ParrotPrint was founded by a group of photographers but as members of the Fine Art Trade Guild, we appreciate and work with art of all kinds. Recently we’ve been seeing a lot of work online that combines photography and illustration in interesting ways.

This work by Brazilian artist Lucas Levitan is one such example. Levitan adds his own illustrations to other people’s photographs to create fantastical and fun pieces that we think would look wonderful on walls! If you’d like to see what he’d add to your images, you can invite him to get creative with your photographs by tagging them on Twitter with #iwanttobeinvaded. Of course, you could also have a go at evolving your own images using illustrations; here are just a few ways you can combine illustration and photography to create something new.

Draw your own breathtaking backdrops
Whether you’re creating your own photobooth or want to create some whacky and wonderful baby photographs, illustrating your own backdrops can transform your images in an inexpensive way. Jimmy the Bull Terrier has become an internet sensation thanks to the creative work of his owner Rafael, who adds his own illustrations to photographs of Jimmy to create fantastically quirky prints. This technique also works wonderfully with children – want to turn your little one into a superhero? Draw your own sky and other props to set the scene yourself.
Create a digital collage
You don’t need to take pen to paper to bring artwork and photo imagery together, using the likes of Photoshop and Illustrator you can combine your own sketches or even create watercolour-like textures to frame and contrast with your photography subjects for an ethereal feel. Digital collage allows for so many creative combinations without the mess. And, if you’d like to hang the results on the wall rather than enjoy them on screen, all you need to do is save the files in the correct format and upload here at ParrotPrint to transfer to canvas.

Colour between the lines
Have you taken a striking photograph that you’d like to turn into something a little more comic-book like or you think would look good given the Prisma treatment? Rather than adding to your images, why not spend some time taking away? Using digital software you can turn your images into outlines like those in colouring books and then colour between the lines how you see fit. This guide from digitalartsonline has some great tips.

Embellish the surface
Do you love the layered look of a collage? We’ve covered layered canvas prints ideas on the blog before, so be sure to check out our layered canvas post for a little inspiration. Whether you’ve chosen to put your photo on canvas or print to paper, the journey of your art needn’t stop there. Why not use other materials to add texture and interest to the surface? Different paints, varnishes and even fabrics can be used to add an illustration aspect to your work. We love the work of this fashion artist who uses nail varnish to enhance drawings and think there’s real potential to combine this technique with photographed images too.

Have you seen any great examples of art that combine illustration and photography? Add your recommendations of artists to watch below.