AT / Vancouver
Visual Artist · Illustrator · Educator

Angel Torrella

Classical observation meets digital invention. Four decades across drawing, painting, printmaking, illustration, and emerging technologies.

The Fractal Knight, pencil on Canson paper by Angel Torrella
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Selected work

Traditional · Digital · Hybrid
The Fractal Knight, a pencil drawing with intricate fractal armor

The Fractal Knight

Pencil on Canson paper · 2026

Pencil portrait of Maritza in futuristic armor against a loosely drawn cityscape

Portrait of Maritza with Armor

Androids series · Pencil on Canson paper · 2026

Princess Elsa portrait

Princess Elsa

Graphite · 2026

Shipwreck Beach matte painting

Shipwreck Beach

Digital matte painting · 2022

Piranesi, a digital matte painting of a monumental stone interior with arches, scaffolding, and dramatic light

Piranesi

Digital matte painting · Photoshop · 40 × 30 in · 2022

Guanajuato, Mexico, black-and-white digital painting of a steep historic street at night

Guanajuato, Mexico

Digital painting · Photoshop · 20 × 11 in · 2025

Toledo, black-and-white digital painting of a historic street leading toward the cathedral tower

Toledo

Digital painting · Photoshop · 17 × 11 in · 2025

Pencil landscape of the historic village of Mulazzo in Tuscany, Italy

Landscape from Mulazzo in Tuscany, Italy

Pencil on Canson paper · 24 × 18 in · 2019

San Gimignano, Italy, pencil drawing of the historic towers and rooftops

San Gimignano, Italy

Pencil on Canson paper · 24 × 18 in · 2019

Beautiful British Columbia, pencil drawing of a forest path

Beautiful British Columbia

Pencil on Canson paper · 24 × 18 in · 2019

Interior with Fountain, pencil architectural drawing

Interior with Fountain

Pencil on Canson paper · 24 × 18 in · 2019

Perspective Study, charcoal and white chalk drawing of a narrow architectural street on brown craft paper

Perspective Study

Charcoal and chalk on craft paper · 24 × 18 in · 2019

Perspective with Two Vanishing Points, pencil drawing of hillside houses and converging streets

Perspective with Two Vanishing Points

Pencil on Ingres paper · 18 × 24 in · 2019

Blondy Androids IV, a luminous amber profile of a futuristic android

Blondy Androids IV

Digital and hybrid media · 18 × 24 in · 2025

Android I, ink and pen drawing from the Android series

Android I

Android series · Ink and pen on Canson paper · 2025

Android II, ink and pen drawing from the Android series

Android II

Android series · Ink and pen on Canson paper · 2025

Android III, ink drawing from the Android series

Android III

Android series · Ink on Canson paper · 2026

Android IV, pencil drawing of a futuristic female android

Android IV

Android series · Pencil on Canson paper · 24 × 18 in · 2026

Rafters for Freedom I, a firelit digital painting of people crossing rough seas on crowded rafts

Rafters for Freedom I

AI, Photoshop, Wacom Cintiq 32 · 30 × 40 in · 2022

Rafters for Freedom II, a turbulent digital painting of people crossing the sea on a crowded raft

