The hottest Illustration Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Art & Illustration Topics

The Same Stories

Animation Obsessive • 2063 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. After wartime exile he returned to Italy and quickly made a name designing striking, expressive stage sets and costumes that mixed old‑world grotesques with modernist shapes.
  2. He moved freely between theater, illustration, ceramics and animation, treating each medium as a different vehicle to tell the same stories.
  3. His stop‑motion films with Giulio Gianini won wide acclaim and a major 1980 exhibition collected his work, with the show’s catalog remaining a valuable resource on his designs.

How the Little Guy Moved

Animation Obsessive • 19105 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. Early game creators borrowed traditional animation tricks like rotoscoping to make tiny, low-resolution characters move in believable, fluid ways even on very limited hardware.
  2. Creators used highly inventive, hands-on workflows — filming live motion, tracing frames, Xeroxing silhouettes and digitizing them — to convert real movement into economical pixel animation.
  3. Good animation decisions, not just better hardware, made the work memorable and durable, so lively motion stayed effective and influential as games moved to newer platforms.

Designing 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians'

Animation Obsessive • 42606 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. One Hundred and One Dalmatians introduced a bold, modern graphic look for Disney, using angular shapes, scratchy lines and loose color so the drawings were meant to be seen.
  2. The film leaned on Xerox to put animators’ pencil lines directly on cels and to layer drawn layouts over painted backgrounds, which saved money and created a lively, hand-drawn texture but required much cleaner drawing.
  3. It was a big collaborative success and a commercial hit, yet its modern style clashed with Walt Disney’s taste and remained a rare experiment rather than a lasting studio direction.

Oscar-Winning Storyboards

Animation Obsessive • 1614 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. The newsletter issue focuses on storyboarding, using case studies from Oscar-winning animated work across different years.
  2. The timing is tied to the Oscars, suggesting the awards season makes the topic especially relevant right now.
  3. The full article is behind a paywall and requires a subscription, but a 7-day free trial is offered and existing paid readers can sign in.

Satoshi Kon's Impossibly Real Tokyo

Animation Obsessive • 21617 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. Satoshi Kon paired exaggerated, cartoony character animation with extremely realistic, photo-based backgrounds. This deliberate contrast heightens emotional impact and makes the characters' performances pop.
  2. The backgrounds were created from heavy photo reference, detailed storyboards, and digital layering techniques like repeated white-on-white snow painting and "harmony processing." Limiting camera moves and reusing angles let the team spend more time adding dense, lived-in detail to each shot.
  3. Contemporary animators are pushing craft and storytelling with mixed techniques — for example, Alina Popescu's music video Other I uses reference-driven animation, strong composition, and layered effects to tell a compact, powerful story. Meanwhile the industry is being reshaped by major news such as prominent passings, shifting box-office patterns, and debates around AI and censorship.
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The toil of (blog) art

lcamtuf’s thing • 11019 implied HN points • 18 Jan 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. Illustrations often take the most work in a technical blog and can require as much or more time than writing the text.
  2. Building a simple, consistent workflow and a reusable library of elements (scale, line thickness, fonts, colors) makes creating clear technical diagrams much faster and keeps a coherent style.
  3. Use the right tools for the job — photography, CAD, Excalidraw, Affinity — and apply deliberate visual tricks like shadows, outlines, and afterimages to imply depth, motion, or emphasis in 2D illustrations.

American Journalist in Berlin

Pizza Party • 28 implied HN points • 11 Mar 26
💥 Comics Illustration
  1. An American journalist named Steadman is in Berlin chasing a big story.
  2. His search leads him straight to Kitty's Bordello, hinting at ties to the city's underworld and danger.
  3. The comic is pitched to fans of gangster stories and crime noir, with characters who follow their gut and an invitation to subscribe.

New Emoji: Distorted Face 🫪

Did Someone Say Emoji? • 293 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. Distortion has long been an artistic tool for conveying deeper truths and emotions—artists from Da Vinci and Bacon to animators and SOPHIE warp faces to express what normal features can’t.
  2. Online distortion like fisheye selfies, .5 selfies, and deliberate filters acts as an emotional shorthand and a way to reclaim control over your image, signaling authenticity or resistance to airbrushed perfection.
  3. New emojis such as Distorted Face, Melting Face, and Dotted Line Face make internal tension and complex psychological states visible, giving us a shared visual language for feelings ordinary expressions can’t capture.

