At first glance, these images look like beautiful screen prints on paper. In fact, the detailed designs are actually hand-cut paper illustrations by artist Callum Russell. The London-based illustrator and artist works mainly in paper-cutting to produce patterns, strong narratives, and large blocks of color in a unique, signature style.
To obtain such extremely precise cuts, Russell uses a Swann Morton surgical scalpel and very regularly swaps out old blades for new ones. He uses variations of thin and thick lines to produce texture and detail in the lively scenes filled with urban architecture, street signs, storefronts, and pedestrians walking past.
Russell bases each final image off of his own photographs and sketches. One series, entitled Japan Papercuts (Kirie), is a collection of scenes that Russell saw during his travels in Japan. Another, New York, blends the architectural excitement of the Big Apple with digital color that the artist adds in post-production. Light, shadow, and perspective provide a certain depth to each location which, in turn, invoke stories of travel and adventure hidden within the delicate paper cuts.
