Vol. 076: Gaze of Cydonia

Looking through Nahuel Bardi’s portfolio reveals a huge range of styles and influences, but there seems to be a common thread of flowing motion. When drawing inspiration from music festival posters from the 60’s, this fluidity comes through the custom typography that occupies the negative space and the psychedelic color gradients. He has work indebted to anime, and these present narratives via comic panels that follow your eye naturally down the page. Other characters seem plucked from Steamboat Willie-era Disney cartoons, whose actions are depicted using rubber hose limbs and delightfully exaggerated expressions. Even his more grounded depictions of real people borrow aspects of this magical realism, giving all of his works a recognizable essence that lifts each illustration from the page.

Nahuel is based in Madrid, Spain, where he works as a freelance illustrator and artist. His client list is impressive, including brands like Nike and Truly, editorials like the New York Times, and European music labels and festivals. My personal favorite: a set of commissioned illustrations for the 30th anniversary of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Uncle Phil never looked so good.