When the digital and art world collide, it can cause a variety of polarizing reactions. Some will love seeing the medium of art evolving into new and unique creations, and Some may prefer more traditional and textured forms of art like surrealist paintings. Well, there is one artist who is combining the traditional brushstrokes of painting with 3D model editing software to create colorful and visually stunning works of art.

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Artist Matthew Stone has created a unique way to layer artwork using both physical and digital mediums. He has built a reputation for himself using this individualistic style to create paintings that combine the textures of brushstrokes and 3D imagery to create a visceral experience. To create this style of painting, Matthew begins by painting a composition onto glass and photographing the paint. He then brings these images into a digital format using three-dimensional modeling software to digitally build up layers of brushstrokes. He uses the modeling software to cut out the brushstrokes and combine them with textures and shapes, rendering the final print onto linen.

According to Cultured Mag, Kathy Grayson, owner of the New York Gallery The Hole, stated that Matthew Stone has an ability, “to make things in real life look as good as they do on a computer screen and in a sophisticated, saturated and engaging way.” And, although Matthew has done incredibly well in terms of financial success through his artwork, he stated on the subject, “The role of an artist shouldn’t be limited to making expensive objects sold to an elite.”

One of the more recent projects Matthew has tackled using his signature style is a collaboration with music artist FKA Twigs. The two artists have been friends for years and, over this time, have collaborated on several projects together. Their first collab was when Matthew shot her cover of i-D Magazine, then they worked together on the artwork for her 2015 EP, and (most recently) Matthew worked on the album artwork for her record Magdalene.

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In their most recent collaboration, Matthew reimagined Twigs using his signature aesthetic of thick painted strokes layered using 3D modeling software. The stunning results of this work were partly inspired by imagery put together by Twigs and her creative director, Matthew Josephs. “They had been looking at the Argentinian surrealist painter Leonor Fini and her acid-hued palette” explains Matthew Stone to It’s Nice That.

Partly taking inspiration from surrealist styles, Matthew was also inspired by the artist herself stating, “I am constantly inspired by the physical presence and strength Twigs brings to her performances…So I wanted to depict her body in a way that reflected that, and how I see her using it.”

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In his spare time, Matthew prefers to spend his time connecting with nature, exploring and intuitively connecting with the life around him. Given his attraction to nature, his urge to return to digital formats in his art surprises him, “Logically, I should be some archaic revivalist, headset against the digital.” Ultimately, Matthew’s hope is to “breathe life” back into the medium itself.