British artist Ralph Steadman is perhaps best known for his illustrations made to accompany several volumes of writing by Hunter S. Thompson, including the critically acclaimed novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Steadman is a prolific artist, however, and has been making work in a variety of realms for decades.

The artist apparently tends to work by splashing paint randomly on a piece of art paper, then drawing lines over the splashes to create figure and form. Given this process, I can imagine that the artist’s studio is totally splattered with paint – there’s a lot going on in the above photo, so it’s a bit hard to tell.

Steadman’s studio looks like a busy place. It’s also very homey – the wood panelling and eclectic mix of furniture speaks to a studio space that’s perhaps grown from a desk in the corner to overtaking the entire room, as Steadman’s practice expanded. Looking closely, it’s easy to see that the tables and surfaces in view are absolutely covered with art materials – whether that’s a blank sketchbook lying open in wait, or countless bottles of paint and ink.

It seems as though any surface in this room could instantly become the site of a new artwork – perhaps Steadman moves between several different desks, creating several different works and adding new details while others dry.

I can see the influence of Steadman’s artistic style in the work of artists like Joey Feldman or Jeffrey Newman. While Steadman’s particular style of illustration is often seen as unnerving or even “scary,” the artist himself apparently has quite a calm and friendly demeanor. Despite this, and his intuitive way of working, the artist is also known for his general mistrust of authority and American government.

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