IllustrationX - Wagner Loud portfolio

Crackling with energy and colour, illustrations by the Brazilian artist Wagner Loud sizzle with humour and attitude. Flexing, bulging, bouncing and grinning, his heroes and villains come crashing out of page or screen brimming with fury, fun and street cred – exactly as comic and cartoon characters should.

Wagner loves to draw and was inspired from a young age by the comic books and cartoons that surrounded him growing up. Training in advertising and social communication, he never let his pencilling skills to go rusty and today his background in design helps him find the most impactful compositions. Based in São Paulo, Wagner thinks and works quickly, and his clients appreciate the way he can turn projects around even with relatively tight deadlines. Looking at his portfolio, it’s no surprise to learn that his influences include classic comic book artists like Jack Kirby, Jim Phillips and Bruce Timm, while the electric nature of his work comes from the Punk and Hip-Hop music that plays as he draws.

Approach

Although Wagner works digitally, he draws manually for an authentic comic book vibe. Powerful palettes give his work its pop, although he often manages colour selection to engineer specific moods.

Style

Wagner fuses classic comic book line work and colouring with elements of graffiti, humour and the punk aesthetic. With strong visual storytelling at work, it’s a look that demands the viewer’s attention, whether his characters are wide-eyed and cute or seething with menace.