Gary Kelley is an American illustrator who works primarily in pastels. His works draw from the geometric simplification of cubism and the flat calligraphic linework of art nouveau, but his muted palettes are a consistent and gorgeous feature of his art. He's done a lot of editorial and book illustration as well as murals.

Siren

I am really inspired by Kelley's control of pastels. His work has such a wonderful soft glow to it but his silhouettes are insanely clean and sharp. This allows him to really sell the strength of his dynamic gestures. I also love how he tilts the geometry of his shapes to lead the viewer's eye and convey a surreal sense of movement.

Harlem Heat

Kelley is also capable of styles that I'd call a little more cartoony. His work for the book "Dark Fiddler" is really emotive, sort of creepy and really fun. I especially admire how he divides his compositions into aesthetically pleasing segments using limbs and architecture, not constrained by concerns for realism. I think he's a great example of how fine art can be effectively used in commercial media.

Illustration from "Dark Fiddler - The Life and Legend of Nikolo Paganini", 2011

Illustration from "Dark Fiddler - The Life and Legend of Nikolo Paganini", 2011