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I’m a big fan of modern artists that do classic and vintage style work, and not many do it better than Derek Nobbs. Derek’s art usually involves skulls, skeletons and the ocean, reminiscent of pirates and classic sailor tattoos. He also adds the vintage feel on the paper stock by using coffee, whiskey, tobacco and other easily available things, but even those items fit his style so well.

One of the best things about Derek’s art is the deceptive simplicity of it. I say deceptive because he pays a lot of attention to detail which may be subtle but incredibly effective. The most obvious attribute is his creative staining and aging method of the heavyweight hot-press paper. If you looks closely though you will notice all the different color tones and gradients he uses that gives his pieces a nice depth and texture along with the vintage vibe. From the strands of hair in a beard, tiny tattoos on the skeleton’s arm, patterns on a shirt to vast landscapes, there are astounding amount of details in all of his work.

Derek also does a lot of collaborations with companies which I think it a very smart thing for artists to do. You can find his art on Arbor Collective skateboards, Burton snowboards or in form of a bad-ass skull ring made with Australian jewelry company Rust & Regret. My absolute favorite though has to be his designs on guitar pedals by Old Blood Noise! It maybe because I play guitar, but those pedals are so cool! I haven’t actually tried them out yet but I am seriously considering getting one.