Konstantin Popov started drawing at 20 after leaving his job as a lathe operator. He taught himself with courses run by artists including WLOP and Zeronis. As a freelance artist based in Kazakhstan, he now specialises in character design inspired by anime.
Below, Konstantin describes five of his stunning elfin characters. If you're inspired by his artwork, check out our guide to the best digital art software and the best drawing tablets as tested by artists.
Lillian
“I focus on character design first, then move to the main illustration. I explore dynamic poses, lighting and atmosphere to create a cohesive, engaging mood.”
Shin-Ryeong
“This artwork began as a study, shifted into fan art, and eventually became a unique piece, evolving naturally as I explored new ideas during the process.”
Vika
“The task here was to design how the Heart of the Aspects mount from World of Warcraft would look as a human. I decided to give it a cute appearance instead of the grim lady!”
Téal
“There was already a beautiful design for this piece. I included ice elements in the surroundings as the character is a Frost Mage, yet she possesses a warm heart.”
Twilight
“I created this design for a good friend. In the early stages I was inspired by xenomorphs, but the goal was to create a humanoid version of an Infinite Dragon from World of Warcraft.”
You can see more of Konstantin's work on his ArtStation profile.
This content originally appeared in ImagineFX magazine, the world's leading digital art and fantasy art magazine. ImagineFX is on sale in the UK, Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and more. Limited numbers of ImagineFX print editions are available for delivery from our online store (the shipping costs are included in all prices).
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