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Pipe-Smoking Monster Illustrations

Scott Balmer Creates Fantastical Mayhem in His Art

— July 29, 2011 — Art & Design
Scott Balmer is a UK-based illustrator with a penchant for creating art that combines elements of surrealism, fantasy, and comedy.

Scott Balmer graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone of Art and Design in Scotland, and immediately began working as a freelance illustrator. His client list includes work for the New York Times, BusinessWeek, the Guardian, Umbro, and TimeOut London, amongst others.

Looking through Scott Balmer's selected portfolio, it's clear he has an affinity for illustrations that are heavy on color contrast and are composed of many different characters. His subjects are typically humanimal looking creatures who have human bodies and animal heads. While this isn't exactly new ground, Balmer's work is memorable because of his very distinctive aesthetic, which makes his work instantly recognizable once you've seen it.

Up next for Scott Balmer: print ad work for Nokia. WIth a style so smooth and a growing corporate client list, expect to hear more from Balmer in the future.

Implications - A company would be wise to partner with an artist with a distinctive style to illustrate their print marketing, typography, and logo. By establishing an immediately distinguishable aesthetic, the company stands a good chance of ensuring consumers will recognize their logo and advertising based on first glance alone.
Trend Themes
1. Distinctive-aesthetic Illustration - Partner with artists that have a distinctive style to create instantly recognizable advertising.
2. Surrealist-comedy Art - Explore the use of surrealism and comedy in art to create unique visual experiences.
3. Humanimal Characters - Incorporate humanimal characters in branding and marketing materials to create memorable impressions.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - Hire artists with unique styles for branding, typography, and logo design to make advertising more recognizable and effective.
2. Art - Promote surrealist and comedic art to explore new artistic avenues and create unique visual experiences.
3. Marketing - Incorporate humanimal characters in marketing materials to grab attention and create memorable experiences for potential customers.
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