10 Digital Artists: The Best of Digital Illustration
Digital illustration offers artists the freedom to experiment, make revisions with ease, and explore diverse styles and textures. It has become a vital medium in the world of art and design, enabling artists to express themselves in ways that were once limited to traditional media while offering unique advantages like global collaboration and eco-friendliness.
With advanced digital tools and techniques, digital illustrators push the boundaries of imagination, resulting in captivating and visually stunning artworks.
Whether you are an artist looking for inspiration, a curator working on an exhibition, or a digital arts fan looking to discover digital artists, this list is for you.
We gathered a list of 10 talented digital artists who who have made their mark in the world of digital illustration — from fantastical worlds to thought-provoking narratives, these artists have mastered the art of storytelling through their digital canvases.
Scroll to learn more about them! Here’s the featured artists:Lhean StormAmara SkywalkerOlivia Hal GeneraoYosnier MirandaLeanne JohnsonRiska - HolakanolaDominique RamseyDean MacAdamDesignwithmjMaritza LisaLet's be friends on Instagram!
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Let's be friends on Instagram! 〰️
Lhean Storm is a visual artist based in Manila. Her art is inspired by music — vibrant colors in her artwork mirror her love for the underground music culture. Lhean’s work is recognizable for its trippy and psychedelic features, but the content is very much inspired by reality and nature.
Psytrance, which is a mesmeric subgenre of trance music, has inspired her color palette of mostly vibrant neon colors. The artist loves to create around this hypnotic and transcendent energy, inspiring unconscious movements of the pen or the brush: “Being one with infinite spaces, reflecting deep desires, or simply understanding myself in a current situation.”
Lhean’s works invite her audience to an intimate bubble where they see reflections of themselves, allowing a shared meaning-making that breathes life into the artwork. Fascinated with the galaxy, aliens, dreams, cats, the human eye, female silhouettes, and nature, these common subjects or elements often synthesize in her works to add either to an answer or a mystery.
She has exhibited her works in various local galleries and museums in the Philippines as well as in Malaysia, such as at the Sokka Gakkai Malaysia Culture Center, National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Ayala Museum, and Museo Orlina.
Lhean has been embracing more inspiration in digital art, technology, including web3 and crypto art since 2021.
“I find bliss in unearthing surprising, unexpected patterns when I let my paintings paint themselves. The style is trippy, psychedelic, but the content is very much inspired by reality regardless of the medium that I explore and experiment with.”
Umi-Amara Ibrahim, who creates under the alias Amara Skywalker, is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist from Nigeria. She specializes in portrait art and works with mainly graphite pencils and ballpoint pens for her traditional art.
“I use art as a medium of self-expression and exploration and am inspired by the works of Frida Kahlo. The goal of my art is not always to tell stories, but to create for the sake of creating, and to create something aesthetically and visually pleasing. And I believe I do so with every piece,” she notes.
Her art is recognizable for its women’s illustrations with vivid expressions, conveying complex emotions. An aspiring children’s book illustrator, Amara collaborates with other artists on NFT projects such as Shameless, #Topboyz, and Garden Elves series on Opensea.
“Sometimes I think my traditional art is like an opal. Pale and shining. Still and shifting. But always beautiful. And so, in what I thought was rather clever and poetic, both were fused to create beautiful synergy.”
Olivia Hal Generao is a Filipino-American artist and musician from upstate New York. She studied illustration and photography, as well as classical music composition at her alma mater The City College of New York. She is currently working as a freelance illustrator.
Olivia specializes in character based artwork, and most of her commissions involve character design. Her favorite projects involve working with musicians on creating custom and cohesive designs for concert posters, merchandise, and album artwork. She has collaborated with music bands like The Grand Mals and organizations that support musicians such as the Kyle Robinson Memorial Foundation.
When she isn’t illustrating, she can be found working on her original music, set to be released later this year, or experimenting with new painting techniques in her home studio.
We are huge fans of her figure drawings and characters that stand out for their distinct personalities. Olivia has also created the most beautiful artwork for Digital Arts Blog, depicting the magical jungle you see all over our website!
Olivia Hal Generao is also featured in 10 Digital Artists: Women in digital arts you need to know
Yosnier Miranda, also goes by the alias ‘occurences’ in the digital art world, is a digital illustrator based in Tampa, Florida. They have been exclusively creating digital art and NFTs, and have never done physical art. They depict their experiences of hurt and pain in their art with the aim of documenting as well as healing. Their art is about growth, personal experiences, and vulnerability.
The second work they have ever posted on Twitter was an illustration of the singer SZA, and she loved it so much that she reshared it to her audience. Since then, Yosnier’s prominent online presence has caught the eye of stars like Normani, whose record label commissioned them for her song with Cardi B., “Wild Side.”
Yosnier’s work is recognizable for its Tarot-card-like design and pastel pink and purple color palette with thick black lines. They reflect ideas of an uncertain future alongside symbols of hope and growth. A common motif in their art is the shining sun, which represents the artist’s late father watching over them.
