In the ever-evolving world of digital art, numerous artists stand out for their innovation, creativity, and impact on our curlture, from surreal 3D compositions to breathtaking digital illustrations, these artists have redefined what it means to create art in the digital age.
In this guide we’re going to tell you all about the best contemporary digital artists, their impact on our culture, the digital art world and the digital art community. We’re also going to talk about their art, the tehcniques and software they use and some fo their most popular and notable works. Let’s get started!
1. Beeple
Mike Winkleman, also known as Beelple, is an American graphic designer and digital artist known for his eclectic and surreal artwork that was sold for millions on the NFT market. He creates surreal, eclectic contemporary art, originally made of digital drawings but nowadays principally made of 3D art and visual compositions that blend pop culture references, politics, and contemporary issues with satire.
His distinctive style often features dystopian themes, vivid imagery, and a critical perspective on modern society. Beeple creates most of his work using 3D modeling and Animation, Digital Painting, Photobashing and Video Compositing along with a range of digital tools and software, including Cinema 4D, Octane, and Adobe After Effects.
Beeple gained worldwide recognition for his “Everydays” project, where he created a new piece of digital art every day for over a decade, culminating in the sale of a composite of these works for $69,000,000 at a record-breaking auction. Beeple has not missed a single day of creating and posting his “Everydays” since he started the project on May 1, 2007, demonstrating an exceptional level of discipline and commitment to his audience and art.
Notable Works by Beeple:
- “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” – A collage of his first 5000 daily artworks, which sold as an NFT for $69.3 million at Christie’s auction.
- “Crossroad” – An animated piece that changes based on the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, sold for $6.6 million.
- “Human One” – A kinetic video sculpture that fetched nearly $29 million at auction.
2. Butcher Billy
Billy Mariano da Luz, also known as Butcher Billy, is a Brazilian graphic designer and digital artist known for his eye-catching and provocative work that combines pop culture references with old comic book aesthetics.
His style features bold colors, comic book imagery, and a satirical perspective on modern society. Butcher Billy creates most of his work using digital illustration, photobashing, and mixed media techniques, along with a range of digital tools and software, including Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
Butcher Billy gained widespread recognition for his series that reimagines famous figures as comic book characters, his take on contemporary art, series and movies, and his commentary on modern culture. He has created visuals for various media, including album covers, posters, and editorial illustrations.
Notable Works by Butcher Billy:
- “The Superhero Media Crossover Project” – A series where he reimagines famous superheroes as classic rock stars and other iconic figures, blending different aspects of pop culture to create humorous pieces.
- “Stranger Love Songs” – A collection of illustrations that mash up scenes from the popular TV show “Stranger Things” with classic album covers.
- “The Post-Punk/New Wave Super Friends” – A project where Butcher Billy transforms post-punk and new wave music icons into superheroes, combining his love for music and comic book art.
3. David Sossella
Davi Sossella is an Italian illustrator, digital artist, and art director that is known for creating beautiful, fantastical compositions that blend elements of fantasy, surrealism, and pop culture. While Sossella studied architecture, he transitioned to digital art, taking his meticulous attention to detail and combining it with bold colors, and dynamic compositions.
Sossella’s style is characterized for its bright colors, complex and sometimes even entangled details, playful themes, and fantastical creatures and landscapes. He uses illustration tools like Adobe Illustrators, Affinity Designer, Adobe Photoshop and After Effects.
Throughout his career, Sossella has produced various illustrations for magazines, book covers, and advertising campaigns. His work has been exhibited in galleries and art shows across Europe, and he’s also collaborated with multiple brands and companies like amazon, Monopoly, and Indeed, solidifying his reputation as a significant professional digital artist.
Notable Works by David Sossella:
- “Monsters and Dames” – A series of illustrations featuring whimsical and fantastical characters, often showcased in art books and conventions.
- “The Dreamcatcher” – An intricate and colorful piece depicting a surreal landscape filled with imaginative creatures and detailed patterns.
- Various Editorial Illustrations – Sossella has created illustrations for magazines, book covers, and advertising campaigns, showcasing his versatility and wide-ranging appeal.
4. Kyle Lambert
Kyle Lambert is a British artist based in L.A. who became famous for illustrating movie posters of iconic productions like Stranger Things, Jurassic Park, and the Beauty and the Beast. He is known for his hyper-realistic style where digital media merged with traditional colored-pencil aesthetics and techniques that give a unique vibe to Lambert’s work.
With a background in traditional art and graphic design, Lambert transitioned to digital painting where he uses software like Adobe Photoshop and Procreate to create his stunning pieces, his process often involves creating detailed digital sketches, which he then refines with meticulous attention to detail, vibrant colors, and a striking level of realism achieve the final image.