Rafters for Freedom II

AI, Photoshop, Wacom Cintiq 32 · 30 × 40 in · 2022

Rain, pencil figure drawing by Angel Torrella

Rain

Pencil on Canson paper · 18 × 24 in · 2019

Rain 02042019, pencil figure drawing of a seated woman

Rain 02042019

Pencil on 90 lb Canson paper · 18 × 24 in · 2019

Rain 09122018, pencil figure drawing of a seated woman in profile

Rain 09122018

Pencil on Canson paper · 18 × 24 in · 2018

Rain 12032018, pencil figure drawing of a seated woman holding a long staff

Rain 12032018

Pencil on Canson paper · 18 × 24 in · 2018

Rain 12102018, horizontal pencil figure drawing by Angel Torrella

Rain 12102018

Pencil on 90 lb Canson paper · 24 × 18 in · 2018

Model 2024, pencil figure drawing of a seated woman wearing glasses in profile

Model 2024

Pencil on Canson paper · 18 × 24 in · 2024

Jane, pencil figure drawing of a seated woman

Jane

Pencil on Canson paper · 18 × 24 in · 2017

Self-Portrait, pencil drawing of Angel Torrella wearing glasses

Self-Portrait

Pencil on Canson paper · 18 × 24 in · 2018

Elaine, pencil portrait of a woman wearing glasses in three-quarter profile

Elaine

Pencil on paper · 18 × 24 in · 2019

Portrait of Caroline, pencil drawing on Canson paper by Angel Torrella

Portrait of Caroline

Pencil on Canson paper · 18 × 24 in · 2017

Jungle XXVI, an immersive orange, black, and gold computational landscape reflected in water

Jungle XXVI

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Mars I, a vertical red-orange digital landscape from the Mars series

Mars I

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

Mars II, a vertical digital landscape from the Mars series

Mars II

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

Mars III, a horizontal digital landscape from the Mars series

Mars III

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Golden Idol, a vertical digital artwork by Angel Torrella

Golden Idol

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

Last Tree, a horizontal digital painting by Angel Torrella

Last Tree

Digital painting on matte bright canvas · 40 × 25 in · 2021

Ocean I, a horizontal digital painting by Angel Torrella

Ocean I

Digital painting on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Piranesi I, a horizontal digital artwork by Angel Torrella

Piranesi I

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

The Garden III, a crimson organic digital composition

The Garden III

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

The Garden XIV, a gold and blue digital landscape

The Garden XIV

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

The Garden VIII, a vertical violet organic digital composition

The Garden VIII

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

The Garden II, a dynamic red, yellow, and black digital composition

The Garden II

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Mandelbay City VIII, a monumental vertical digital cityscape

Mandelbay City VIII

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

Mandelbay City XI, a panoramic blue and gold digital cityscape

Mandelbay City XI

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Mandelbay City XVII, an atmospheric orange and pale-blue digital cityscape

Mandelbay City XVII

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Mandelbay City V, a dense vertical teal and gold digital structure

Mandelbay City V

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

Mandelbay City XXXII, a luminous red, magenta, and gold digital composition

Mandelbay City XXXII

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

Mandelbay City XXXIX, a dramatic magenta and black digital composition

Mandelbay City XXXIX

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

Sierpinski Forest XIV, a luminous blue and green digital forest structured by recursive branching forms

Sierpinski Forest XIV

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Sierpinski Forest XIII, a gold, green, and black digital forest shaped by recursive branching structures and reflected light

Sierpinski Forest XIII

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Sierpinski Forest III, a dark recursive forest opening toward concentrated white and green light

Sierpinski Forest III

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 25 in · 2021

Sierpinski Forest XVII, an intense red, orange, and black recursive landscape opening toward a luminous passage

Sierpinski Forest XVII

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Sierpinski Forest XVI, gold recursive branching forms suspended above luminous reflective water

Sierpinski Forest XVI

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Sierpinski Forest XV, dense brown and gold recursive structures reflected in deep blue-black water

Sierpinski Forest XV

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Sierpinski Forest XI, a luminous turquoise recursive forest framed by deep green branching structures

Sierpinski Forest XI

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

Sierpinski Forest XII, luminous surf breaking through dark gold and black recursive formations

Sierpinski Forest XII

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Abstract Combat, angular black and bronze structures colliding through sweeping fields of vivid red

Abstract Combat

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 40 × 30 in · 2021

Sierpinski Forest VII, a vertical nocturnal forest opening toward an intense red and gold inner light

Sierpinski Forest VII

Digital print on matte bright canvas · 30 × 40 in · 2021

Cardboard Army, acrylic painting by Angel Torrella

Cardboard Army

Acrylic on canvas · 36 × 24 in · 2020

Red Chair, ink and Prismacolor pencil drawing of an ornate red armchair and footstool

Red Chair

Ink and Prismacolor pencil · 24 × 18 in · 2019

Pine, 1982, a vertical forest painting with luminous tree trunks against deep blue-black foliage

