Her work, defined by intuitive lines, simplicity, and elegance, celebrates femininity in all its multitude and variety. Through it, Molenaar aims to contribute to a positive and empowering image of women as we strive for a better and more inclusive world.

“I believe everyone deserves equal opportunities in life, regardless of their gender,” said Molenaar in a recent interview with Form over Function. “But because I think we live in a world that favors men, I think it’s important to give women a voice or stage. That’s why I enjoy celebrating female qualities, such as softness and fluidity—which play an important part in my creative process.”

She explains that her mission is for her drawings to highlight the beauty of things that are usually covered or hidden. “As my personality developed over the years, so did my drawings,” explains Molenaar. “I evolved as a woman, learning and caring more about themes like sustainability and feminism. That personal shift of focus is clearly noticeable in my drawings.”

Her shift in attitude seems to have paid off, attracting collaboration with fashion brands as big as Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Chloé, and M.A.C.

The post Sella Molenaar Poignantly Celebrates the Female Form appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

Based in the Netherlands, de Graaf admits to drawing more or less her whole life: “As a 3-year-old girl, I was drawing all day long and when I turned 16 years I attended various courses in figure drawing,” she recalled in an interview with I Love Illustration.

She went on to study at the AMFI (Amsterdam Fashion Institute) in Amsterdam, and later got a Master’s degree in Fashion, Design, & Strategy at ArtEZ in Arnhem. “When I went to the academy, fashion drawing and figure drawing were my favorite subjects,” she notes.

After a short internship at Cosmopolitan magazine, she started working as a freelance stylist. “But illustrating was what I loved most so after a few years of styling I decided to change course and started working as an illustrator,” says de Graaf.

Nowadays, her work combines the best of both worlds—fashion and art—with selected clients including AvantGarde, Bijenkorf, Swarovski, Bordeaux, Femmesdusud, and Holland Herald magazine (KLM).

Working with materials such as ink, watercolor, paint, crayons, and pencils, de Graaf’s practice is more traditional, as she admits to preferring to work with her hands rather than sit in front of the computer.

“Before I start drawing I collect pictures from fashion magazines/the internet (Pinterest/ Instagram),” she explains about her work process. “I don’t sketch with a pencil; I just create lots of silhouettes or faces with watercolor/ ink directly on paper.”

The end result, though quite simple, is striking. Scroll down to see some recent highlights on her Instagram page.

The post Capturing the Essence of Fashion: Tessa M. De Graaf’s Illustrations appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

Ignatiadou’s clever juxtapositions might be related to her mixed academic training. Born in Russia, Ignatiadou graduated from the academy of architecture and art, Rostov on Don, in 2011, and received a diploma of the “Artist of Arts and Crafts” in textiles. 

“Originally I am from Russia, North Caucasus and I lived among mountains and beautiful nature until I was 25,” she recalled in an interview with I Love Illustration, relaying her cultural upbringing. “I was born in a creative family,” she noted. “My mother wrote stories that were printed in local magazines. My father and younger sister played in a small band. And I loved dancing when I was younger.”

Currently based in Germany, her projects include collaborations with the textile and fashion industries, alongside more traditional illustration work, with clients as big as Puma, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle Magazine. Inspired by nature, female beauty, and Eastern cultures, her work more often than not focuses on women and explores the different types of femininity in the context of fashion and beauty.

“The main themes and motives for my works are the female figures, surrounded by floral ornaments and the main concept of my work is beauty,” she explains.

The post Sasha Ignatiadou Explores the Richness of Female Beauty appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

Lewin’s artistic creation was a way of preserving his family’s stories and traditions. But while the passion for storytelling was always there, over the years his medium of choice changed. First using pencil and paper, Lewin would later turn to graffiti which would finally lead him to painting — his chosen practice these days.

“Art has been a part of my life from as far back as I can remember,” he says. Having moved to the US with his family in 1977, Lewin is now based in Oakland, CA, though his art is still very much in dialogue with African folklore. “Each piece has its own story to tell and for different viewers,” he notes, adding that “the story might change. I try not to interfere too much with that process. I try to let each piece evolve on its own.”

“I’m not always sure of the meaning behind each piece, but I’m also not too concerned about that either,” he admits. “I’m more into the process of creating. I love getting lost in the details. It can be very similar to meditation. I love the concept of the artist as the conduit. Transcribing visions onto a canvas.”

Take a look at some of his striking portraits in the gallery below:

The post Paul Lewin Channels African Folklore Through His Portraits appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

“I focus on women as representatives of their societies, since throughout history,” she adds, “the central role of women as life bearers, nurturers, caretakers and educators has ensured the stability of their communities.” Born in Tanzania, Africa, Mlengeya remembers being a creative child, drawn to arts and crafts.

