Looking for something?

Tap outside or press close

InspirationIllustration

Illustrations by Katie Hicks that explore self-destructive tendencies and creative burnout

Toronto illustrator and comic artist Katie Hicks produces work that is bright and energetic full of colour, sparkle and abstract shapes.

Written By:
All images courtesy of Katie Hicks, via Creative Boom submission

All images courtesy of Katie Hicks, via Creative Boom submission

Inspired by the cartoons and anime she grew up with, she strives to bring a feeling of happiness into both her professional and personal work. "Though I often touch on feelings of happiness and joy, my work also explores subjects on mental health and connecting with others," Katie tells Creative Boom.

"And although my work is cartoony and I consider myself a cartoonish, I still want to explore complex emotions that cartoons aren't usually associated with – like indulging in self-destructive tendencies and creative burnout. In all, I want to elicit an emotion in my audience, whether that be silliness and childlike wonder or a feeling of reliability with harder topics."

Another focus of her work is cartoon skeletons. "I like telling stories and drawing colourful pictures to accompany them. I've never been on a skateboard but please don't tell anyone," she adds.

Colourful illustration by Katie Hicks showing a stack of pink and red figures with golden hair entangled in blue tentacles against a cream background with faint sketched outlines.
Two figures with dark hair merge against a vibrant red and blue cosmic background, surrounded by small dancing silhouettes below a starry night sky
Stylised cartoon characters with pale skin tumbling among vibrant red spheres and purple abstract shapes against a magenta background in Katie Hicks' illustration exploring creative burnout
A skeleton character navigates a chaotic hellscape with flaming red terrain, crumbling blue and red architecture, and floating ghosts, surrounded by fire and destruction
Illustration by Katie Hicks showing animated figures with flowing hair trapped within a vibrant pink geometric frame, surrounded by fiery orange and gold swirling patterns against a dark blue background with white stars and streaks.
A figure with orange hair surrounded by writhing tentacles and surreal organic shapes in shades of pink, purple and teal, against a vibrant abstract background
Colourful illustration of three figures among pink buildings and a sandy beach, exploring themes of creative burnout and self-destructive tendencies
Share

Further Reading