Parra

I'm apparently beginning a theme for myself of choosing Dutch illustrators with bizarre styles, vibrant colors, and sexual tones. Last week I talked about Zeloot, this week's entry is another artist I enjoy from the Netherlands known as Parra. I believe my first introduction to Parra was through Juxtapoz magazine, though shortly thereafter I noticed a boom in his exposure when I started finding his work for Vans in my local skate shop.

His style, like that of Zeloot, is one that is heavily reliant on strong, vibrant color schemes, usually of only a few colors and almost always on a black background. His drawing style is perhaps more crude that the aforementioned Zeloot, though it is in this crude and playful nature that Parra thrives. His work is often a reflection of his upbringing in Amsterdam's red light district, evident in the seedy nature of some of his pieces. Much of his work contains whimsical characters, with beak-like facial features and beady little eyes. These features, along with the bright colors, make Parra very inviting to viewers.

Then you have the type. Much of his work contains hand drawn type, and it is obvious that he takes his typography just as seriously as his illustration, as his text is often times just as fun to look at.

Combine that with his bizarre, humorous, and sometimes sexual messages, and we're left with a very satisfying illustrator. You can see more of his work a read about Parra here.