Classics Corner: Corduroy

Readable Moments Book Club • 396 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
📚 Literature Illustration
  1. Corduroy is a story about a bear who wants to find a home and a child, Lisa, who sees his worth despite his missing button. It shows the importance of loving something for its uniqueness.
  2. The illustrations in Corduroy are charming and convey deep emotions, making the story more special. They help readers connect with Corduroy’s longing to be loved.
  3. Corduroy’s journey reflects a common human experience of wanting to belong, reminding readers about the deep desire for acceptance and a place to call home.

An Illustrated Guide for Unhinged Times

OK Doomer • 216 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. An illustrated survival guide is now available as a printed beta and downloadable PDF, released under a Creative Commons license so anyone can print or adapt it.
  2. Small independent publishers are invited to access the source files to create internationalized versions, with the simple request that they give due credit.
  3. The project is sustained by reader support and grants, and ongoing development relies on donations, subscriptions, and community backing.

Christmas and Hope and Home

Animation Obsessive • 1973 implied HN points • 12 Dec 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. Bethlehem was Jiří Trnka’s first puppet film and the moment he found a poetic stop-motion language that emphasized space, light, stillness, and cinematic camera moves.
  2. The short transplants the nativity into Czech rural life, mixing folk customs with personal and wartime memories to express home, hope, and the darker echoes of occupation.
  3. Made quickly with limited equipment, the team improvised new puppet-film techniques and a choir-based musical approach, and the film paved the way for Trnka’s later influential feature work.

Drawing an unlikeness

Austin Kleon • 1738 implied HN points • 07 May 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. Ralph Steadman and Hunter S. Thompson had a unique partnership that started with the Kentucky Derby. Their first collaboration was more about their friendship than the actual event.
  2. Steadman's drawings of people sometimes upset them, which confused him because people in England usually accept caricatures lightly.
  3. Trying blind contour drawing helped explore the idea of not needing to create a perfect likeness. It's okay to let loose and embrace the 'unlikeness' in your art.

Sunday Strip: Now What?

Who is Robert Malone • 49 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
💥 Comics Illustration
  1. The piece suggests we are at the start of larger societal and political changes, not at the end of a moment.
  2. A provocative line about vacationing in places like Gaza, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and Minnesota implies shifting geopolitics or an ironic view of how travel and alliances may change.
  3. Visual satire combined with a reader-supported distribution is being used to provoke thought and build audience engagement.

Kitty's Bordello

Pizza Party • 28 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. Background characters and small visual details can hide important story beats that deepen the narrative.
  2. A seemingly minor character like Hans the bartender can be essential to preserving and connecting the story.
  3. Paying attention to subtle details makes a story richer, because tiny elements can change how the plot is remembered.

A Burning City

Animation Obsessive • 8521 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. Katsuhiro Otomo's short film 'Combustible' showcases his unique storytelling style, featuring a deep emotional core and a focus on the Edo period in Japan. It's a departure from his earlier work like 'Akira', emphasizing a personal and experimental approach.
  2. The animation in 'Combustible' combines traditional art styles with modern technology, allowing for intricate designs and details that highlight the beauty of the Edo era. Otomo aimed for a blend of history and contemporary techniques.
  3. Despite its compelling qualities, 'Combustible' remains relatively obscure compared to Otomo's more famous works. Nonetheless, it proves that he is a versatile director with a wide range of creative capabilities beyond just 'Akira'.

The Great (im)Balance

Endless Explorations • 79 implied HN points • 27 Sep 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. Everyone has a logical side and an intuitive side. The logical side helps us stay on track, while the intuitive side can inspire creativity and lead to new ideas.
  2. Balancing logic and intuition is important for personal growth. We often suppress our creative side, but letting it express itself can lead to amazing results.
  3. Everyone has an inner voice that deserves to be heard. Listening to this voice and nurturing our creativity can unlock opportunities for more fulfilling experiences.