“All of my pieces are very therapeutic. My art lets me visualize and then analyze my emotions more, which helps me process things I’m going through more than anything else. They all aren’t direct self-portraits of myself, but I do consider them all to be self-portraits. I’ve cried while making seven or eight of my pieces. Towards the end when they all come together. When you just sit back and look at what you’ve created and finally get to absorb it.”
Leanne Johnson is an artist based in London. Her main interests being digital and physical illustration and acrylic painting, Leanne’s art is recognizable for its playfulness, bright colors, and, well — fried eggs.
Having always been into drawing and creating art, Leanne’s creative side was brought out by the lockdown over 2020. She spent the majority of quarantine drawing, painting, and digitally illustrating before rewarding herself to an iPad and a stylus. What gave the artist a huge confidence boost that let her trust that her art is engaging was when people wanted her art tattooed on their body.
Her art is inspired by the spaces she is in and the people she is around — her digital piece depicting a fried egg dressed as a cowboy came from a random early morning debate around fried eggs with her old flat mate. The digital illustration was a massive hit, which then became the first piece of a series of fried eggs. “The memory of that turned into art will always add a layer or meaningfulness to things for me,” she adds.
“Generally speaking, I am very critical of my work so exploring my ideas with others throughout the creative process helps to create something special that I am proud of at the end. It adds another depth to my work knowing I have engaged with others throughout the process.”
Riska is an Indonesian illustrator and NFT artist who creates under the alias, Holakanola. Her art is a magical realm itself — full of flowers, details, patterns, and vibrant colors. In her words, her biggest inspirations are “women, flowers, or anything pretty.”
Riska also draws inspiration from folktales and fairytales, clearly visible in her The Book of Elves and Fairies collection. In her descriptions she includes backstories to the forest, such as the customs and traditions as well as characteristics of the fairies, to further immerse us in the artwork.
She is the creator of the collection, Soul Story. The mini PFP collection of 36 SoulMates establish the people of Soul Tribe — “You and your SoulMate will be the protector of the Soul-Glass that reflects one of the amazing personalities, to remind us all to live a good life and continue to develop our potential.”
Also featured in 10 Digital Artists: Digital flowers that blossom in our hearts
Dominique Ramsey is an illustrator and designer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her art draws inspirations from folk art, culture, music, cartoons, and the metaphysical. The artist strives for uniqueness; using bright colors, cultural patterns, and shapes to catch the viewer’s eye.
Dominique Ramsey creates children’s illustrated books, yearly calendars, and posters that depict all kinds of animals and mythical creatures in fairy lands — and we’re huge fans.
She graduated with a BFA in illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and has worked with recognizable clients such as Snapchat, Pinterest, Netflix, Macy’s, and Nike. Her work has been acknowledged by the Society of Illustrators, the Art Directors Club, 3x3 Illustration, American Illustration, and showcased in galleries around the country.
“When she’s not at her desk, Dominique likes watching cartoons, traveling, reading, playing video games, and saying “hello!” to every animal she meets.”
Dean MacAdam is an artist and father, currently based in San Diego, California. He has been a professional illustrator for almost 25 years, living in the US, Canada, and Sweden.
The artist is an incredible inspiration for digital illustrators everywhere — he has created art for major chains, apps, publishers, and toy companies such as Burger King, Taco Bell, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Mattel, Disney, Toys R Us, and Nickelodeon. He also makes puzzles of his illustrations.
Known for his character designs, Dean MacAdam creates wonderful digital portraits of recognizable media personalities, singers, movie characters, politicians for magazines and postcards.
Maryjane Uzodinma, who creates under the alias Designwithmj, is a digital artist and illustrator from Lagos, Nigeria. She creates digital portraits and 3D cinematic renders and is also a certified Robotic Engineer. She has worked with ElewaTV, Shecluded, United Nations, and Data4SDGs.
Maryjane’s art concentrates on black culture and community. She creates to turn fear into hope; to empower her community to feel proud of their culture and highlight their unique identities.
Make sure to visit Her Crown VR Showcase to see Maryjane’s gorgeous art and learn more about her inspirations.
“As Human we are connected to our emotions based on relationships, ethnicity, our wins, failures and a lot more. Though most leaves SCARS we can always find the STARS in them.”
Maritza Lisa is a digital illustrator of Canadian and Trini origins, currently based in the United States. She mainly creates using a pastel color palette and her subject matters are beautiful and strong women, inspired by her Caribbean upbringing.
The artist has reached thousands of creative souls with her DIY & Crafts Blog before starting her digital illustration career. She got herself an iPad and Apple Pencil during the pandemic, and since creates colorful female portraits and floral illustrations.
Check out her prints depicting the beautiful women the artist have been raised and influenced by!
“Digital illustration provides me with the freedom to experiment with various techniques, colors, and styles while being completely mobile. I am primarily focused on sharing my perspective on what beauty and representation mean through unapologetically feminine illustrations in portraits and patterns.”
Feeling inspired? Read this article next to learn more about digital illustration and how you can start creating yourself!
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