Illustrating Reddit, one thread at a time

By Patrick Jones on April 19, 2012 in Art

Without a doubt, the best thing about social news site, Reddit, is not the thousands of links to entertaining and enlightening content that get submitted on a daily basis – it’s the community. Always willing to come to the aid of people in need, or offer words of encouragement to those experiencing hardship, Redditors consistently depart from the usual image of online communities as savage, uncivilised places (I’m looking at you, Xbox Live).

I’ve been a Redditor for three years, and still find myself in awe of some of the amazing and varied backgrounds of its users, which are often shared in great detail in comments. Many come from beautiful countries I might never have the opportunity to visit, while others have had experiences I could never imagine. Then there are those with creative talent that I can only dream of possessing. Someone who falls into the latter category is Sandra Salsbury, better known to Reddit by her username, “illustratingreddit“.

Sandra’s account on Reddit is what’s known as a novelty account. Often funny, and sometimes remarkably clever, novelty accounts generally submit content or comments that reference their username. Sandra – who is a talented illustrator based in California – uses her account to post illustrations inspired by the submissions of other users. Posted within hours of the original source of inspiration, Sandra’s work is incredible, and perfectly reflects the character of the Reddit community.

In just two weeks, Sandra has managed to capture the imagination of thousands of Redditors with her talent. However, I feel her work deserves even more attention outside of Reddit. So, below you’ll find some examples of Sandra’s illustrations along with their original context.

Want to see more?

Make sure you check out Sandra’s website, and her blog, where you will find all of her latest Reddit-inspired illustrations. If you’d like to purchase prints of Sandra’s work, you can do so from her page on Etsy.