Kazuki Takamatsu’s work. The low-colour gradients - using a range just wide enough to convey volume and nothing more - remind me of untextured avatars from early noughties online games for which Japanese fans would create painstaking ‘skins’ of J-pop (and, unfortunately, Gravure) idols to ‘wear’ when playing.

Something about these players labouring for weeks to make ever more realistic simulacra to climb inside disturbed me then, and does now.

These illustrations are all the more affecting as the wooden distress the models dutifully mime is totally convincing.

(via itsnicethat. Stop wasting your time and start visiting this blog daily.)