With 20k followers on Instagram, George Tonks has made quite a splash within the illustration community. Recognized for his quirky animal illustrations, his inspiration mainly comes from watching nature documentaries, such as David Attenborough’s Planet Earth and Blue Planet. But unlike nature documentaries, his work isn’t meant to be realistic.
Quite the opposite. According to Tonks, he deliberately exaggerates certain features or parts of the animal anatomy, which makes them more cartoonish and therefore, more enjoyable. Having a distinguishable silhouette is key in character illustrations, says Tonks.
But in order to exaggerate his characters, he first has to understand their anatomy properly. This, Tonks does through animal observations, as well as studying other illustrators. Using ProCreate, he then creates his characters through a series of mark making, adding texture and body.
Based in Bournemouth, Tonks also runs an Etsy store where you can find prints of his work at a reasonable price. You can also enjoy he work from afar, by following him on Instagram.