But when it came to her creative journey, Mlengeya path was a meandering one, having first pursued a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and working in finance before finally returning to art. Painting mainly with acrylic, she finds inspiration in photographs, with the final product narrating her ideas, beliefs, and experiences.

“The minimalist simple backgrounds create high contrast and put emphasis and attention on the subjects,” she says. It also invites the viewer to add his or her own layer of interpretation. Take a careful look:

The post Sungi Mlengeya’s Minimalist Portraits Rely On High Contrast appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

According to Hassell, her passion for art was always there. “I have loved art since I was a child,” she told PinkSand Entertainment. “I’ve always had a creative mind and wanted to build or create or bring to life those images in my head.” As such, she treats her practice as her calling, tackling themes that include representation, perception, and identity creation.

“I usually create pieces that have deeper meanings and are controversial,” notes Hassell. “I once saw a quote that read, ‘if it doesn’t disturb you, it’s not art’. I wholeheartedly believe this, art is supposed to move people, invoke feeling, if it doesn’t do this, it’s not a great piece of work. I want my art to inspire, excite, motivate, move, promote question of the status quo and push conversion of controversial topics.”

With her work exhibited in countries like Bermuda and China, Hassell’s message is clearly getting across. “It’s an honor for me to create this work. I’m doing what I’ve been called to, and for that, I’m grateful,” she says.

The post The Striking Women Portraits of Gherdai Hassell appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

“I’m most concerned with creating power dynamics between the painting and the viewer,” Williams admitted in an interview with Art of Choice. “I work to give every figure a kind of sentience or self-awareness. To be more specific, the paintings explore gender in an American context as it relates to power. I work to balance narrative with formal concerns in order to simulate these dynamics. I’m always trying to keep myself curious and engaged with paint as well. This results in a lot of play and some humor in my practice.”

But though humoristic, her art isn’t meant to be taken lightly. Based in Brooklyn, Williams received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and has since exhibited her work at galleries like Bard College and Sargent’s Daughters. She’s also amassed an impressive following online, with more than 85k fans on Instagram alone.

For most of her practice, she admits to working exclusively in oil and employed varying degrees of realism. But in the last several years she’s been slowly incorporating other techniques and mediums. “I mix those treatments with more painterly passages and the result is a kind of mash up of different eras and visual signifiers,” says Williams.

You’d want to take a closer look:

The post These Women Portraits Demand Your Attention appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

Based in Rome, Italy, Fedi’s art is very much an extension of herself. “My art and art, in general, is like the base on what my entire existence is funded, something like eating or drinking,” she reflected in an interview with Ballpitmag. “So I should say that I see through art and seeing through art is the only way I know to look at the world.”

Having studied at the Fine Art Academy, her work relies on gouache colors almost entirely, as Fedi admits she likes the feeling of brush strokes on paper. But she also works digitally, using an iPad Pro pencil.

“My story is pretty simple,” she says. “I’m the first daughter of 3 and I started painting because there were too many people in my home.” But of course, scrolling through her rich portfolio, her story seems much bigger than that. Here are some highlights from her Instagram page:

The post The Fearless Women of Marialaura Fedi appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

“The female figure is a big source of inspiration,” relayed Genualdo in an interview with Creative Boom. But she’s also very much inspired by her own personal experiences. “My illustrations and paintings reflect my personal life and emotions, and the way the characters evolve reflect the way my perception of myself evolves through time,” she went on to explain.

As such her illustrations, though personal, touch on universal subjects that most people (and especially women) might relate to. “With my fine art pieces, I mostly rely on my imagination, although many of the works I produce have been influenced by what surrounds me, my memories, women I have met, so can be considered a metaphorical reinterpretation of reality,” says Genualdo.

Using simple shapes and a limited color palette, her artworks also include decorative motifs like flowers and leaves – a representation of the natural world, which Genualdo feels connected to. The overall effect is inviting, if a bit uneasy.

Take a look for yourself:

The post Alessandra Genualdo’s Portraits Reflect Her Memories and Emotions appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

“I didn’t paint much back then because digital was hard for me, I could make one drawing every two months, if so,” the artist shared on her personal website. “I kept practicing and I eventually got better.”

In late 2017 she started her own Instagram account, and her popularity started to grow, making possible for her to make a living from art.

“I sketch with a pen on a notebook whenever I have a new idea,” Tatiana added. “If I like it, then I would take my tablet and start sketching digitally. I just block my idea very roughly and start coloring and shading right after I have something visible. I do not follow any particular order to be honest, I just go with the flow if that makes any sense.”

Take a look at her artwork below.

