Watercolors as a medium often carry a passive and relaxing connotation, but illustrator Mike Kretz uses it to render the most dynamic and aggressive women around. Specifically, Kretz paints female comic book characters, with Wonder Women making multiple appearances in his portfolio. Though the heroine is renowned for kicking butt and brawling alongside the most masculine of superheroes, Kretz actually portrays her in a more elegant light, with images of her looking simply serene. Who knew watercolor illustrations could so easily revamp a person’s public image?
Mike Kretz also has myriad paintings inspired by geeky cinematic characters on his deviantART page. Familiar faces from Batman, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings make an appearance. As he improves his technique, Kretz’s paintings are becoming much more realistic rather than stylized.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Watercolor Illustrations
- Watercolor illustrations can revamp a person's public image, and could be used for creating dynamic visual content for brands and marketing materials.
- Geeky Cinematic Characters Artworks
- As illustrated characters become more popular amongst millennials, investing in licensed artwork of popular cinematic characters can potentially be lucrative for merchandise-driven industries.
- Realistic Stylized Paintings
- The combination of realism and stylization in painted illustrations can inspire a new type of art style that could be utilized in branding and advertising campaigns.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Art and Design
- Industries that rely on visual content production can explore watercolor and stylized illustration techniques to create captivating and distinctive artwork.
- Entertainment and Gaming
- The entertainment and gaming industries can invest in licensed artwork of popular comic book and cinematic characters to expand their marketing and merchandising campaigns.
- Fine Art Prints and Collectibles
- Industries that specialize in fine art prints and collectibles can potentially tap into Mike Kretz's evolving art style to create unique pieces that appeal to fans of pop culture.
