Food that looks so fresh you can taste it, water that’s cool and wet just to look at, fields of flowers you can hear swishing in the wind – when the photorealist illustrator Tom Ungemach goes to work he doesn’t just create realistic images, he ensures they’re steeped in atmosphere. With pin-sharp details, his works emit light and energy, filling his clients’ projects with positivity.
Based in Hamburg, Tom strives for a tangible quality in his work. Alongside art he has always loved making things with his hands, which is reflected in his precise yet imaginative approach. When Tom left school his style was already fully developed, so instead of studying he became an assistant in another illustrator’s studio before launching his solo career in 1995, quickly becoming a leader in his field. One of his favourite artists is Masao Saito.
Approach
Tom has mastered a range of media, moving from brushes, airbrushes and acrylics to Adobe Photoshop and his Wacom tablet. He has a photo studio for shooting props, bringing everything together on screen to craft a perfectly crisp final image.Style
Creating the illusion of reality is what excites Tom and he deploys bright, primary colours, strong composition and lighting to generate a bright and optimistic atmosphere, often highlighting the fine detail in each piece.