This illusory mural creates the impression of rolling dunes using simple curves and brilliant shading, transforming the city street into a beachy playground. The effect reminds me of our early illustrator projects, which similarly used only basic shapes to create compositions with depth and perspective. Check out more images here!
Author: Skylar Slemmer
Set Against Lavishly Patterned Backdrops, Photographer Cecilia Paredes Disguises Herself in Stunning Self-Portraits
In these works we see the human form merge into elaborate patterns, suggesting a cohesive unity between us and our artistic creations. By adorning herself in elegant robes and paints, Peruvian artist Paredes becomes one with design in these self portraits, which you can find here on Colossal. There’s also an older article about her…
Colorful Geometric Mural of a Cityscape Visualizes Humans’ Impact on Nature
This mural designed by Vitaly Tsarenkov illustrates humanity’s effects on the natural world using vibrant colors and shapes. Looking vertically, the scene transitions from flowers and flame to city and civilization as human invention gradually dominates, much like it has throughout history. I enjoy the bright colors amid the jagged edges, showing how despite the…
Miniature Mixed Media Lace Works Depict Pastoral Scenes
Wood, bark, seeds and wire weave together to compose these small rural sculpture images by Ágnes Herczeg. Her creative use of organic materials, which could all be found in the pastoral lands she elegantly portrays, is inspiring to me since I grew up hiking and camping around Lancaster and West Chester, PA where farmland abounds….
Moody Photographs by Jan Erik Waider Capture the Rocky Terrain of Icelandic Landscapes
In these cinematic photographs, Waider shows the awesome natural geometry caused by volcanic eruptions in Iceland. These stunning shots remind me of how every designed image is composed of individual shapes which our brains combine into fuller objects. In this case, nature itself has become composed of individual hexagonal columns which form cliffs, ledges, and…
An Imaginary Universe Emerges from Psychedelic Digital Illustrations
Vibrant colors and swirling shapes combine into wonderfully hectic figures in these works by Luis Toledo. The coherent composition he managed to create from the abstract chaos still amazes me even as I write this. If this looks cool to you too, check out the article here and more of his works here!
Scribbled Portraits of Brooding Figures by Adam Riches
These rather intense sketches show off the principles of gestalt theory very well. With only long looping lines, Riches manages to give the impression of gloomy human faces with grave depth in their shadows. Check out these melancholy works here!
New Plant-Based Embroidery and Interconnected Baskets
In this embroidery by Ana Teresa Barboza, the threads of individual spools of yarn are woven into pieces which combine together to create abstract art forms. The principles of Gestalt theory are used wonderfully as each image is comprised of separate tiles of yarn, but our brain fuses them together into a cohesive whole. Check…