His portfolio includes digital art illustration pieces made in collaboration with major studios such as Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Marvel, producing artwork for movies like “Toy Story,” “The Avengers,” and “Jurassic Park.”
Notable Works by Kyle Lambert
- “Stranger Things” Posters – Kyle Lambert is widely recognized for creating the iconic posters for the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” His artwork captures the show’s nostalgic 1980s vibe and eerie atmosphere, becoming a significant part of the series’ visual identity.
- “Jurassic Park” Artwork – Lambert has produced artwork for the “Jurassic Park” franchise, creating detailed and realistic depictions of the iconic dinosaurs and scenes from the movies.
- “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” Poster – Lambert’s poster for the film “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” highlights his talent for creating engaging and adventurous compositions that appeal to a broad audience.
5. Alberto Seveso
Alberto Seveso is an Italian digital artist specializing in photography and image manipulation, he creates beautiful and mesmerizing compositions where his high-speed photography skills mix with his amazing composition and editing skills to create stunning visual effects and abstract works.
Seveso’s style is characterized by its ethereal and fluid qualities. His artwork often features vivid colors, complex and detailed shapes, and a sense of movement that gives life to his compositions. He is particularly known for his ability to transform simple elements into complex, abstract forms that captivate the viewer.
Seveso has collaborated with multiple brands including Apple, National Geographic, Sony Music and Disney, he also worked with Nikon to create stunning promotional material that highlighted the intricate details captured by their cameras, blending photography with his unique digital style, and his work has graced the covers of numerous magazines and music albums, bringing his distinctive style to a wider audience.
Notable Works by Alberto Seveso:
- “A Due Colori” – A series of high-speed photographs capturing the intricate and colorful patterns created by mixing ink with water. This series brought Seveso significant recognition in the art community.
- “Disastro Ecologico” – An artwork series focusing on environmental themes, blending fluid dynamics with stark imagery to comment on ecological issues.
- Adobe Campaigns – Seveso has collaborated with Adobe on several projects, creating striking visuals that showcase the capabilities of Adobe’s software.
6. Alexis Franklin
Alexis Franklin is an American digital illustrator known for her amazingly emotional and realistic portraits. Based in Dallas Texas, this self-taught artist has been doing art since she was three years old, however while she originally pursued a career in video editing, she soon discovered her passion for digital painting, which led her to develop a distinctive style that has captivated a broad audience.
Franklin’s artwork is characterized by its vivid colors, dynamic brushstrokes, and a strong focus on capturing human emotions and expressions. Her work conveys a sense of realism filtered through her eyes, bringing out the vibrancy and intimacy of candid moments and portraits she loves to draw.
She uses a combination of alla prima and layering techniques to build her compositions, adding detail to her portraits. This method allows her to achieve a detailed yet painterly quality in her work. Franklin pays particular attention to her brushwork, utilizing custom brushes that replicate the feel of oil and acrylic paints, giving her digital pieces a tactile, almost tangible quality.
Notable Works by Alexis Franklin:
- “Breonna Taylor Portrait for O, The Oprah Magazine” – Franklin gained widespread recognition for her powerful cover illustration of Breonna Taylor, making her the first artist to feature someone other than Oprah on the cover of the magazine.
- “Anita Hill for TIME Magazine’s 100 Women of the Year” – She created a poignant portrait of Anita Hill, for TIME Magazine in the year 2020.
- “Commissioned Portraits” – Franklin has created numerous commissioned works for private clients and public figures, each piece reflecting her style and attention to detail.
7. Antoni Tudisco
Antoni Tudisco is a famous digital artist and graphic designer born in Germany, known for his surreal, intriguing, colorful and detailed 3D artwork. While he originally studied web development and design, his growing interest for 3D art made him learn on his own software like Cinema 4D and Unreal Engine, and his work for the yatra.com campaign where he let his creativity loose, gained him multiple contacts through Asia.
Tudisco often combines 3D elements with digital painting techniques using Adobe Photoshop for post production stages, but mainly works with animations and special effects. He has worked with multiple brands in collaborative projects, NFT collections and has been featured in prominent publications like Vogue and Highsnobiety.
Notable Works by Antoni Tudisco
- Moncler NFTs – Tudisco collaborated with the luxury brand Moncler for their 70th anniversary, creating a series of high-impact NFTs inspired by cities like New York, London, and Seoul (Interview Magazine).
- Nike Campaigns – His work for Nike includes a blend of his creative approach with the brand’s aesthetic, resulting in visually striking and memorable campaigns.
- Wiz Khalifa NFT Collection – Tudisco worked with Wiz Khalifa on a collaborative NFT collection, merging musical and stylistic elements from Khalifa’s work with Tudisco’s hyper-digital style.