Pine

Tempera on paper · 9 × 17 in · 1982

Cast Away, a digital matte painting of a solitary figure overlooking an ocean and distant ship

Cast Away

Digital matte painting · Photoshop · 17 × 11 in · 2022

Stories behind
the images

Featured projects
Original scientific illustration and contemporary reconstruction of Diaperis viridula
Signature project · Scientific illustration

Entomofauna Cubana Fernando de Zayas

Original pen-and-ink drawings made directly from insect specimens in Havana. Decades later, archival research, Adobe Firefly and Photoshop open a new chapter in this sustained practice of close observation.

Explore the project →
Planet III, digital plotter print by Angel Torrella, 1989
Digital art pioneer · ISA Havana · 1988–1992

One Pixel

The story of turning fractal equations into physical images with a vector plotter, improvised tools, scarce materials, and relentless experimentation.

Explore the project →
Mandelbay City VIII, fractal architecture by Angel Torrella
Havana · Memory · Digital & fractal art

Patterns: Persistent Memories

From the ornamental tiles of a 1920s Havana home to imagined fractal worlds: a personal exploration of memory, geometry, Mandelbulb3D, and Photoshop.

Explore the project →
A selection of artist-directed character designs from Characters Reimagined
Character design · Drawing · Artist-directed AI

Characters Reimagined

Original character drawings become new visual worlds through iterative artistic direction, critique and AI-assisted development.

Explore the project →

One practice,
many languages.

Havana → Vancouver
“Slow looking first. Computation second.”

Angel Torrella is a Vancouver-based visual artist and educator whose practice joins rigorous academic drawing with experimental digital image-making.

Educated at San Alejandro and the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, he holds two Fine Arts degrees spanning drawing, painting, engraving, printmaking, digital art, and graphic design. Since 1987, he has joined traditional craft with digital tools, moving through graphite, ink, acrylic, fractal geometry, matte painting, illustration, and responsible AI.

His career began in Cuba as an artist, illustrator, designer, television visual-effects specialist, teacher, and academic leader. Since 2006, he has taught at LaSalle College Vancouver, connecting classical observation with contemporary creative practice.

1987Digital practice begins
2Fine Arts degrees
40+Years teaching art
2006—PresentLaSalle College VancouverInstructor in drawing, illustration, digital imaging, production, and emerging creative technologies.
1989—2004Arts education and visual production, CubaAcademic leadership and faculty roles at San Alejandro, the National School of Arts, and the University of the Arts; visual-effects work for Cuban television.
1989Instituto Superior de Arte, HavanaFine Arts degree focused on engraving, printmaking, digital art, and graphic design.
1983San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts, HavanaFine Arts degree focused on drawing and painting.

Areas of practice include drawing, painting, printmaking, scientific illustration, digital matte painting, visual development, curriculum design, and AI-supported creative workflows.

Art is learned
by making.

Education · Since 1983

Studio discipline for a changing creative world.

From classical life drawing to digital imaging, production, illustration, and AI-supported workflows, Torrella’s teaching connects foundational seeing with contemporary practice. At LaSalle College Vancouver, he develops artists and designers who can think, build, question, and adapt.

Drawing & PerspectiveObservation, space, structure
Digital ImagingPhotoshop, image construction
Digital & Conceptual IllustrationIdeas into images
Production ProceduresPrint, prepress, materials
Life DrawingGesture, anatomy, sustained study
AI in Design EducationEthics, literacy, creative workflows
Vancouver, British Columbia

Let’s begin a conversation.

Available for commissions, exhibitions, educational collaborations, AI / creative consulting, curriculum development, and professional opportunities. Based in Vancouver and open to international collaborations.

  • Commissions · Portraits, illustration and digital art
  • Exhibitions · Artwork, project presentations and artist talks
  • Education · Workshops, collaborations and curriculum development
  • AI / creative consulting · Responsible tools and creative workflows
  • Professional opportunities · Art, design and education

Your contact details remain private and are used only to respond to your inquiry.

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