18 INKEDMAG.COM
BAD TO THE
Will Blood is giving your favorite cartoons an artistic X-ray—no insurance required.
by devon prestonBONE
While our genders, religions, sexual orientations,
politics and tattoo preferences may separate us,
one thing remains the same—we all have a skele-
ton. Brighton-based artist Will Blood has used this
concept as the driving force for his art by trans-
forming popular cartoon characters into bone-ified
masterpieces. From treasured Disney characters
to Nickelodeon’s finest to the always-entertaining
Simpsons gang, Blood has left no stone in the toon
world unturned. His work invites the child within to
come alive and makes us excited to see who he’s go-
ing to put into an illustrative x-ray next. We caught up
with Blood between sketch sessions to uncover the
origins of his Bare Bones series and reveal what’s
going on beneath the surface of this internationally
recognized illustrator.When did you develop your love for art?
I’ve been obsessed with art since an early age. As
a child, I collected tropical insects and arachnids—
which gave me my first subject matter. I always loved
classification illustrations in my books.Did you go to art school? I didn't study art. I spent the
ages of 15 through 25 pursuing music and I wanted
to be a rockstar. I found that I enjoyed creating the
merchandise and artwork more than the music, so I
slowly moved my focus back to art.How did you develop your signature style and how has
it evolved over time? I find old work every now and
then, and I have a good giggle. It's important to want
to be better. My art has evolved pretty organically