

Illustrator Bill Mayer is known for his humorous, yet earnest characters and scenes, rendered with both digital and traditional means. His works often both personify and look at the real-life nature of the animal world. His gouache paintings, featured in this piece, offer a particular, absorbing characteristic.

“I have been playing with the gouache paintings for some time now,” the artist said about his work in a 2015 blog post. “They have been a joy to explore. Sometimes they fail miserably but I always learn something from each of these little failures. It seems like the subject matter may sometimes seem a bit dark and creepy. I am thinking it’s a natural perception because of the surreal nature of the subject matter.”

Since, Mayer’s work has grown in scope and humor. See more of his recent gouache paintings below.