The post Digital Artist Draws Beautiful Woman Portraits appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

Her work, defined by intuitive lines, simplicity, and elegance, celebrates femininity in all its multitude and variety. Through it, Molenaar aims to contribute to a positive and empowering image of women as we strive for a better and more inclusive world.

“I believe everyone deserves equal opportunities in life, regardless of their gender,” said Molenaar in a recent interview with Form over Function. “But because I think we live in a world that favors men, I think it’s important to give women a voice or stage. That’s why I enjoy celebrating female qualities, such as softness and fluidity—which play an important part in my creative process.”

She explains that her mission is for her drawings to highlight the beauty of things that are usually covered or hidden. “As my personality developed over the years, so did my drawings,” explains Molenaar. “I evolved as a woman, learning and caring more about themes like sustainability and feminism. That personal shift of focus is clearly noticeable in my drawings.”

Her shift in attitude seems to have paid off, attracting collaboration with fashion brands as big as Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Chloé, and M.A.C.

The post Sella Molenaar Poignantly Celebrates the Female Form appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

Based in the Netherlands, de Graaf admits to drawing more or less her whole life: “As a 3-year-old girl, I was drawing all day long and when I turned 16 years I attended various courses in figure drawing,” she recalled in an interview with I Love Illustration.

She went on to study at the AMFI (Amsterdam Fashion Institute) in Amsterdam, and later got a Master’s degree in Fashion, Design, & Strategy at ArtEZ in Arnhem. “When I went to the academy, fashion drawing and figure drawing were my favorite subjects,” she notes.

After a short internship at Cosmopolitan magazine, she started working as a freelance stylist. “But illustrating was what I loved most so after a few years of styling I decided to change course and started working as an illustrator,” says de Graaf.

Nowadays, her work combines the best of both worlds—fashion and art—with selected clients including AvantGarde, Bijenkorf, Swarovski, Bordeaux, Femmesdusud, and Holland Herald magazine (KLM).

Working with materials such as ink, watercolor, paint, crayons, and pencils, de Graaf’s practice is more traditional, as she admits to preferring to work with her hands rather than sit in front of the computer.

“Before I start drawing I collect pictures from fashion magazines/the internet (Pinterest/ Instagram),” she explains about her work process. “I don’t sketch with a pencil; I just create lots of silhouettes or faces with watercolor/ ink directly on paper.”

The end result, though quite simple, is striking. Scroll down to see some recent highlights on her Instagram page.

The post Capturing the Essence of Fashion: Tessa M. De Graaf’s Illustrations appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

Ignatiadou’s clever juxtapositions might be related to her mixed academic training. Born in Russia, Ignatiadou graduated from the academy of architecture and art, Rostov on Don, in 2011, and received a diploma of the “Artist of Arts and Crafts” in textiles. 

“Originally I am from Russia, North Caucasus and I lived among mountains and beautiful nature until I was 25,” she recalled in an interview with I Love Illustration, relaying her cultural upbringing. “I was born in a creative family,” she noted. “My mother wrote stories that were printed in local magazines. My father and younger sister played in a small band. And I loved dancing when I was younger.”

Currently based in Germany, her projects include collaborations with the textile and fashion industries, alongside more traditional illustration work, with clients as big as Puma, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle Magazine. Inspired by nature, female beauty, and Eastern cultures, her work more often than not focuses on women and explores the different types of femininity in the context of fashion and beauty.

“The main themes and motives for my works are the female figures, surrounded by floral ornaments and the main concept of my work is beauty,” she explains.

The post Sasha Ignatiadou Explores the Richness of Female Beauty appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

Lewin’s artistic creation was a way of preserving his family’s stories and traditions. But while the passion for storytelling was always there, over the years his medium of choice changed. First using pencil and paper, Lewin would later turn to graffiti which would finally lead him to painting — his chosen practice these days.

“Art has been a part of my life from as far back as I can remember,” he says. Having moved to the US with his family in 1977, Lewin is now based in Oakland, CA, though his art is still very much in dialogue with African folklore. “Each piece has its own story to tell and for different viewers,” he notes, adding that “the story might change. I try not to interfere too much with that process. I try to let each piece evolve on its own.”

“I’m not always sure of the meaning behind each piece, but I’m also not too concerned about that either,” he admits. “I’m more into the process of creating. I love getting lost in the details. It can be very similar to meditation. I love the concept of the artist as the conduit. Transcribing visions onto a canvas.”

Take a look at some of his striking portraits in the gallery below:

The post Paul Lewin Channels African Folklore Through His Portraits appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

“I focus on women as representatives of their societies, since throughout history,” she adds, “the central role of women as life bearers, nurturers, caretakers and educators has ensured the stability of their communities.” Born in Tanzania, Africa, Mlengeya remembers being a creative child, drawn to arts and crafts.

