Three distinct artworks are shown: a woman in pink with a bandaged face, a black-and-white comic figure skateboarding, and a woman eating pizza in a formal dress.
This week's fab featured artists are On On Lao, @alt-aesthetics.bsky.social and Sarah Lane ❤️
Portfolios:
On On - hireillo.com/cZW
Alternative Aesthetics - hireillo.com/cb3
Sarah - hireillo.com/daQ
#Illustration #Art #ArtistsOnBsky
*Selects Black Widow*
My new website has been nominated on Awwwards! It would mean the world to me if any of my lovely followers could check it out and give it a vote 🤘
Vote right here — www.awwwards.com/sites/altern...
Add some illustrative zazz to your inbox with semi-regular updates on new projects, fresh products, industry insights, and maybe some hot gossip (or incoherent ramblings) from the best illustrator in the studio!
You can join The Cool Kids Club right here — www.alternativeaesthetics.co.uk/newsletter
Thanks so much! It makes me so happy to hear people are enjoying it…it makes all the effort I put in to building it more than worth it 🤘
It’d be great to hear people’s thoughts on this page if you have any…or just enjoy the live version at AlternativeAesthetics.co.uk
I also added some category filters for 2D, 3D, and Animation as I'm exploring where I could take my work with animation or how it could exist in another dimension. Icons used in the filter menu give a clear indication of an active state and provide a great opportunity for an extra sprinkle of fun.
Switching the custom cursor from the severed finger to an eyeball as you hover over a project brings an extra touch of whimsy to the page. Providing context to each project with the title reveal on hover helps cue people to explore them further.
It can be so tricky to balance showing enough variety without having a million projects on show but I think (and hope) I’ve hit the sweet spot with this selection.
The portfolio itself holds a collection of projects and personal work that you can explore through more detailed case studies. I didn't want to get too fancy with this section as I know people commissioning illustration want to get a clear idea of the kind of work you do as quickly as possible.
You’re then led to the portfolio via an animated hand showing you that there’s more to discover if you scroll down — a simple but fun wayfinding mechanic, setting visual expectations for the rest of the site.
When you arrive on the site, you're met with a large illustration. I wanted this area to act as a kind of digital billboard...a space where I can have fun & periodically change what appears there – maybe a new piece of work, communicating what I do, or just something a bit random.
With those points in mind, I had a clear direction for each page and what I wanted to bring to people’s eyeballs. So, let’s start from the top…
— Unapologetically show people what my work’s all about
— Black & white throughout
— Typography to be clear, feel positive, & not distract from illustrations
— Illustration to be used functionally & to add visual excitement
— Be true to my natural tone of voice in all copy
— Humour on every page
In case you missed it last week, I launched my new website! AlternativeAesthetics.co.uk
I’ll be doing a bit of a deep dive over the next week or so — highlighting various sections of the site and giving a little behind the scenes on how it all came to life.
Until then, enjoy the promo video 🤘
Excellent! I’ll see if I’ve got some extra little freebies to pop in your order 😊
Could really do with an edit button for those typos 🤦♂️ @bsky.app
Thanks so much Leanne! 🖤
Haha! It was a risk I was willing to take with the cursor…did it keep you the site just that little bit longer?
Thanks so much! It’s been a labour of love so I’m so happy that people are enjoying it 🤘
Thanks so much dude! If you check out the studio tour video on the about page, you might catch a glimpse of your little blue guy from OFFF on a shelf 😊
IT’S ALIVE!!! [Insert maniacal laughter]
My new website has launched —now with more fun, illustrative details, snazzy animations, extra interactivity, and a very cheeky 404 page 👀
They’ll be lots more to come over the next few months, but for now…get stuck in!
AlternativeAesthetics.co.uk
I’ve got something new launching at 10am tomorrow (15/04/2025). Keep a lookout for the announcement!
Filming a little studio tour video this week and it’s just confirmed why I couldn’t be one of those illustrators that endlessly posts clips of their day for social media…it all just takes so damn long!
I’ll let you know how my next video call goes with a client 😅
Looks like I’ll have to wait for the next flashing training to open up!
How does one become a Flasher? Is it only available as a testflight beta at the moment?
The best thing about working on your new website is making the most ridiculous 404 page and nobody can stop you!
A new hero has emerged for the creative industries!
This week, Baroness Kidron convinced the House of Lords to amend the Data (Use and Access) Bill, aiming to protect copyright in the creative industries against AI.
I posted the full video over on LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/posts/colin-...
Pantheon is such a great series and pretty pertinent to what’s going on with AI at the moment. I really hope they add the second season to Netflix soon!
These AI bros are so sensitive about their tech! Their AI was on the internet so is fair game. DeepSeek democratises AI. IP and copyright law don’t apply because there’s money to be made by the people that don’t own it so stop whining.
Yeah, sounds ridiculous now doesn’t it! 🥴
