I’ve been CRAZY busy these last few months. I thought it wouldn’t be too beneficial to actually do personal writing like I used to. Seeing as . . . I’m constantly writing lessons and researching.
But past me was wrong! I need an outlet. So here I am. 🙂
Lately, I’ve been hyper focusing on new art I’ve found on Pinterest. I thought many a time, “If only I could help this artist get recognized”. So I’m going to do a top 20 list for art pieces I recently found across all mediums.
I’ve left links to these artists’ work below each picture. If you are a big fan of art and love supporting blossoming artists, please give their websites/ webpages a look through!
First, some honorable mentions! This is where you can find their websites. F3LC4T, pencil studies , Francisco Vasquez, ひとみん on Twitter , Wenqing Yan on Twitter, The Mirror of Galadriel by Dashiell Silva, liz on Twitter
Now to some of my favorites! I took a little while to look through my pins from the last few months and found quite a few hidden gems. It got me in the mood for art exploration again.
If you don’t know me well, I like to go through Pinterest and pin hundreds of art works. It’s like I’m in an art gallery online or on my phone. It helps me contain my unquenchable thirst for new art in my life.
If there are any you specifically like, please check out the various websites and pages on twitter, pattern, or fanservice I attached to them.
20. Edward, by Onji
I explored a little bit of this artist’s work and could tell they were a big fan of anime. they had quite a few snapshots of characters from various shows which I could appreciate.
My favorite, obviously, was Edward from Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromi Arakawa. I’d say I see fanart of him the most out of any of the characters from the manga/anime. I can’t complain. He’s my favorite character too.
What I like about this artwork is the overall staging. The focal point isn’t where I expect it to be, near the top of the piece. Instead, I could follow down the arm to Edward’s face. I like the sandy, toning effect Onji used and the overall proportions.
19. Edward, by Dayeye
My apologies. I couldn’t really find out who this artist is. All I could get from the Pinterest page was a link to a Japanese fan fiction (at least that is what it looked like to me).
If you couldn’t tell, this is also from the anime Fullmetal Alchemist and features Edward, along with pieces of Alphonse’s metal armor and a shadow figure which is probably lust.
This artwork leaves a lot to my imagination, and plenty of clues to follow as a fan. I like the overhead perspective the artist used to give to give a closeup of the story.
18. Photo Study, by Colv
I feel like I’ve seen something similar like this before. . . perhaps the artist was doing an art study for college and copied a famous painting. (Shrug).
Regardless, this portrait of a young dark-haired woman caught my attention from the get go. The lighting balances well with the setting, and the painting feels altogether SOFT.
She reminds me a little of Christine Daae from The Phantom of the Opera (2004).
17. Graveyard Shift, by awanqi
I’m a big fan of this artist. Every time I go on Pinterest I do a little checkin to see if they’ve come out with anything new. The good thing about the link I left above is it takes you straight to a store where the artist SELLS their artwork.
I’ve never quite come across this art style before. Awanqi plays with light in a way that feels like it should hang in a newly refurbished church with stained glass windows.
As far as this particular artwork goes, the characters are EVERYTHING for me. I like static paintings but most of the time the ones that really catch my attention are those whose subjects are in MOTION. In this artwork it looks like a scene from the climax of an ethereal story.
16. EE, by Miv4t
I could find almost nothing about this artist and its a crying shame. The artwork is a watercolor, whose character feels suspended IN water. It’s overall feel reminded me of a book I like A Face Like Glass (2013).
I’ve always been a sucker for paintings that feel like they are floating in air, especially if they have a dark background. It gives the artwork a sense of mystery.
I found myself asking so many questions about the picture’s story, it’s character and the world she lives in.
15. ???
I know nothing about this artwork; where it comes from or who created it. It caught my attention because it features a character, Kurama, from an anime I recently found out I like Yuu Yuu Hakusho (1992).
Hmm, I like this picture because the character in question is good looking. There, it has been said! When it comes to artwork, and this can apply to anyone, some times what matters the most is if the subject in the artwork is “eye candy”.
Joking aside, I actually do appreciate Kurama’s posture and simply design. I also want to know what he’s saying in Japanese.
14. Natsume, by GIA
Ahhh. . . Natsume’s Book of Friends (2008-?) is one of those stories I look for fanart for all the time. When I see them, I usually save them. But then I look back and realize they aren’t all the greatest. (That’s okay! The fun is in the journey.)
What I like in this rendition of Natsume and Madara is the contrast between the deep colors near the bottom of the artwork and the opaque whites near the top. It also feels FLOWY which is always a plus for me.
13. Karan from Fate grand Order, ???
I have no idea who this character is. He’s probably from a game? or a Manhua? I don’t know. All I was paying attention to when I first saw it was the gorgeous coloring job and fantastic design.
I couldn’t for the life of me find what its name is or who the real artist is. When I clicked the link it took me to an online book? Or something. Whatever the case, I kept the link just in case you want to do some exploring and somehow find the artist.
This figure, Karan (I think) looks like he stepped straight out of an epic battle between the Gods. I want to know his story just because of this artwork.
12. I Am in the Red Rose, by 眠狼 (Sleeping Wolf)
As a general rule I like Alice in Wonderland adaptations. In fact, if I see any in the store or online I generally give it a go. I, however, am not the biggest fan of the book by Lewis Caroll or Disney’s 1951 adaptation. (I know. I’m weird.)
That said, I may not like Disney’s movie that much, BUT this artwork took my breath away. It basically emits LIGHT and whimsy.
