I love art and I love animals, so the two together is always a hit with me. While I like realism in animal art, I don’t see the point in a drawing or painting that looks just like a photograph. Here are four artists who paint realistic animals but whose styles make it clear you are not looking at a photo.
Jeff Carter is the artist in this group whose style is most realistic. His wildlife paintings have the detail of scientific illustrations while being soft and warm.
Also taking a soft approach is animal keeper/painter Julie Brunn. While there is no question what the subjects of her paintings are, there is a blurry impressionistic touch that adds to their beauty
Justin Monson is a self-described “sketchpot.” He calls his paintings doodles, but if you look at his work, I think you’ll agree it’s more than that. He paints animals and other things, often on envelopes or package wrappings.
Last is Don Kobasky, whose painting style is more fantastic in the literal sense. His giant detailed animals are often shown in strong false colors, or in wild settings like space.
Which of these do you like best?
