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InspirationIllustration

Samuel Chen's unbelievable digital illustrations that look as though they're hand-drawn

Describing himself as a "struggling self-taught illustrator", Samuel Chen ditched an office job two years ago to follow his dreams and enjoy a more creative career. "Although the job was promising, I was never happy about it," explains Samuel. "It's the love for drawing and creation, and the idea of living a free life, that drove me to pursue a career in illustration."

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Illustration of diverse people enjoying outdoor activities in a park, including cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading and walking, rendered in vibrant yellows, pinks and blues with soft brushstrokes

Specialising in editorial, his soft and brush-stroked illustrations are, unbelievably, fully digital: "I like having an all-digital workflow because you can play with the tools and experiment a bit at every stage, sometimes it would surprise you. I use a lot of curves in my work and it kind of becomes my thing; there's so much fun drawing curves and I can’t stop it. I also like retro textures and vibrant colours."

Based in Guangzhou, China, Samuel works with various clients including advertising agencies, magazines and publishers. Discover more of his lovely work on Behance.

Giant hands holding a letter above a patchwork landscape of houses, forests and winding roads in soft blues, greens and terracotta tones
Woman with long dark hair wearing a white coat, seated above an illuminated city skyline against a teal sky with white clouds
Woman with long dark hair holding a mirror in turquoise water, with a whitewashed coastal village balanced on her head beneath a peachy sky
Person holding a red book on a sandy cliff edge overlooking a vast chasm, with turquoise sky and sun above
A figure stands on white steps in a pastel landscape surrounded by geometric shapes, clocks, plants and floating objects in soft pink, blue and yellow tones
Several people stand in a surreal pink landscape gazing upward at a turquoise sky filled with white clouds and floating banners marked N/A in red and blue text
Woman with long dark hair sitting cross-legged, wearing a light blue shawl over a pink dress patterned with colourful geometric shapes, against a stormy grey sky with scattered planets below
Colourful illustration split into two scenes of people enjoying outdoor activities including cycling, skateboarding, running and playing music in a park setting
Illustration of a man in business attire standing on sandy clouds surrounded by floating papers and office supplies against a bright blue sky with white clouds and a sun.
Illustration by Samuel Chen depicting women in various settings reading books and socialising, rendered in soft brushstrokes with retro textures and vibrant yellow, orange and blue tones
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