Some Cartoons I've Drawn

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2156 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. The creator is exploring one-panel comics using pen and watercolor. It's a fun way to express creativity and share humor.
  2. One comic pokes fun at a social media post about a deceased Israeli soldier, critiquing how some people use such moments to gain support for a cause.
  3. There's a commentary on how some supporters of Israel sexualize female soldiers to attract attention, which the creator finds odd and worth laughing about.

Sunday Strip: Love and Oranges:

Who is Robert Malone • 41 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
💥 Comics Illustration
  1. Choices and relationships often repeat and give you a feeling of deja vu until you notice the pattern.
  2. Picking a partner is compared to picking oranges — small, everyday decisions matter, so choose wisely.
  3. The comic uses repetition and humor to make its point, showing that visual storytelling can highlight life lessons about love and decision-making.

Blockade: The Science and Ethics of Trade

Bet On It • 206 implied HN points • 01 Jan 26
💥 Comics Illustration
  1. A new non-fiction graphic novel about the science and ethics of trade is planned for Fall 2027.
  2. The project pairs prominent free-trade experts with a cartoonist and is being produced as part of a Cato Institute-backed series, with the team assembling quickly.
  3. The book will cover issues like trade deficits, protectionism, strategic trade, and the history and ethics of commerce, and the creators are asking for topic and imagery suggestions.

An Illustrated Survival Guide

OK Doomer • 337 implied HN points • 28 Nov 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. There are two versions of the survival guide: one serious and one more casual. This way, readers can choose the style they prefer.
  2. The guide will cover essential survival topics, especially focusing on helping vulnerable people during tough situations like extreme weather.
  3. Support for the project is important, and the creator will share completed parts of the guide with subscribers as they go along.

merry christmas

bad cattitude • 174 implied HN points • 25 Dec 25
💥 Comics Illustration
  1. Celebrate the season by sharing time and fun with friends and family.
  2. Mistakes and small scuffles will happen, but don't let them ruin the joy. Use playful, time-honored strategies to keep the mood merry.
  3. Send warm, cheeky holiday wishes and encourage everyone to have fun. A little mischief and a friendly warning can keep things lively.

Comics from February 1984 Issue of Softside

Computer Ads from the Past • 256 implied HN points • 06 Dec 25
💥 Comics Illustration
  1. A Black Friday/Birthday sale is offering 39% off annual paid subscriptions through December 8th.
  2. The newsletter showcases a collection of comics from the February 1984 issue of Softside and includes multiple images.
  3. Readers are invited to say which computer ads they'd like to see, and to share or subscribe for support, with a Ko-fi link provided for extra contributions.

ANATOMY OF A FISHFLIES COVER

Tales From the Farm • 1277 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. The post explores the step-by-step process of creating a cover image from initial sketch to final painted piece
  2. Different stages of the cover creation process are shown, including sketching, inking, and water-color painting
  3. The post also includes a bonus variant cover by a guest artist for the same issue

Hello From Taiwan!

Am I Doing This Right? • 1081 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. The author is in Taiwan working on their third book and finalizing edits on the second book.
  2. The second book's official announcement occurred a few weeks ago, with more details to come in upcoming months.
  3. Paid subscriptions to the author's work will resume soon, providing access to exclusive content and updates on their upcoming projects.

Owned

ASK MOLLY • 1257 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. The post is about 'Owned' and what you didn't know you wanted.
  2. The content is for paid subscribers only.
  3. Includes a piece of writing by Leonora Carrington on farming.

A Tiny Juggler on a Big Screen

Animation Obsessive • 1614 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Illustration
  1. The story of 'The Juggler of Our Lady' explores feelings of hopelessness through a juggler who tries to find his place in the world. It's a tale that many can relate to, especially during tough times.
  2. R. O. Blechman created this work in a short time, drawing from his own experiences of feeling out of place. His unique style and personal connection helped make the story really special.
  3. The animation industry is facing challenges, like the recent wildfires in Los Angeles affecting many workers. It's important to help those in need during these difficult situations.