If you couldn’t tell from some of the other artworks I mentioned, colors and contrast make or break my experience with art. I love the blue, yellow, and red colors that light up this painting. The red dripping form the white rose is also a nice touch.
11. Various Disney Couples, by Arex
I know this is a hodgepodge of multiple artworks, but I liked them all the same. Plus I didn’t want to hunt them all down individually. (Because I’m a busy girl.)
What I like is the fact they are COUPLES pictures (minus the ones from Frozen and Enchanted). I think too often Disney sells only the Disney Princesses and forgets they were part of a love story.
I don’t know about you, but most of these movies I enjoyed watching them fall in love and find happiness with another person. Being a strong independent woman is all well and good, but part of their joy came from finding someone who loved them.
That aside (sorry for the monologue) these all have a storybook like feel which also appealed to me. Plus, each picture simply radiates happiness.
10. ????
I’m a recently converted fan of Demon Slayer (2019-?), and for good reason. What really drew me to this colored pencil sketch was the blending of the three different colors yellow, red, and blue.
As far as I can tell, blue represents Inosuke, red represents Tanjiro, and yellow represents Zenitsu. Overall, this is a clever technique the artist (whoever they are) used. It shows they are bonded to one another.
9. Edward and Alphonse, by Blood and Spice
I used my detective skills and found out who the artist is! (Basically, I looked really closely at the picture and found their name). You can explore the website I attached above, but as far as I could see LibertyMae collected this fanart on their blog.
I don’t have too much to say about this. What really got me was Edward and Alphonse’s postures. One of the best relationships in Fullmetal Alchemist is between these two brothers. I feel this picture portrays that bond well.
8. Howl, by Selva
So, I’m a sucker for fanart pictures of Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). It has been that way sense I saw the movie for the first time as a strapping sixteen year old.
This portrait of howl is so life like. I love the lighting on the nose and in the eyes, the bright atmosphere, and how Selva drew his hair flowing back.
7. Don’t Tell Him, by Asen Liy
Ases Liy is a new artist I’m going to do a deep search for. I found THREE artworks they did for D.Grayman (2004-?) and loved all of them. (You’ll see the other two up ahead a ways).
This picture is so symbolic. If you’ve read D.Grayman before, Liy included a lot of Easter eggs and symbols which represent the character. This particular work features Yuu Kanda, who had a tragic love story of sorts.
Blue is definitely the right color for this character. I won’t say anymore to spoil the story for potential new fans.
6. Bookmark for a Set of Taro Cards, by Emmmerald
Have there been a lot of artworks from Fullmetal Alchemist? Yes. And I am not ashamed in the slightest.
I’ll be brief on this one. What I like is the overall concept behind it. It’s the head image for a series of Taro Cards Emmmerald made for the manga/anime. All of them are gorgeous.
This image is my favorite of the bunch because it looks like Alphonse and Edward are laying in the sky, with a star chart drawn behind them.
5. ??, 9Jedit
I might just be 9Jedit’s biggest fan. I know she has sponsored some workshops on digital art in the past. It’s difficult for me to know too much because she’s Korean. (Drat. . . I don’t speak that language! Я говорю по-русски, а не по-корейски.)
Anyway, I’ve always secretly thought of how cool it would be if paintings in art galleries came to life. What I’ve always appreciated about 9Jedit’s art, is she uses such beautiful colors and often incorporates stars, planets, and other astronomical themes into her art.
4. Happy Birthday, by Asen Liy
This is artwork 2 from Asen Liy! I’m not quite sure why its called “Happy Birthday”, but I was so excited when I saw this and instantly recognized it from D.Grayman. Allen has always been a personal favorite of mine from the manga.
What really POPS in this piece is the Millennium Earl shooting out of the mirror looking like a mechanical doll. I also like how Liy highlights Allen’s face as he looks up at Mana.
3. My 49th Name, by Asen Liy
The last of the three D.Grayman artworks! It has Lavi, another one of my favorite characters. What I love about this one is how it looks and feels like a marionette ball from the French Revolution.
It also reminds me of the caricatured tone from The Phantom of the Opera. Red is just the right color to match this particular, eerie scene. It might be a homage to the part in the manga when Road trapped him in a land of nightmares.
All in all, this artwork tells such a wonderful story for me and was incredibly nostalgic.
2. Automail Cold, by Barabababa
I surprised myself when I liked this artwork with Winry from Fullmetal Alchemist more than the others with Edward and Alphonse. But then again, her and Edward’s love story is also one of my secret favorites so. . . perhaps it’s not that much of a mystery after all.
White is a good color to represent Winry’s role in the story. It’s a color for innocence but it’s also a good color for hope and forgiveness. I like how there are TWO hands reaching down for her; one being the automail one Edward used most of the story, the other his real arm.
I also think the white roses in the front are simply beautiful, along with her blond hair.
- Ashling, by Donato Giancola
It’s kind of fitting my number one spot is an actual painting from a well-known modern artist. Granted I didn’t know that when I SAW the painting.
This took my breath away. The gold, and how simply it illuminates the beautiful Eastern architecture in the scene as well as the reflections in the water were a FEAST FOR MY EYES.
I want to know the story, who the man with the red pants is, and where this scene really takes place. I would legitimately buy this and hang it on my wall in the future if I could.
Thanks for tuning in! If you have any suggestions for artists I could look in to I would very much appreciate it!
Also, sorry for how informal this blog post is. I needed a break from big, fancy words and perfect, polished grammar.
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 