WorkIllustration

Mark Conlan's whimsical character-based illustrations that draw on our emotions

"I am inspired every day by so many things around me. If it’s not a nice new colour palette I've discovered, it's a beautiful piece of illustration from some illustrator I admire, it’s the weather or a piece of music I have been listening to." These are the inspirations of Mark Conlan, an Irish illustrator currently living in Melbourne.

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Colourful illustrated figures with red, yellow and blue clothing among green foliage and blue wavy patterns, by Mark Conlan

Working from his bright and airy home studio for clients such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Airbnb and Stripe, most of his illustrations are character-based, whimsical and emotional.

Mark studied classical and computer animation at the Irish School of Animation in Dublin before moving into graphic design. He then worked for several agencies in London and Melbourne before going freelance. And what of his process? "I'm always a notebook first kind of guy, develop as much conceptually as possible in sketches. I use a Wacom Cintiq with Photoshop for finishing my illustrations along with some custom brushes for my texture."

A must-follow on Instagram, we're especially drawn to his beautiful torchlight artworks where an individual shines a light to reveal a colourful imagined world. Discover more at markconlan.com.

Stylised teal silhouette of a head in profile containing a colourful cityscape of buildings, with a figure holding a torch beam above it
A figure wades through turquoise water, shining a torchlight to reveal an underground world of vibrant plant roots beneath a forested landscape with mountains beyond
Silhouetted figure sitting on a stool holding up a torch that illuminates a vibrant coral and orange underwater scene with plants and birds against a pink sky
Three figures climb a ladder towards a large potted plant with dark blue leaves against a coral background, illustrating growth and teamwork
Illustrated figure with coral and teal tones hugging themselves, their torso filled with a starry cosmos containing planets and celestial objects
Illustration of binoculars with tropical palm trees on the left and a colourful seaside town visible through the lenses against a coral-pink sky
Two figures in colourful clothing hold a glowing planet with orbiting celestial bodies and constellations against a cream background, captioned "our very own universe
Silhouetted figure sitting on a stool holding a glowing orange torch that illuminates vibrant blue foliage and green plants above
A figure swimming among vibrant coral, seaweed and flowering plants beneath a brilliant blue sea, illuminated by an imagined underwater world.
Mark Conlan's whimsical illustration showing diverse characters and travel items arranged around escalators and a train, depicting a journey or airport scene in warm colours
A figure with a dark blue body patterned with colourful planets, stars and cosmic designs carries a bright pink shoulder bag and wears a blue wide-brimmed hat
Figure in white and blue holding a vintage rotary telephone on a sandy beach bordered by palm trees and colourful tropical plants under a peach sky
A figure stands on a sandy beach holding a torch that illuminates a starry dark landscape against a coral pink sky dotted with white clouds
Illustrated industrial landscape with factory buildings, constellations and planets overhead, and figures on rolling terrain below
Stylised cityscape illustration with grey and white buildings, a church spire, orange autumn trees and fluffy clouds against a dark sky
Colourful illustration of two figures holding a torchlight in a dark forest, revealing vibrant foliage and architectural elements in warm and cool tones
A figure in a yellow coat stands before a coral pink wall, shining a torch that reveals an underwater scene of colourful fish and coral within the beam of light
Two stylised figures standing face to face holding a flowing green ribbon between them, their bodies illustrated with colourful landscapes and natural imagery
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