a native of Jersey City (in my home state), who started out drawing his BARC character and has since moved into many different types of media. Today, BARC has been represented as a toy, as a 3D-modeled alternate virtual experience, in paintings, on clothing, and so much more.
BARC is an alter-ego of the artist that explores the urban Jersey City setting in which the artist grew up. However, as is proved by Lansang’s recent “Jungle Show” in Brooklyn, New York, BARC is willing to adventure into the wild jungle as well as the urban jungle.
The illustration style in which BARC is depicted is reminiscent of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Samurai Jack, showing Lansang’s clear ‘90s cartoon influence. Overall, the BARC universe is large, immersive, entertaining, and thrilling. While you’re checking out BARC, don’t forget to take a look at @crabthegod, our hero’s nemesis.
@ian_cinco
Here’s another artist based out of New York City that I’ve been a huge fan of for a long time. @ian_cinco is a prolific creator, releasing more comic books, paintings, drawings, and films than I ever thought was possible for a human being. I’d be surprised if Cinco ever sleeps.
In fact, I once ordered several of his stickers and they came in the mail along with an incredible illustration that would probably take a lesser artist hours to draw.
Cinco recently released his first book Erratica Volume 1 Shift of Essence, a compendium of his works from 2013 to 2017. He’s now got a series of comic books in the works titled Neon Spring, which appears to be his futuristic cyberpunk masterpiece. Cinco’s style is surrealist, futuristic, and even horrifying at times.
@yayitsnickpyle
Clearly inspired by legendary artists such as Chris Moore and Chris Foss, @yayitsnickpyle is carrying on the sci-fi tradition with his elaborate and awe-inspiring illustrations that bring us to foreign planets in a distant future.
Nick Pyle’s style is mostly characterized by his dazzling android characters, often depicted wielding futuristic weapons and looking ready for combat. His use of light on metallic surfaces makes these characters glimmer in a dazzling and exciting way.
Nick Pyle has also created some amazing comics, titled Roam/FX and Veer: Gate 1, that feature his signature illustration style along with some captivating storylines. You can also find his illustrations printed on t-shirts, bags, and other pieces of apparel and merchandise.
Throughout his entire body of work, Pyle’s style has been extremely consistent, giving viewers the impression that his universe might actually exist in some distant corner of the some distant galaxy.
@gabriellemarinart
Gabrielle Marin out of Montreal, Canada has garnered quite the following on her Instagram account @gabriellemarinart for her surreal and terrifying style, which often depicts images of female figures with several eyes, tendrils wrapping emerging from openings in their bodies, and dismembered limbs.
Marin’s art is certainly terrifying but it’s also undeniably captivating. Indeed, I could scroll through her Instagram profile for hours on end and never get bored (though I might get nightmares).
I’m personally impressed by the way that Marin is able to depict the human form in a way that appears so realistic, even when these humans are dismembered, have several heads, or appear as if they’re being shredded to pieces. Many of her drawings are of crouched, faceless monsters, bringing to mind some sort of hybrid between the Slender Man and the possessed woman from The Haunting in Connecticut.
@scumbyyy
If you’re looking for your next flash tattoo idea, you might want to consider sending a message to @scumbyyy and asking if you can get one of their illustrations inked. The style is simplistic, clean, and consistent, but their characters are always whimsical and interesting. Occasionally, @scumbyyy will post an entire page full of their wacky characters, which looks a bit like Where’s Waldo? but a whole lot trippier.
Sometimes, the simplest illustrations are the most satisfying to look at, and @scumbyyy (who hails from Sydney, Australia) understands that as well as anyone. These illustrations feature thick, clean lines, perfect curves, and subject matters that are always intriguing. No, I don’t have one of these illustrations tattooed yet, but I’m hoping that @scumbyyy will read this article and give me permission to get one.
@travislampe
Another artist that understands the value of simplicity is Travis Lampe, whose Instagram account @travislampe features hundreds of illustrations and paintings of characters with noodle-like limbs and faces of distress.
Lampe seems to be clearly inspired by the animation styles of the 1920s and 1930s, as his works seem to carry on the legacy of classic American cartoons like Steamboat Willy or Silly Symphonies. If you’re unfamiliar with what those cartoons look like, then you might recognize this illustration style from the 2017 video game Cuphead.
Lampe comes from a small town in Kansas and got a degree in graphic design. Apparently, his first job after college involved designing ads for breakfast cereals and furniture companies. However, seeking to break into the illustration scene, Lampe secretly kept developing his own signature style until he decided he was ready to release his work to the world.
Today, Lampe is living in Chicago and has shown his art at shows all over the United States. Take a look at some of Travis Lampe’s works and you’ll be amused, a bit unsettled, and definitely delighted.
very nice