0
Shares

Expressive Portraits by Ulises Mendicutty

Published Oct 6, 2025

Barcelona-based illustrator and art director Ulises Mendicutty creates layered portraits where stylized realism meets surreal exaggeration. His work often moves fluidly between two distinct worlds: one grounded in detailed, expressive likenesses, and another bursting with playful distortion and cartoonish charm.

The faces in Ulises’ portraits are adorned with juxtaposed elements like oversized tears, glowing flames and radiant sparkles, blending tenderness and intensity in a striking visual language. Each portrait feels alive with contrast, featuring soft textures against sharp shapes, melancholy fused with humor, and vulnerability framed by vibrant pinks and reds.

Over the years Ulises has lent his distinctive touch to Google, The Guardian, Adobe, Vice, Penguin Random House, Universal Music and more. His work spans from editorial and advertising to murals and exhibitions, all unified by a vivid sense of storytelling and a fearless approach to color and form.

You can discover more of his work on his website, Behance and Instagram.

More illustrations via Instagram

POSTED BY

IG Team

0
Shares

More articles

Get Daily Design Inspiration with Muzli + Inspiration Grid

15 Great Script Fonts for Stylish Design Projects

Paperlike 3 Launches With a True Paper Feel & Foolproof, Bubble-Free Installation

OneXPlayer Launches X1 Air Hybrid Handheld and Ultra-Compact ONEXGPU Lite

#want

PenTips 2+ Apple Pencil Tips

dbrand Switch 2 Killswitch Case

Paperlike Bumper Case for iPad

NEEWER Basics Magnetic RGB Video Light

Art is not Artificial Tee

XPPen Artist Pro 22 (Gen 2) Pen Display Tablet

These are affiliate links to Amazon and other partner brands. We may earn a small commission if you click the link and make a purchase.
There is no extra cost to you, so it’s just a nice way to help support the site.

Related

inspiration

Awesome products for creatives

PenTips 2+ Apple Pencil Tips

dbrand Switch 2 Killswitch Case

Paperlike Bumper Case for iPad

NEEWER Basics Magnetic RGB Video Light

Art is not Artificial Tee

XPPen Artist Pro 22 (Gen 2) Pen Display Tablet

These are affiliate links to Amazon and other partner brands. We may earn a small commission if you click the link and make a purchase.
There is no extra cost to you, so it’s just a nice way to help support the site.

Inspiration
in your inbox

Amazing art & design, never any spam.

Thanks for subscribing!
We'll be in touch soon.

We care about protecting your data. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more.



© 2025 Inspiration Grid, all rights reserved. Some of our posts may contain affiliate links to partner brands. We earn a small commission if you click the link and make a purchase. There is no extra cost to you, so it’s just a nice way to help support the site. All images, videos, and other content posted on the site is attributed to their creators and original sources. If you see something wrong here or you would like to have it removed, please contact us.