I didn’t know what a Rainbow Eater was before I met Todd Ryan White‘s intricate illustrations, but now I am convinced that these creatures of darkness with ravenous appetites for prismatic light do exist. Rainbows may be made of light and vapour, but they are born of cold, dense darkness. White’s fantastic landscapes are awash with rainbows dancing around the flesh and skulls of massive beasts. He creates a world of texture; his detailed surfaces make me picture the minute bacteria that live on our skins, building their cities in the pore of a single hair. Much of his illustration is done with inks and watercolors on his own handmade paper, which adds to the rich textural experience of his art. It is a gargantuan feast for the eyes and mind, but at the same time it does not take itself too seriously. There is a playfulness and joy in what he creates, so that even when you are being transported into another dimension to pursue a quest of imminent danger, you are uplifted by the thoughts of your fate. White has done some breathtaking work for album covers, including Valley of the Serpent’s Soul for The Fucking Wrath, and poster and tee art for bands like Olde Growth, Night Horse and Ancestors. After the jump, enter the halls of doom with Todd Ryan White.
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