In commercial illustration, where the boundaries of realism are often not a factor, there are many ways to make an illustration have that “pop” effect which makes them stand out from the crowd and gives it that contemporary illustration look.

If you’re a fan of modern illustration you’ve no doubt noticed that those of the digital school like using extreme lighting effects and vivid colors to make an impression. One very effective way to give these elements extra power is to use a dark background for your piece. This ensures that you’ll have the basis to make the lighting and color really stand out.

I’ve searched the web and my hard drive for some eye catching examples. Enjoy and be inspired!

01. Daniel Delgado Volchaire | Daniel Delgado Volchaire’s site

02. Cristiano Siqueira | Cristiano Siqueira’s site

03. Atila Meireles | Atila meireles’s site

04. Brian Gossett | Brian Gossett’s site

05. Mischa Loppies | Mischa Loppies’s site

06. Jeremias Virtanen | Jeremias Virtanen’s site

07. Bosslogic | Bosslogic’s site

08. Mike Orduna | Mike Orduna’s site

09. Xegalstudio | Xegalstudio site

10. Peter Maciocha | Peter Maciocha’s site

11. Sakke Soini | sakke Soini’s site