Mother Nature inspired many artists to spread their wings and fly, and Vitor Velez is celebrating it in his own ways. His wildlife subjects are living their best lives between the lines of his intricate illustrations, which represent a unique fusion of scientific art and nature journaling.
Velez is the mastermind behind the Instagram page The Headlessketcher, and his fascination with art and animals has always gone hand in hand. He spent countless hours as a child browsing through wildlife encyclopedias and trying to copy the illustrations he found inside, treasuring all that nature had to offer.
Many years later, Velez’s art is still inspired by the beauty of the natural world, and he wants his illustrations to evoke a sense of exploration and discovery.
“Drawing parallels to scientific illustration, I delve into meticulous research and attention to detail to capture the unique characteristics of each animal I paint. However, I refrain from pursuing a rigid realistic representation, striving to maintain a unique feeling of artistic identity in my work,” he writes on his official website.
Velez mostly uses pen drawing, colored pencils, and watercolor in his work, tailoring his technique to each new piece. Even though his approach to art is constantly evolving, his illustrations are instantly recognizable by the hand-written notes that give them an encyclopedic feel.
