Imagine the makeup look I could do on someone with four eyes (Four Eyes).

Theodoor Grimes is Painting Love and Comfort for Human Bodies

There’s Only One Right for Every Body: The Right to Choose what is Right for Their Body

The thing about growing up reading a lot of manga is that, aside from covers and the periodic full-color illustration, the majority of the material is monochrome; sharp black lines on stark white paper, with a smattering of grayscale screen tone for depth. It’s not a bad thing, if anything, it’s a feature of the art form and the way it’s published. I got really used to looking at artwork being presented in this style over the years. Consequently, I find that I really enjoy artwork that combines strong, detailed linework with a surge of bright color.

Imagine the makeup looks I could do on someone with five eyes.

Theodoor Grimes is an illustrator and artist who is well known for doing just that. Grimes is a self-taught creator who dedicates their talents to producing art that features a celebration of love and color. To pull a quote from their website about page directly, “Theodoor often describes his work as a portrayal of queer people of color living happy, beautiful, and sexy lives: highlighting joyous and free worlds that every queer deserves.” I couldn’t describe Grimes’ portfolio better. Grimes is not afraid to depict queer love as it should be: passionate and unapologetic. Having said that, there are some spicy (i.e., NSFW) images in the gallery, for those that might need to use their discretion about location or present company.

I’m also doing my best, but it doesn’t look this good.

I really find myself drawn to the almost vaporwave-esque color palettes in a lot of Grimes’ pieces. The extraterrestrial trans girl up above is by far one of my favorites. There are so many vibrant and vivacious works, and it really showcases the kind of talent it takes to employ color theory in such an appealing and powerful way. On the flip side, the “Take it Easy” design below, a retro-inspired design with gorgeous soft colors that match the vibe and the message, appeals to me in a different way. As of the time of this publication, there is still time on a Print Social campaign featuring this design as a shirt. Actually, there are a lot of their designs that look super good on shirts, so check out their Redbubble if you’re in the market.

Here’s a link to the shop!

This week is weirdly quiet. After two weeks of chaos, I feel like I’m poised waiting for something else that’s crazy to happen. The only things I feel like I’ve learned are that I need to drink more water and to sleep in a better position so my drawing arm doesn’t hurt when I try to move my shoulder. I hope everyone is taking good care of themselves this week.

Orange Alert, and not the Air Quality kind.

Check out Grimes at their website here!

Or browse their Twitter or Instagram, Its NSFW so be mindful of how and when you browse! ^_^