Rob Snow creates digital art that often focuses on the human face and the animal kingdom with a distinct sense of humour. In his portrait work, he frequently uses a black and white palette to highlight the exaggerated features of his subjects, creating a style that feels both classic and modern. I like how he uses digital tools to stretch and pull at the proportions of famous figures, giving them a look that is quite different from a standard photograph.
James Dean is a great example of this approach, showing the actor as a caricature with an enlarged head and a very high forehead. He has swept-back hair and wears a jacket with a popped collar over a light-coloured shirt, looking directly forward against a plain, dark background. The focus on the jaw, chin, and eyebrows creates a strong sense of character that is instantly recognisable despite the distorted proportions.
Snow also explores more sombre or unusual themes, such as in his portrait of H P Lovecraft. This black and white digital piece shows the author with an elongated face, wearing a suit and tie in the centre of the frame. A single tentacle with visible suckers rises from behind his right shoulder, which adds a touch of cosmic horror to the image. By focusing on the nose and forehead, Snow manages to capture a specific mood that fits the subject’s literary legacy perfectly.
Martin Luther King is another portrait that uses the enlarged head technique against a plain, dark background. The man in the suit and tie has a moustache and short hair, with a small pin visible on his lapel. The humour in the piece comes from the scale of the head compared to the body, which draws your eye to the forehead and cheeks. It is a technique that Snow uses across several of his digital works to create a memorable visual impact.
Cool! (Wordless) takes a different direction, moving away from portraits and into a more abstract and minimalist style. A polar bear sits on a plain white surface, holding up a blue short-sleeved shirt that features a white and yellow floral pattern. In front of the bear sits an open red gift box with a pink ribbon on the ground. The piece incorporates elements of graffiti and art deco, showing how Snow can adapt his style to different subjects while keeping a clean design.