As the Grimm brothers proved with their dark fairy tales; not all children’s stories have to be filled with happy little characters frolicking in their happy little worlds. Spanish artist Beñat Olea Irureta has now added his own twist to classic fairy tales and childrens’ book characters with his gothic fantasy illustrations. While some of the original fairy tales were slightly macabre in nature, most of the illustrations that have accompanied these stories in the past have depicted clean-cut characters. Even the baddies didn’t seem so bad. Irureta’s digital illustrations are different from those that have come before, in that he reveals a darker side to the protagonists while revealing the truly evil nature of the bad guys in the tale.
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- Artist Irureta gives his mermaids a witchy twist by having this mermaid practice dark magic while surrounded by vicious henchmen fish
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- In an unusual twist, illustrator Irureta makes Little Red Riding Hood friends with the Big Bad Wolf
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- Irureta puts these fairy tale characters in a fearsome situation in this illustration
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- Snow White gives into temptation and reaches for a poison apple in this gothic illustration by Irureta
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- Spanish artist Irureta reveals the truly evil nature of the wicked Queen from the classic fairy tale Snow White
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- The Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland seem twisted and bizarre in this fan art illustration by Irureta
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- Alice from Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland doesn’t seem quite so chaste and innocent in this illustration by Irureta
