Nathan Aardvark - Backgrounds

Nathan Aardvark is an illustrator who specialises in speed & mood painting. His illustrations to the left are favoured due to the busy & surreal nature.

The worlds he creates are seemingly meant for a small character in a natural world, enhanced by the highly saturated, bright colours making it appear otherworldly & surreal. Aarvark also uses details of lighting to imply life in his foliage & plants in the foreground. For example it appears

as though the mushrooms are lit up from the inside & along the ribbons of grass they are lit in an ethereal, magical manner.

The first image would be more simply split into layers than the image to the right, however I think the second image would create a more interesting layout as it creates the impression of looking up & out at something bigger. I also think there would be more scope to animate details, such as the background clouds, the petals & the details of foliage in the foreground.