10 Artists to Follow on Instagram

Thursday, June 1, 2023

I will be introducing some artists that you may have heard of already and others that you maybe haven't. Some of these artists have over 10k followers on Instagram while some have over 100k. Regardless, this review is based on the excellent quality of work regardless of follower count; though I hope you give them a follow after reading this post.

You will notice that a lot of these are paintings or drawings of the human figure; that is my area of expertise, so that is just what I tend to be drawn to. Note: Though these are numbered 1-10, they are not ranked from best to worst or vice versa in any way. Enjoy!

1. Nicholás Uribe

Nicholás Uribe is an artist who very much utilizes the italian term pentimento or pentimenti which describes showing evidence of previous brushstrokes opposed to covering them. His painting style is overall very raw — I believe that he exposes what the beauty of paint is rather than trying to turn it into something else. He runs a YouTube channel called Our Painted Lives which contains videos that show Uribe's art making process. His channel also showcases numerous interesting conversations that he has with other artists.

2. Yulia Bas

Yulia Bas is an artist who I admire for the texture that she creates in human skin. She has numerous videos on her page which show her process; the way that she creates textures on canvas is very interesting and insightful. I also admire her figures' interactions with negative space which, in this case, is the white canvas behind each of her portraits. Our mind fills in the blanks with what should be there in those spaces. Click on the Instagram link above for more information.

3. Emerson Mayes

Emerson Mayes is both a painter and a printmaker. His monotypes are what I am immediately drawn to. The way that he uses brushstrokes to draw in the direction of fur without any major change in value is quite amazing; they also create a real sense of movement within his pieces. His outer contours - the outline of the animals - help to bring out a nice contrast between his whites and browns. Check out the link above or his website for more information.

4. Canopic Studio

Although I am not as well-versed in ceramics as I am in painting, which is why the majority of the artists on this list are painters, I cannot deny the attention to detail and the interesting nature of Canopic Studio's work. I realize that the bowls they create may seem just a little creepy at first, but that is what I come to appreciate about it. Canopic Studio sells work on their Etsy Page if you are interested in checking it out!

5. Will Yu

Like many artists on this list, Will Yu portrays the human figure. The most striking thing about his paintings is his palette. He uses very cool tones a lot of the time in his work - blue-greens next to violets. Another element very apparent in his work is the sense of motion. Yu chooses to show motion through longer brushstrokes opposed to the more static drawn quality of Uribe as discussed earlier. His website describes him being a Taiwanese artist and his fascination with human nature.

6. Marco Mazzoni

Marco Mazzoni is probably the most famous artist that I have on this list. He is known for his use of colored pencils within his work; he blends them in very pleasing ways — showing the subtle differences in progression within cool hues. He often combines plant matter such as flowers or weeds with animals. Mazzoni has what I would describe as a "clean" style compared to some other artists such as Mayes. To look into some of his other content such as books and online courses, click here.

7. Melissa Scott-Miller

Melissa Scott-Miller is an artist who I was lucky enough to recently discover! She is interested in painting the beauty of the environment around her that is London. Her dedication to painting every single detail is impressive because she chooses to keep the detail even in the background. I also appreciate that she doesn't lower the chroma or saturation towards the background because it helps preserve the chaos of the environment. If you wish to read more about her and see more of her work, click here.

8. Andreas Vanpoucke

Andreas Vanpoucke is an artist who specializes in needlepoint. I am not knowledgeable in this area; all I know is that it is a form of printmaking where one etches into a plate. What I can tell you is that I love Vanpoucke's choice in rendering certain areas; for example, the man's leg has hardly any detail whereas the woman's does. I also love the lighting that the artist portrays. If you are more knowledgeable in this area, I would love to see you comment down below! To see more of his work, you can go to his website. Just so you know, it is in French.

9. Brad Kunkle

Brad Kunkle is a painter who uses both goldleaf and silverleaf in his work. This creates a nice contrast in areas that are matte and areas that are shiny. In this work especially, it helps the subject to stand out. Not to mention that the way he paints skin tones is beautiful. Feel free to click on the Instagram link above or check out his website for more information.

10. Jessica Fields

Jessica Fields is another artist who I very recently discovered. This is definitely an artist with the most colorful palette on this list. The way that Fields changes between hues and uses complimentary colors is admirable. Her mark making is very unique - it is clean, intentional, angular. I would highly recommend viewing more of her work on her website.

Thank you for reading; hopefully you were able to discover a few artists to follow on Instagram and artists whom you were not previously aware of. I could have definitely listed many more; perhaps that will have to be a second post!

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