# Rainbow-Hued Pop Portraits Nicky Barkla Paints Famous Characters in a Style Resembling Oil By Jason Soy | Published 2012-01-15 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nicky-barkla References: [rampagedreality](http://rampagedreality.com/post/15774697635/barklavibrantmc#notes) & [offtoseethewizard.deviantart](http://offtoseethewizard.deviantart.com/) Even if these Nicky Barkla illustrations weren’t psychedelically colored, they’d still be extremely impressive due to their likeness to [iconic pop culture characters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/colourpop-x-dreamworks-shrek). The fact that she renders each subject in an aqueous style using every color in the [chromatic spectrum](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paint-mirror) elevates her art into masterpiece territory. Each piece demonstrates her technical skill as well as her ingenuity in producing original and innovative visuals. I’m still not entirely sure how Nicky Barkla achieved this effect, which resembles the [rainbow-hued reflections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/miami-art-week) people see in puddles of oil. It’s not simply the inclusion of many colors that’s impressive, but Barkla’s ability to define value within the chaotic palettes in a coherent manner which truly takes people’s breaths away. Not enough good things can be said about these amazing renderings. Among the characters Barkla’s illustrated in this style thus far are Spider-Man, a clown henchman, Gollum and Edward Scissorhands. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.5/10 - Popularity: 95% | Activity: 91% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Celebs](https://www.trendhunter.com/celebs) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Rainbow-hued Pop Portraits:** The trend of creating rainbow-hued portraits of iconic pop culture characters has potential for disruptive innovation in the art and design industry. - **Aqueous Style Illustration:** The trend of rendering subjects in an aqueous style using every color in the chromatic spectrum has potential for disruptive innovation in the advertising and marketing industry. - **Chaotic Palette Coherence:** The trend of defining value within chaotic palettes in a coherent manner has potential for disruptive innovation in the graphic design and fashion industries. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Art and Design:** The rainbow-hued pop portraits could disrupt the traditional ways of creating portraits and bring a new trend in the art world. - **Advertising and Marketing:** Aqueous style illustration could disrupt traditional advertising and marketing techniques and actively engage potential customers to businesses. - **Graphic Design and Fashion:** Chaotic palette coherence could disrupt traditional design and fashion by providing a new, vibrant direction for these industries. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contemporary-urban-art.md) - [Glass Beaded Intricate Artworks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/painting-exhibition.md) - [Pop Art Legend-Honoring Dolls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keiichi-tanaami-1.md) - [Pop Art Skateboard Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-skateroom-1.md) - [Reimagined Puzzled Artful Paintings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/portrait-of-a-woman-in-a-hat.md) - [Doll-Themed Pink Paints](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pinkie.md) - [Artist-Designed Umbrella Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shed-rain-artist-series.md) - [Playful Balloon Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keff-joons.md) - [Digital Archetype Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christian-rex-van-minnen-1.md)