But when it came to her creative journey, Mlengeya path was a meandering one, having first pursued a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and working in finance before finally returning to art. Painting mainly with acrylic, she finds inspiration in photographs, with the final product narrating her ideas, beliefs, and experiences.

“The minimalist simple backgrounds create high contrast and put emphasis and attention on the subjects,” she says. It also invites the viewer to add his or her own layer of interpretation. Take a careful look:

The post Sungi Mlengeya’s Minimalist Portraits Rely On High Contrast appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

According to Hassell, her passion for art was always there. “I have loved art since I was a child,” she told PinkSand Entertainment. “I’ve always had a creative mind and wanted to build or create or bring to life those images in my head.” As such, she treats her practice as her calling, tackling themes that include representation, perception, and identity creation.

“I usually create pieces that have deeper meanings and are controversial,” notes Hassell. “I once saw a quote that read, ‘if it doesn’t disturb you, it’s not art’. I wholeheartedly believe this, art is supposed to move people, invoke feeling, if it doesn’t do this, it’s not a great piece of work. I want my art to inspire, excite, motivate, move, promote question of the status quo and push conversion of controversial topics.”

With her work exhibited in countries like Bermuda and China, Hassell’s message is clearly getting across. “It’s an honor for me to create this work. I’m doing what I’ve been called to, and for that, I’m grateful,” she says.

The post The Striking Women Portraits of Gherdai Hassell appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

“I’m most concerned with creating power dynamics between the painting and the viewer,” Williams admitted in an interview with Art of Choice. “I work to give every figure a kind of sentience or self-awareness. To be more specific, the paintings explore gender in an American context as it relates to power. I work to balance narrative with formal concerns in order to simulate these dynamics. I’m always trying to keep myself curious and engaged with paint as well. This results in a lot of play and some humor in my practice.”

But though humoristic, her art isn’t meant to be taken lightly. Based in Brooklyn, Williams received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and has since exhibited her work at galleries like Bard College and Sargent’s Daughters. She’s also amassed an impressive following online, with more than 85k fans on Instagram alone.

For most of her practice, she admits to working exclusively in oil and employed varying degrees of realism. But in the last several years she’s been slowly incorporating other techniques and mediums. “I mix those treatments with more painterly passages and the result is a kind of mash up of different eras and visual signifiers,” says Williams.

You’d want to take a closer look:

The post These Women Portraits Demand Your Attention appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

Based in Rome, Italy, Fedi’s art is very much an extension of herself. “My art and art, in general, is like the base on what my entire existence is funded, something like eating or drinking,” she reflected in an interview with Ballpitmag. “So I should say that I see through art and seeing through art is the only way I know to look at the world.”

Having studied at the Fine Art Academy, her work relies on gouache colors almost entirely, as Fedi admits she likes the feeling of brush strokes on paper. But she also works digitally, using an iPad Pro pencil.

“My story is pretty simple,” she says. “I’m the first daughter of 3 and I started painting because there were too many people in my home.” But of course, scrolling through her rich portfolio, her story seems much bigger than that. Here are some highlights from her Instagram page:

The post The Fearless Women of Marialaura Fedi appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

“The female figure is a big source of inspiration,” relayed Genualdo in an interview with Creative Boom. But she’s also very much inspired by her own personal experiences. “My illustrations and paintings reflect my personal life and emotions, and the way the characters evolve reflect the way my perception of myself evolves through time,” she went on to explain.

As such her illustrations, though personal, touch on universal subjects that most people (and especially women) might relate to. “With my fine art pieces, I mostly rely on my imagination, although many of the works I produce have been influenced by what surrounds me, my memories, women I have met, so can be considered a metaphorical reinterpretation of reality,” says Genualdo.

Using simple shapes and a limited color palette, her artworks also include decorative motifs like flowers and leaves – a representation of the natural world, which Genualdo feels connected to. The overall effect is inviting, if a bit uneasy.

Take a look for yourself:

The post Alessandra Genualdo’s Portraits Reflect Her Memories and Emotions appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.

“I didn’t paint much back then because digital was hard for me, I could make one drawing every two months, if so,” the artist shared on her personal website. “I kept practicing and I eventually got better.”

In late 2017 she started her own Instagram account, and her popularity started to grow, making possible for her to make a living from art.

“I sketch with a pen on a notebook whenever I have a new idea,” Tatiana added. “If I like it, then I would take my tablet and start sketching digitally. I just block my idea very roughly and start coloring and shading right after I have something visible. I do not follow any particular order to be honest, I just go with the flow if that makes any sense.”

Take a look at her artwork below.

The post Digital Artist Draws Beautiful Woman Portraits appeared first on 5dwallpaper.com.