Smooth lines, vintage colors and different perspectives characterize the series of illustrations, created by American artist Eric Petersen. Amazing works influenced by vintage features and distinctive graphic elements from the comics of the 40s.
Based in Olympia, Washington, U.S.A., Eric Petersen’s style is influenced by instructional graphics and the look of vintage comics of the 1940s.
“I draw uniform lines on a computer to strip away some of the human element and expressive quality seen in non-digital work”, says the artist. He then focusses in on the perspective of the images and uses unnatural colours to create a voyeuristic and unsettling atmosphere. “I use perspective and unnatural colors to set up a voyeuristic feeling and create an unsettling mood. I am interested in the combination of a purely functional illustration style with an emotional scene. My subject matter typically consists of people alone in an environment with their thoughts. I aim to create a sense of ambiguity and allow the viewer to imagine their own narrative“, he continues.
Expression is deliberately eradicated to give his images a cold feeling, some kind of an emptiness, into which one is expected to fill with his or her own narrative and emotions. His work is admittedly heavily influenced by pulp illustration and advertising of the 1940′s.
Eric Petersen official website
