Artist, Nathan Aardvark, (go here for more info) uses Illustrator to create cool digital artwork. These pieces usually start out as a rad paper drawing. Once he has the composition for the piece down, he moves to the computer.
This gnarly artist, has a background in multimedia and animation. He shifted into Illustrator and Photoshop after graduating college.
Nathan Aardvark has won an Emmy Award for his work. While his work is very fantastical, he also works for many cool companies (a few are: BBC, Heineken, and Focus Magazine).
I really enjoy this swell artwork because it is very stylized and I love the feelings of fantasy, adventure, and something dark.
I am not sure what tools he uses in these pieces. I would assume the brush tools (click here for more info) would be one.
The blur tool (also here) could also be a tool he uses.
Intro To Digital Media at UCONN 