#(Yuumei) Wenqing Yan

[thecollectibles]

Art by (Yuumei) Wenqing Yan

[2001hz]

'Apathy' By: yuumei (2008)

[fyblackwomenart]

Vitiligo Plants --  (Yuumei) Wenqing Yan

[fhtagn-and-tentacles]

SEA STAR MERMAID 

by Yuumei

[ghostflowerdreams]

Who are your favorite artists? The art kind.

I'm a bit surprised I haven't been asked this question before!

I appreciate so many artists that it's hard to narrow it down. But based on what I can remember and what I can check on my Instagram and bookshelf, here are some of my favorites:

Gustave Doré (1832–1883) → A French artist, illustrator, and sculptor, celebrated for his intricate and dramatic engravings and illustrations. He is best known for his illustrations of classic literary works, including Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, John Milton's Paradise Lost, and Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. His skillful blend of realism and romanticism, combined with his mastery of visual storytelling, has established him as a significant figure in the history of illustration and fine art.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) → A Dutch post-impressionist painter renowned for his expressive use of color and bold brushwork, which had a profound influence on 20th-century art. His most famous works, such as Starry Night, Sunflowers, and The Bedroom, showcase his unique style and emotional depth, capturing the beauty of the world around him.

Henriëtte Ronner-Knip (1821–1909) → A Dutch-Belgian painter best known for her detailed and charming depictions of domestic cats. Specializing in animal paintings, her style combined realism and a romantic touch, often portraying cats in cozy, playful, or elegant settings that captured their personalities and grace. She was celebrated for her ability to convey texture, particularly in fur, and created intimate, lifelike scenes that became popular in 19th-century bourgeois society.

John William Waterhouse (1849–1917) → A British painter associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement, known for his romantic and mythological subjects. His art style blends elements of Romanticism and Classicism, featuring realistic figures, rich colors, and a strong focus on nature and detail. Waterhouse is best known for his depictions of female figures from mythology and literature, such as The Lady of Shalott and Ophelia, which convey a sense of beauty, melancholy, and mystery, making his work iconic in the realm of 19th-century art.

Harry Clarke (1889–1931) → An Irish stained-glass artist and illustrator. His work was influenced by Gothic art, Symbolism, Art Nouveau, and Irish folklore. This blend resulted in a distinctive aesthetic that harmoniously intertwines beauty with darker themes. Clarke is best known for his illustrations in classic literary texts, including James Joyce's Dubliners and Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination. In these works, his illustrations masterfully balance whimsy and darkness, creating striking visual narratives that continue to resonate with audiences.

Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) → A Czech painter and decorative artist best known for his distinctive Art Nouveau style, characterized by intricate, flowing lines, elaborate floral motifs, and a harmonious use of soft colors. Mucha's work often features idealized female figures, embodying beauty and elegance, and is heavily inspired by his fascination with nature and Slavic folklore. He gained fame for his poster designs, particularly those promoting the actress Sarah Bernhardt, as well as his decorative panels and illustrations.

J.C. Leyendecker (1874–1951) → An American illustrator renowned for his iconic magazine covers and advertising art, particularly his work for The Saturday Evening Post and the Arrow Collar Man campaign. Leyendecker's mastery of visual storytelling and branding helped shape American commercial art in the early 20th century, and he significantly influenced later artists, including Norman Rockwell.

Leonid Afremov (1955–2019) → A Belarusian-born artist known for his vibrant, impressionistic paintings created using a palette knife technique. His distinctive art style features bold colors and dynamic brushstrokes, often depicting landscapes, city scenes, and emotional moments, such as rain-soaked streets or sunlit parks.

Ayami Kojima → A Japanese artist and illustrator best known for her work in video game design, particularly as the character designer for the Castlevania series. Her art style is characterized by intricate, gothic aesthetics, combining dark fantasy elements with a detailed, ethereal quality.

Victoria Francés → A Spanish illustrator known for her evocative illustrations that blend gothic, fantasy, and romantic themes. She is particularly known for her illustrated books, including the popular series Faery Tales, which showcases her unique blend of fantasy and gothic aesthetics.

Yoshitaka Amano → A Japanese artist and illustrator renowned for his distinctive style in character design and concept art, particularly for the Final Fantasy video game series. His style fuses his interests in traditional Japanese aesthetics like those of wood block prints with Western fantasy elements. It results in ethereal forms, and a dreamlike quality, especially with Amano's use of watercolor techniques and intricate details to create a sense of movement and fluidity in his work.

Nico Delort (IG: nicodelort) → A French illustrator known for his detailed, black-and-white artworks created using scratchboard techniques. His art style is heavily influenced by the aesthetics of 19th-century engravings and woodcuts, blending elements of Gothic, fantasy, and mythological themes. Delort's work is recognized for its dramatic use of light and shadow, intricate textures, and atmospheric depth, often depicting moody, fantastical scenes.

Vania Zouravliov → A Russian-born artist known for his intricate, surreal illustrations that blend dark, fairy-tale-like themes with fine detail and symbolism. Zouravliov's work explores beauty and darkness, merging the macabre with the fantastical.

James Jean (IG: jamesjeanart) → A Taiwanese-American visual artist and illustrator known for his surreal, highly detailed works that blend elements of fantasy, mythology, and pop culture. Jean gained early recognition for his award-winning covers for DC Comics' Fables series.

Audrey Kawasaki (IG: audkawa) → A Japanese-American artist known for her blend of contemporary Japanese aesthetics and Western art influences. Her ethereal paintings often depict young women surrounded by nature, featuring intricate line work and a soft color palette. Her works are typically painted on wood panels, adding a quality that enhances the emotional depth of her subjects.

