In case digging through years of news reports is too tedious for you, Andy Warner just posted a nice illustrated guide to the Assad family to help you understand a little bit of what’s going on in Syria right now.

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I love the colours and simple reasoning in this clever series by Scottish illustrator Matt Cowen, which uses basic maths equations to explain how certain pop culture icons came to be.

If you’re a fan of semi-naked girls beating on zombies and giant robots (and let’s face it, who isn’t?) then the Australian illustrator/artist Ashley Wood may be just what your life is missing. Starting out in comics and quickly moving on to publishing his own sumptuous art books, prints and collectable toys, Wood now has a legion of adoring fans worldwide, eager to snap up anything coming out of his 3A/Bambaland studios. A new set of prints is said to be on offer. KILL!!

Having recently made my way to Sydney, I have begun thoroughly immersing myself in the creative depth it has to offer. As a progression of my existing work, my current output has split along two divergent tracks.

One being exaggerated portraiture (caricature if you will), like my piece of Benicio Del Toro, while on the other hand, I have taken to large-scale, stark landscapes. These large panorama are intended as imaginary backdrops to hypothetical worlds with distinct overtones of societal decline and isolation of the individual. Interesting that we artists always dwell on such themes in the same isolation we end up brooding over.

Mark Powell from London uses a standard big biro pen to draw amazing portraits of elderly people on the backs of old envelopes. His works are as evocative as his canvas is unusual. Regardless, the results of his creative efforts are amazing.

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I’m a Swedish illustrator based in London. At first glance my work looks sweet and innocent; it’s filled with pastel colours and cute animals. But some of the pieces also have darker themes in them. To the North Pole, for example, tells the story of two sisters’ journey to the Arctic where they meet a grim end in the belly of a polar bear.

Jo Ley is a super talented illustrator who graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2011. Lately she’s been producing some pretty amazing looking work as part of author Jeff Noon’s Microspores Twitter experiment and fashion illustration for Amelia’s Magazine.

The coolest Steampunk comic book creation out there. From the talented arm of Joe Benitez, it’s packed with absolutely killer art and storylines that make you wish there was a movie to go drool over. Until there is, catch up on the last four issues, all with collectable alternate covers.

A long disbanded team of super-human heroes must overcome the mission gone awry that forced them into retirement to resume defending the earth against other super-human threats, but some missing members must be replaced, and quickly, because a powerful Soviet menace is stirring! Shades of Watchmen in this series created and drawn by comics veteran Kurt Belcher.

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Natalie Dee and her husband Drew run a huge, hilarious daily web comic. They have been doing it for years and years, I remember discovering it when I was a teenager when I was just discovering illustration. Their comics about pop culture and their daily lives are created in such a witty and sometimes satirical tone, with a seriously amusing edge.

Fumi Mini Nakamura is a New York-based illustrator and designer. I first got to now her work via Juxtapoz. She is able to combine a dark, ornate and fragile feel to her illustration work, which I really like. She has sent me some of her latest work, including one of her workspace, for your eyes to feast on.

Silvia Pavarini is an Italian illustrator whose artwork typically portrays young girls with big eyes.

Grzegorz Domaradzki, aka Gabz, is an illustrator and graphic designer working in Poznań, Poland. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań in 2003 with a Master’s degree in Graphic Arts and Drawing. I first came across his work via FFFFound. His super detailed pencil work is very inspiring.

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Thomas James is a professional illustrator who has been recognized by American Illustration and the Society of Illustrators. He uses a combination of graphite, charcoal, paint, and digital collage to create conceptual work for a wide range of projects.

A lot of Baltimore-based illustrator/artist Jee-Shaun Wang’s work involves intricate drawings made to look like prints. I love how intricate and lyrical his images are and the way he effortlessly and seemlessly draws together elements of graphic novels, folk art, and mythic Chinese aesthetics.

Looking for the ultimately gift for your design conscious valentine? Look no further. You need Penguin’s new edition of the Karma Sutra, complete with a beautifully illustrated cover by Malika Favre.

When I read Black Metal One I fell in love with its originality and awesomeness. Chuck BB is an amazing artist and the dark Norse mythology/childhood adventure story makes for a ridiculously fun read. As of a few months ago, part 2 was in my hands and it’s just as good.

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Vancouver artist Paul Morstad’s illustrations simply amaze me. Intricately well put together imagery of his native flora and fauna intertwine with cartography. Beautiful.

Joshua M. Smith, aka Hydro74, is an illustrator with an incredibly detailed yet bold monotone style. He’s also got the coolest business card I think I’ve ever seen.

This is my illustration entry for the Florence and the Machine Vinyl competition in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Voting is open now until January 26 and you can vote TWICE!