Luke Brookes’ digital illustrations are full of movement: a woman in mid-flight, a man landing a knife with full force. The energy is almost palpable, making his creations both dynamic and appealing. It’s such vitality that has caught the attention of clients like Variety, The Telegraph, and Politico, all of which have commissioned work from Brookes.
Like most illustrators, his creative process includes a lot of planning ahead, with his illustrations beginning with some sketches. Brookes then inks whatever parts he needs in black, and scans his work, after which he colors it in Photoshop, using a Wacom.
“My work has evolved quite a lot since I first started illustrating many, many moons ago,” he remarked in an interview with Inky Goodness. “Initially my work focused on quite heavy textures, juxtaposed with naive shapes and figures. Over the years it changed, evolving to include more dramatic lighting, a bolder more contrasting use of color, often utilizing a limited palette of 3-5 colors, and more polished figurative work.”
And while commercial illustration is his full-time gig, he also enjoys working on more personal projects.“Working without a brief can be pretty liberating and it’s a great way to experiment without time pressures or any restrictions,” he notes.
You can follow Brookes on Instagram, where he shares his work quite regularly.
