John C. Thurbin is a London-based printmaker and illustrator who has honed his craft well judging by his recent lino-cut work.
There is something to be said about luscious, bright colors, but monochromatic line-drawing has its appeal as well. Clarity and purity are words that spring to mind when looking at Thurbin's work. He applies a minimalist shading technique that emphasizes large swaths of either white or black, a style very much reminiscent of film noir aesthetics. Indeed, many of the subjects of Thorbin's work -- blacks cats, Winston Churchill -- are familiar tropes from the era of film noir.
Still, Thurbin's work is undeniably contemporary. The artist draws a lot of inspiration from tattoos, as seen in one piece of a man who's shoulders are covered in ink.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Mono Line-drawing Art
- There's a growing trend in the art world in favor of minimalist monochromatic line-drawing that echoes film-noir aesthetics.
- Tattoo-inspired Art
- As seen in John C. Thurbin's work, there is a trend toward tattoo-inspired art in the printmaking and illustration realm.
- Simplistic Shading Techniques
- A trend in art styles leans toward simplistic shading techniques that emphasize large areas of stark white or black and evoke feelings of clarity and purity.
Sectors Adopting This
- Fine Art
- New opportunities exist for disruption in the traditional art world by artists producing non-traditional prints in modern minimalist styles with inspiration from tattoos.
- Illustration and Printmaking
- Opportunities exist for illustrators and printmakers to create visually stunning and contemporary pieces in the style of tattoo-inspired minimalism with simplified shading techniques.
- Design
- Designers have the opportunity to be inspired by the popular minimalist monochromatic line-drawing art trend to create new, edgy, and chic designs in products and branding.
