Artist Creates Scary Illustrations That Will Leave You Horrifying The More You See

Horror stories have different charms and ways that send chills to the bone. Some have utterly disgusting and detailed gorey parts, and movies often rely on animations for jumpscares. Some CreepyPasta stories begin with a ‘local urban legend.’ Some, like Jeff Lee Johnson, loves to draw out the horror from your most typical, daily scene out of the ’80s.

The time when people had just started switching from B&W to colored pictures. When videos were still rare and haunted pictures often became hot topics, that kind of era. They seem to give his illustrations a certain atmosphere that just matches the vibe.

The man hopes that these illustrations may train unexpecting observers to be more careful of their surroundings. Things may not be as deep as you think they are… or are they?

His illustrations have various genres of horror, from monsters, ghosts, to human beings. Yet, the normal expressions people wear despite the blood and weirdness make them seem more unnerving.

“Under the Boardwalk”

This hobby of his began when he was assigned by ‘Fantasy Flight Games’ where he got to play with Lovecraft’s theme in his artwork. Inside a railcar iconic to the 1920s era, James dove into the role of an observer as they slowly notice the horrifying small details of the carnage that was unfolding around him.

Jeff shares his early life, “My mother was an avid reader of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, sharing her library with me freely, and the three channels we got on our TV replayed classic movies endlessly.”

The Minnesota-based artist shares that among many fictions he’s read, H.P. Lovecraft had the biggest influence in his creation, followed by his love of travel. He began going around, mostly on his own, to places he used to be strange with and “drank up the atmosphere, relished the settings, and empathized with the inhabitants.”

“Blue Plate Special”

He shared his thoughts on the piece, “When that painting was finished, I realized I had found a really fun thread to tug on, and began thinking of a series based on that theme.”

“In each painting, we take the point of view of someone giving a good first look at new surroundings. Not all of these observers are impartial, which seems natural, and some may not be very nice, though they are all fearless lovers of travel and new experiences.”

“The Grand International Hotel”

Jeff began with a typical scene of a day, then slowly adds details that make people go ‘wait…’

Inspired by classic movies and his travels, he added that they are a mixture of dark humor and horror. While these illustrations are technically horror-themed, people can still ‘enjoy’ them. Jeff himself admits, “There is something deliciously funny to me about a monster just having a ball going about their terrible business, and I am sure this is a character defect on my part.”

“Rue The Day”