diff --git a/lib/textile/helpers.ex b/lib/textile/helpers.ex
index fcd05151..ecf54950 100644
--- a/lib/textile/helpers.ex
+++ b/lib/textile/helpers.ex
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ defmodule Textile.Helpers do
   def special_characters do
     choice([
       space(),
-      utf8_char('#$%&(),-./:;<=?[\\]^`|~\'')
+      utf8_char('#$%&(),./:;<=?\\`|\'')
     ])
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/textile/lexer.ex b/lib/textile/lexer.ex
index 72b1a472..e9272737 100644
--- a/lib/textile/lexer.ex
+++ b/lib/textile/lexer.ex
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ defmodule Textile.Lexer do
   import NimbleParsec
   import Textile.Helpers
   import Textile.MarkupLexer
+  import Textile.UrlLexer
 
 
   # Structural tags
@@ -53,7 +54,67 @@ defmodule Textile.Lexer do
     string("[/spoiler]")
     |> unwrap_and_tag(:spoiler_close)
 
-  markup = markup_segment(eos())
 
-  defparsec :markup, markup
+  # Images
+
+
+  image_url_with_title =
+    url_ending_in(string("("))
+    |> unwrap_and_tag(:image_url)
+    |> concat(
+      ignore(string("("))
+      |> repeat(utf8_char(not: ?)))
+      |> ignore(string(")"))
+      |> lookahead(string("!"))
+      |> reduce({List, :to_string, []})
+      |> unwrap_and_tag(:image_title)
+    )
+
+  image_url_without_title =
+    url_ending_in(string("!"))
+    |> unwrap_and_tag(:image_url)
+
+  image_url =
+    choice([
+      image_url_with_title,
+      image_url_without_title
+    ])
+
+  bracketed_image_with_link =
+    ignore(string("[!"))
+    |> concat(image_url)
+    |> ignore(string("!:"))
+    |> concat(
+      url_ending_in(string("]"))
+      |> unwrap_and_tag(:image_link_url)
+    )
+
+  bracketed_image_without_link =
+    ignore(string("[!"))
+    |> concat(image_url)
+    |> ignore(string("!]"))
+
+  image_with_link =
+    ignore(string("!"))
+    |> concat(image_url)
+    |> ignore(string("!:"))
+    |> concat(
+      url_ending_in(space())
+      |> unwrap_and_tag(:image_link_url)
+    )
+
+  image_without_link =
+    ignore(string("!"))
+    |> concat(image_url)
+    |> ignore(string("!"))
+
+  image =
+    choice([
+      bracketed_image_with_link,
+      bracketed_image_without_link,
+      image_with_link,
+      image_without_link
+    ])
+
+  defparsec :image, image
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex b/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex
index d77e8f7f..de3a20f1 100644
--- a/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex
+++ b/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex
@@ -118,12 +118,12 @@ defmodule Textile.MarkupLexer do
         b_sup_close,
         b_del_close,
         b_sub_close,
-        b_close,
-        i_close,
       ])
 
     markup_closing_tags =
       choice([
+        b_close,
+        i_close,
         strong_close,
         em_close,
         code_close,
@@ -133,6 +133,14 @@ defmodule Textile.MarkupLexer do
         sub_close
       ])
 
+    markup_tags =
+      choice([
+        bracketed_markup_opening_tags,
+        bracketed_markup_closing_tags,
+        markup_opening_tags,
+        markup_closing_tags
+      ])
+
     markup_at_start =
       choice([
         markup_opening_tags,
@@ -142,12 +150,10 @@ defmodule Textile.MarkupLexer do
     markup_element =
       lookahead_not(ending_sequence)
       |> choice([
+        bracketed_markup_closing_tags,
+        bracketed_markup_opening_tags |> lookahead_not(space()),
         special_characters() |> concat(markup_opening_tags),
-        bracketed_markup_opening_tags,
-        # utf8 char which is not a space followed by a closing tag followed by a special or the end
-        utf8_char([]) |> lookahead_not(space()) |> concat(markup_closing_tags) |> lookahead(choice([special_characters(), ending_sequence])),
-        utf8_char([]) |> concat(bracketed_markup_closing_tags),
-        literal,
+        markup_closing_tags |> choice([special_characters(), ending_sequence]),
         utf8_char([])
       ])
 
diff --git a/lib/textile/url_lexer.ex b/lib/textile/url_lexer.ex
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..443e74f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/textile/url_lexer.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+defmodule Textile.UrlLexer do
+  import NimbleParsec
+
+  def url_ending_in(ending_sequence) do
+    protocol =
+      choice([
+        string("/"), string("https://"), string("http://"), string("data:image/")
+      ])
+
+    protocol
+    |> repeat(lookahead_not(ending_sequence) |> utf8_char([]))
+    |> reduce({List, :to_string, []})
+  end
+end
\ No newline at end of file