Alariko

Alariko is a Spanish illustrator and background artist. He works in Procreate so the picture still feels like ink and watercolour: loose on the surface, solid underneath.

His artistic approach is a deliberate balance, described as being at once loose yet solidly grounded in good draftsmanship. This is particularly evident in his architectural subjects, where he will often leave vertical lines deliberately askew, a choice that enhances the casual, charming visual quality of his drawings.

Alariko's work shows a clear and appreciable influence from anime, with the aesthetic of Studio Ghibli being a notable touchstone. This inspiration occasionally surfaces in whimsical motifs, such as the appearance of a witch on a broomstick reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service. More broadly, his output often carries the appealing, spontaneous feeling of urban sketching, executed with a fluid line and watercolour-like sensibility. A key strength of his work is the thoughtful play of light and shadow; he frequently casts long, late-day shadows across the foreground of his scenes and employs subtle theatrical highlighting to bring his figures to life.