Using an object as basic as a pencil shaving, artist Marta Alts created these clever, yet simple, drawings in which ink figures interact with colorful and textured pencil remnants. By repurposing the shavings, the artist transformed objects that others see as trash into beautiful and integral elements within each piece, including butterfly wings, a ballet tutu, and a lion’s mane. It’s incredible how many different ways she has morphed her doodles into these adorable drawings, with just these delicate scraps.
Altes has been interested in illustration since she was a child, and pursued that interest through her study of Children’s book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. By adding layers of splintered wood to the very straightforward line drawings, the artist enjoys creating the playful scenes and she says, “I always try to have a positive and funny vision about life and to get a smile from who is looking at my drawings or reading my stories–that is what I like most about illustration.”