Jessica Cioffi (IG: Loputyn) → An Italian artist known for her enchanting illustrations and concept art that seamlessly blend traditional and digital techniques. Her work reflects the influence of 19th century neo-gothic and Japanese manga, and among the artist's favorite themes are witchcraft, folklore, and mystery.

Wenqing Yan (IG: yuumeiart) → A Chinese-American digital artist and illustrator known for her detailed, expressive art. Her style blends elements of anime, fantasy, and realism, featuring vibrant colors and intricate designs. Yan draws inspiration from nature, technology, and personal experiences, and she is well-known for her webcomic Fisheye Placebo and art series like Knite, which explore themes of activism, technology, and the environment.

Gretel Lusky (IG: gretlusky) → An Argentine digital artist and illustrator, Gretel Lusky is recognized for her whimsical, vibrant artwork featuring fantasy characters, and magical themes. Her style blends cartoon and anime elements, characterized by bold lines, expressive characters, and a colorful palette. She is well-known for her enchanting illustrations on social media, where she shares art tutorials and collaborates on various comics, book covers, and other projects. She is also known for her debut graphic novel Primer, an original graphic novel for DC Comics.

Margaret Morales (IG: margaretmoralesart) → A Filipino watercolor artist currently residing in America. Margaret Morales is known for her dreamy, ethereal portraits that intertwine feminine figures with elements of nature, such as flowers and animals. Her style, characterized by soft brushwork and pastel hues, creates a surreal, fairytale-like atmosphere. Her evolving work draws inspiration from art nouveau, mythology, fantasy, natural elements, Japanese/manga art, and fashion.

Tactooncat → An Indonesian digital artist known for creating illustrations that feature cats in a humorous and whimsical style, particularly cat memes and videos. Their work appeals to cat lovers and fans of lighthearted, expressive illustrations.

There are so many more, but hopefully the ones I've mentioned have caught your interest enough that you'll want to look them up. Each artist offers a unique perspective, whether through their distinctive style, use of color, themes, or techniques—there’s plenty to discover and enjoy.

[dark-water-siren]

(Yuumei) Wenqing Yan

[psyhaven]

Night Ride by (Yuumei) Wenqing Yan

[ecargmura]

How Pictures Can Tell 1000 Words (Book Review

This is the first picture book that I’m reviewing. I know I’ve long grown out of picture books, but since Wenqing Yan, or most known as Yuumei on the internet, has made one, I can’t help but to buy it and cherish it.

If you’re not familiar with Yuumei, she’s a digital artist most known for her beautiful art pieces on Deviant Art and social media. I follow her on Deviant Art way back in the day and I do remember how 1000 Words was a flash comic at the time.

Her art is still beautiful, but in the past, she did draw some rather depressing things because she had her own monsters and troubles back then; it’s not my place to say anymore. 1000 Words is a beautiful piece of art, but was drawn in one of her darker times.

The story is about a little girl who sees an artist and wants him to teach her how to draw. The artist cannot take students for he is nomadic, but he does ask why she wants to learn how to draw. She then shows him a cute picture she drew of her family. He compliments it but she wants to get better so that they won’t separate, which she alludes to by ripping it in half. He didn’t like how she ripped it, but decides to teach her how to draw for a short moment in exchange for 1000 words. He also gives her an envelope that he wants her to deliver to her parents. It turns out to be a taped up picture of her family. The parents were surprised. A timeskip happens and the girl meets the artist again; her family split up but she still thanked the artist for helping her out at her lowest point, so she decides to become an artist to follow in his footsteps. She gives him a notebook filled with 1000 words and he smiles at it.

The story deals with a heavy and sensitive topic like divorce and how it affects the child. However, instead of using darker color schemes, Yuumei uses brighter colors to bring out the topic in a more somber mood. I think the bright color choices was a good idea because if the story had darker colors, it would just be depression overload.

From what I know about picture books, they usually have words that narrate the story. This picture book is just dialogue while the narration is visually shown via the drawings and imagination. I kind of like that; the ambiguity feeds off the mysterious ambiance. Pictures do tell 1000 words and the author has done it flawlessly.

I’d love to read more of her works. I did buy an art book from her a few years ago that I’d love to review. Other than that, if Yuumei decides to release a novel or such, I’d buy it without hesitation. Please support this artist!

[scifi-fantasy-horror]

Naughty Space Void by  (Yuumei) Wenqing Yan

[soupsane]

(Yuumei) Wenqing Yan [Artstation]

[manfrommars2049]

Between Two Tomes by (Yuumei) Wenqing Yan via WholesomeFantasyArt

[sunwardscity]

Space Void - (Yuumei) Wenqing Yan

[mamabearwonders]

Credit🫧 ~ Bath Time by (Yuumei) Wenqing Yan

[holundra]

Yuumei Art

https://www.yuumeiart.com/

[blueturtleavenue]

This design is called Ashes and is created by a profile named Wenqing Yan on a platform called ArtStation.com.

The main idea of this art piece is The Cimate Change and its effects on humanity.

The sad expression of the girl is an amazing detail which gives more character to the overall design. The nature element is constructed by using contrast between colors (green-white; orange-white; red-white; etc). Adding to that some parts are lighter while others are darker. The costume of the girl also has a few ligher spots which makes it appear more lifelike. The background is simple and does not take the attention of the viewer from the main part.

[reign-life]

Fun fact: Wenqing Yan has a tumblr too! @yuumei-art

First image

Second image

Wenqing Yan on Instagram