I’m Varvara Ovchinnikova, a freelance illustrator working across different media! ✎
WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU:— Develop illustrations that respond to your idea.
— Explore different techniques to find the right visual approach and give each project its own character.
— Create adaptable illustrations that work across different media and products.
— Build cohesive visual systems.I create illustrations for books, brands and personal projects. My work combines a personal visual language with a flexible approach to each project. I always think beyond a single image and focus on developing cohesive visual solutions that can serve different purposes.
Digital garden
→ creating a brand-new adaptive visual system
The idea
Digital Garden is an illustration series exploring the relationship between organic forms and digital aesthetics.Botanical shapes, textures and intricate details come together with geometric structures, circuit-like lines and pixel elements.
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Developing a visual system
The goal was to create an original illustration series that could be adapted to a range of products while maintaining a consistent visual identity.To solve this task, during the creating process, I made sure that each element was on a separate layer. This allowed me to disassemble each picture like a puzzle and reassemble it for different media.
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Final product
As a result, I not only created a series with an original creative concept, but also developed the system that allows to extend illustrations to various formats and objects that can be sold by a brand.Moreover, the created concept has a potential to be continued in the future with different flowers.
1/5
Created in the Far East
→ working with a brief, cultural motifs, and an existing visual system
About the project
«Created in the Far East» is a series of illustrations for merchandise for the International Forum of Creative Industries. The competition was launched by the Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic in collaboration with OZON BALLOON.The task was to explore the connection between cultural heritage, modern technologies and creative industries while building on the event’s existing visual identity.Research and character development
Before drawing, I researched region’s culture and nature. I chose animals native to Buryatia as the main characters, connecting the region’s identity with different creative fields.The snow leopard represents the music industry, while the Baikal seal painting on a canvas represents visual art. The second illustration is referencing videos of drawing trained seals, which helps to build an emotional connection with the audience. These images also carrie the idea that art can be created by anyone.Vibrant colour pallet brings the energy to the illustrations, while pixel-like fragments reference digital technologies. With these creative decisions I support the event’s mood and theme.Исходный размер 1920x1010
For the print I incorporated traditional Buryat ornaments and symbols of creative industries to bring cultural heritage and contemporary visual language together.I used a modular system that allows individual elements to be rearranged and compositions adapted to different formats.
Final product
The result is an illustration concept that combines regional references and creative industries in a flexible system that can be used for event’s promotional materials and merchandise as well. The characters can also develop into mascots, extending the visual identity beyond the event.
1/4
Sleeping beauty
→ reinterpreting a classic story, finding new visual language
About the project
The goal was to create an original distinctive visual language for an illustrated edition of Sleeping Beauty through my own interpretation of the story.Исходный размер 1920x1010
Visual approach
To find the best visual language for this project I tried different techniques and chose to work with gouache and coloured pencils on paper, because the tactile quality of traditional media and its delicate texture felt especially suited to a children’s fairy tale.To create a distinctive look I used:— Distorted forms and dynamic space
— Bold contrast between orange and purple
From sketch to story
Each illustration develops through three stages:
— Initial digital sketch. Fast and convenient way to make changes during this stage.
— Traditional media on paper. The main stage, bringing the illustration to life.
— Digital detailing. Finishing touches to clear shapes and add little nuances.
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Final product
As a result, I created an original illustrated book with a unique style, ready for publication and designed to stand out among other editions of the fairy tale.
1/5
1/2
Marulina’s tale
→ reinterpreting a traditional motifs, working with urban spaces
About the project
The task was to create large-scale illustrations for streets and public spaces in Nizhny Novgorod, inspired by traditional Russian Khokhloma ornaments.
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Visual approach
I reinterpreted Khokhloma patterns through my own visual style, adapting decorative elements to a contemporary context. The main characters are a girl named Marulya and her berry friends, that were borrowed from original ornament system and turned into cute little creatures.To fill large surfaces, I used dense compositions with plenty of decorative details.To add another reference to Russian artistic traditions, I drew inspiration from the works of Ivan Bilibin in the design of a decorative frame.
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