8. Erik Johansson
Erik Johansson is a Swedish photographer and digital artist known for his photo manipulation work with surreal and fantastical themes. His work involves combining multiple photographs that he takes to create realistic yet impossible and surreal scenes. From amazing landscapes to optical illusions and abstract images his work blends images with a narrative quality that often leaves the interpretation up to the viewer.
Erik Johansson takes his own photos, carefully planning his shoots and often building props to ensure that his images look as convincing as possible, and then, using software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, he combines multiple photographic elements to create his surreal compositions.
Johansson’s work has been widely acclaimed for its creativity and technical excellence. He has exhibited his work internationally, including solo exhibitions in Sweden, France, South Korea, and the United States. He has also published two books, “Imagine” (2016) and “Places Beyond” (2019), showcasing his most famous works and the processes behind them.
Notable Works by Erik Johansson:
- “Go Your Own Road” (2008) – One of his early and most recognized pieces, depicting a road lifting off the ground like a ribbon.
- “The Architect” (2015) – A surreal image showing a man constructing a house from the ground up with his own hands.
- “Full Moon Service” (2017) – An image featuring a car and street lamps in a field, creating an illusion of multiple moons lighting the scene.
9. Mandy Jurgens
Mandy Jurgens is an American digital artist and freelance illustrator known for her unique painting style, captivating portraits and character art. She created a significant presence in the digital art community, captivating viewers and other digital artists with her use of color, light and texture in her work.
She uses digital painting techniques for most of her works, focusing on understanding how light and shadow work in real life. She uses digital painting software, like Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint and Procreate.
Jurgens has been featured in several notable publications and platforms, including ArtStation Magazine and ImagineFX. She has worked with various companies such as Volta, THQ, Adobe, and Celsys on concept art pieces and her tutorials and speed painting videos on YouTube have also garnered a significant following.
Notable Works by Mandy Jurgens
- Her ArtStation portfolio is highly trafficked and showcases a wide range of her works, from hyper-realistic portraits to imaginative character designs and studies.
10. Nik Ainley
Nik Ainley is a digital artist and illustrator based in the UK, known for his pseudonym “Shinybinary ” he’s been making art for over a decade and captivated the digital artwork with his interesting, intricate designs that are full of color and creativity.
His work mixes 2D and 3D elements and presents not only an amazing use of color but also great attention to detail and showcases Ainley’s amazing composition skills. He uses digital painting, photo manipulation and 3D modeling techniques to bring their work to life, with software like Adobe Photoshop, 3DS Max and Illustrator.
He is also known for his impressive typography work, where he combines text and visual elements seamlessly to create stunning compositions.
Notable Works by Nik Ainley:
- Collaborations with Major Brands – His portfolio includes work for British Airways, Unicef, Capital One, Audi, Halifax, ESPN, BBC, Virgin, MTV, Nike, and Nickelodeon, demonstrating his versatility and appeal across different industries (milliono) (Shinybinary).
- TEN Collection – As part of Fotolia’s TEN Collection, Ainley collaborated with photographer Paul Ripke to create a unique piece with the “Surf in the City: a futuristic fantasy” theme for an international contest.
11. Randy Bishop
Randy Bishop is an American art director, character designer, concept artist and illustrator who has gained recognition in the animation industry for his expressive and full of personality character designs and his immense contribution to the entertainment industry.
His art is known for the expressive emotions portrayed in his drawings, that along with the exaggerated proportions and shape language give his designs personality and brings his characters to life.
Bishop primarily uses digital tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create his character designs. He also uses traditional media for his sketches and drawings, his process involves detailed sketching, inking, and coloring, using visual storytelling elements to ensure each character and scene has a clear narrative and emotional depth.
Notable Works by Randy Bishop
- “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” – Bishop worked as a character designer for this project, where he was responsible for designing characters, and creating model sheets, to bring the designs into style.
- “Disney Lorcan Trading Card Game ” – He contributed character designs to the Disney Lorcan Trading Card Game, blending his style with iconic Disney characters.
- “Masters of Anatomy” – Bishop contributed to the second volume of this popular book series, which is a valuable resource for character designers and illustrators.
12. Sara Ludy
Sara Ludy is an American artist known for her work in digital installation media, which includes digital painting, animation, virtual reality, installations, and sound. Born in 1980, she is based in New Mexico. Her art often explores the connection between the natural world and digital simulations, exploring themes of the space, memory, and the unseen.
Ludy uses digital media like Virtual Reality, Artificial, Intelligence and 3D modeling to create immersive installations and captivating environments. Her work is often a multi-sensory experience as it includes interactive elements and sounds along with animations.
Sara Ludy’s work has been displayed at major institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Her innovative art has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Artforum, and Art in America.
Notable Works by Sara Ludy
- “Dream House” (2014) – An ongoing project inspired by dreams and sacred spaces. It includes virtual architecture and has been shown at the Honor Fraser Gallery in Los Angeles.
