Naoto Hattori

Naoto Hattori, born in Yokohama Japan, studied graphic design in Tokyo, illustration in New York. He mostly works in airbrush and acrylic. He says, "I've been creating the imaginary world within my mind ever since I was a child. My vision is like a dream, where it's a sweet dream, a nightmare or just a bizarre dream. I try to see what's really going on in my mind and that's a practice to increase my awareness in stream-of-conscious creativity. I try not to label or think about what is supposed to be, just take it in as it is and paint whatever I see in my mind with no compromise. That way, I create my own vision."

Naoto Hattori's official site (with gallery and prints)

Dave Cooper

Dave Cooper has always intrigued me. He began as a comics artist and that style persists in his paintings. You can see influences from R. Crumb, crazy animation of the 1930's and 40's, Renaissance paintings and, what, I don't know... balloons? Verging between cute and grotesque, sexual and disturbing, happy and violent, his art grabs you in your pop-culture psyche without any clear reference. I just got his book, Bent, and I highly recommend it.

Dave Cooper's website
Dave Cooper at Jonathan LeVine Gallery
Dave's old site
Dave Cooper's art book, Bent

1872 Anatomy

Check out these amazing cross-cut anatomy illustrations from Germany published in 1872. Quite beautiful. On Flickr by History of the Book / Typography, Amsterdam's photostream, be sure to take a look at the rest of the historical prints available there.