Animals from wildflowers? This unique illustration style shouldn't work, but it does - and here's why
(Image credit: Helen Ahpornsiri) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Helen Ahpornsiri takes pressed wildflowers, ferns and leaves, and glues them…
(Image credit: Helen Ahpornsiri) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Helen Ahpornsiri takes pressed wildflowers, ferns and leaves, and glues them together in the rough shape of an animal. And I have to admit: when a friend first told me about her process, it sounded more like a school project for eight-year-olds than the disciplined approach of a professional illustrator.Said friend, though, urged me to check out her work all the same. I did… and realised I couldn't have been more wrong. This is some of the most beautiful illustration I've seen for years.I think, in retrospect, I was expecting the kind of amateurishness you get at some craft fairs: where you stare and stare at a mess of foliage, squint and try to see the 'picture' the artist was aiming for. Here, though, that relationship is completely inverted.Latest Videos FromCreative BloqWatch full video here: With the image above, for example, your eye reads "hedgehog" immediately. This paisley-patterned, autumnal little creature is so artfully crafted, your brain neither knows nor care what media it's made with.It's only on closer examination that you register that every spine of its body is made from pressed foliage, arranged with the patience of someone who has spent a long time looking at how a hedgehog's spines actually lie. (Image credit: Helen Ahpornsiri)It still took me a while, though, to figure out just why I've fallen in love with this work. And I'm probably not fully there yet, but I think it has something to do with how perfectly Helen matches her materials to her subject.Consider, for instance, how the hedgehog is built from browns, ochres and mossy greens; the palette of a woodland floor in October. That's no accident, because this is exactly where a hedgehog lives, making for an exquisite circularity.Get the Creative Bloq NewsletterSign up to Creative Bloq's daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology.The same pattern repeats throughout her works. The hare rises out of a tangle of buttercups, cow parsley and clover, so the animal and its habitat become intertwined and inseparable. The whale is built from seaweed fronds and coral shapes, the textures of the ocean floor it calls home. (Image credit: Helen Ahpornsiri)All of this held together by a clear love of wildlife, a deep understanding of anatomy, and a bucketload of charm. Oh, and did I mention she grows and presses some of the plants herself? That's the kind of commitment to her subject matter that only inspires me more.The wider lessonFor anyone working in visual art and design, the lesson I think is this. It's tempting, when you've found a technique that works, to apply it everywhere, evenly, and consistently. Helen's animals are more interesting and unique, precisely because they don't.It's almost like she's reinventing how she makes art with each individual picture. The density surges and recedes, much like the natural world these creatures inhabit. That makes for some incredible art, and an inspiration for the rest of us to experiment. And trust that the strange, unlikely idea might actually end up being the best one. TOPICS Tom May Freelance journalist and editor Tom May is an award-winning journalist specialising in art, design, photography and technology. He is the author of the books The 50 Greatest Designers (Arcturus) and Great TED Talks: Creativity (Pavilion). Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout LATEST ARTICLES 1 Someone's making Doom 3 BFG edition with DLSS 5 2 The best budget AI laptops under $1,000: Your laptop should make your life easier! 3 OpenAI's controversial ChatGPT-6 Astra advert paints a sad vision of the future 4 7 massive Labor Day laptop deals that are actually good enough for creatives 5 I enjoyed grappling with Stranger Than Heaven's unconventional combat, but I'd love to see more of its depiction of early 20th century JapanSource: Creative Bloq AI Art — Published — Category: Image AI