Russ Mills is an Illustrator I learned about while I was in London. A native of Sussex, his experimentation with biro inks, paint and markers is reminiscent of American comic book artist Pat Lee and, to some extent, mixed media pioneer Jane Frank.

Using the streets and the alternative lifestyle of his peers as a frequent muse, his work captures very ordinary lives in extraordinary ways. Blurring the lines between portraiture and illustration, Russ thrives on capturing candid moments of his subjects on canvas, using photographs as his reference.

A former filmmaker, Russ turned to the canvas after failing to survive in the highly competitive field of animation and movies.