Stephen Vuillemin turns his unusual editorial illustrations into gifs

London-based illustrator Stephen Vuillemin creates work first and foremost for himself: “I try to make something that I would like,” he says. “I only consider it a success if I would use it as a desktop picture for my computer.” His illustrations are a mix of the unusual and mundane as cool-looking characters meander strange situations. “It has to feel like there’s a story in the back. I try not to make it one-directional,” says Stephen. “If it’s funny, I’ll bring some scary too, if it’s elegant, I’ll bring some grotesque.”

This layered approach to his work has meant he’s had commissions from The New York Times, GQ and Bloomberg Businessweek. But what sets Stephen apart is his tendency to animate many of his illustrations into gifs giving them a new life away from the printed page.

We featured his work three years ago where he’d animated his own comics into neat little vignettes. There’s a definite progression in Stephen’s work since then as his 2D characters are more detailed with their features more refined and expressive. But what’s remained the same is Stephen’s ability to adapt to the media he’s using.