- “Tumbleweeds” (2022) – An animated digital map showing points of light corresponding to glass-covered tumbleweeds released in the New Mexico desert.
- “Refract” (2018-2019) – A series of works exhibited at bitforms gallery, focusing on light and space.
13. Sean Charmatz
Sean Charmatz is an American digital artist, animator and art director. He is mostly known for his work as a writer and director on SpongeBob SquarePants, but gained popularity on social media for his “secret world of stuff” series where he uses his unique ability to bring everyday objects to life with humor and creativity.
His work is characterized by a cute, spontaneous, humorous approach where he brings to life everyday objects like tennis balls, a dandelion or bubble wrap to life giving them faces and emotions to create funny animations.
Notable Works by Sean Charmatz:
- “SpongeBob SquarePants” – Charmatz worked as a writer, director, and storyboard artist for this iconic series, contributing significantly to its storytelling and humor.
- “Orion and the Dark” (2024) – Directed by Charmatz, this Netflix film blends CGI and 2D animation to tell the story of a young boy confronting his fears with the help of the character Dark.
- Penguins of Madagascar” – Charmatz contributed to character creation for this animated series.
14. Viktor Miller-Gausa
Viktor Miller-Gausa is a Russian digital artist and art director known for his stunning, expressive and colorful digital portraits. He is largely self-taught, having developed his skills through years of practice and experimentation with digital tools. Miller-Gausa specializes in digital portraits and illustrations, capturing the essence of his subjects with a blend of realism and his unique painterly style.
Miller-Gausa uses digital tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create his artworks. He uses digital painting techniques and his style is characterized by its vibrant colors, accentuated brushstrokes, and attention to detail combined with a great use of texturing, light, and value to make his work come to life.
Notable Works by Viktor Miller-Gausa:
- Celebrity Portraits Series (2019) – This series includes striking digital portraits of various celebrities such as Hunter Schafer, Jim Carrey, Gal Gadot, and Billie Eilish. These portraits gained widespread attention for their detailed and expressive nature.
- Illustrations for Major Brands – Miller-Gausa’s talent has been recognized by renowned brands including Disney, Adidas, Adobe, Jim Beam, and the NBA, for whom he has created various illustrations and promotional artworks.
15. André Ducci
Andre Ducci is a brazilian illustrator and artist that is known for his unique style that blends vintage aesthetics with modern digital techniques and thematics. His work is characterized by the historic and mythological motifs, where the use of line, color and bold shapes along with elements of visual storytelling captures the viewer’s attention.
His works covers various media, including graphic novels, comics, illustrations and educational projects, and has been recognized in various international publications and exhibitions.
Ducci uses digital tools like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create his illustrations and comics, but also integrates traditional drawing methods into his workflow to add texture and authenticity to his work.
Notable Works by André Ducci:
- “Mitologia” – A series of illustrations depicting mythological scenarios from various cultures around the world.
- “Talking History” – Interior art and cover for the non-fiction children’s book that involved detailed pencil sketches digitally colored to bring historical speeches to life.
- “Great Minds” – Another project with Templar Books, featuring visually striking illustrations that explore the lives and ideas of influential thinkers throughout history.
16. Brian Miller
Brian Miller is an American digital artist and illustrator based in Colorado, he is the founder of Orlin Culture Shop where he produces illustrations and promotional art for major brands. He is known for his amazing, full of color and life illustrations, which are heavily influenced by the vintage aesthetics of the 80’s, giving his work a unique, timeless quality.
Millers uses Photoshop to make most of his art, and while his process typically starts with pen and paper sketches, he then refines and completes digitally using digital painting techniques mixed with his graphic design skills to create his eye-catching illustrations.
Notable Works by Brian Miller:
- “Star Wars” and “Doctor Who” Illustrations – Miller has created artwork for these iconic franchises, capturing the essence of popular culture with his unique style.
- “Orlin Culture Shop ” Portfolio – His portfolio includes a variety of illustrations that range from peaceful nature scenes to dynamic character designs, which are also available for purchase as prints, puzzles, etc.
17. Charlie Davis
Charlie Davis is a digital artist and illustrator based in the UK known for his full color, unique, nostalgic illustrations. His use of color, shape and texture along with the charm of contemporary aesthetics give his work a unique sense of character and warmth, evoking a nostalgic feel in the viewer. The exaggerated shapes, contrasting colors, and carefully planned compositions make each piece visually striking and full of narrative depth.
Davis’s illustrations often incorporate a strong visual narrative, where the arrangement of elements and the interplay of colors tell a story or evoke a particular mood. His ability to capture the essence of human gestures and expressions adds a layer of emotional resonance to his work.
Davis primarily uses digital painting and illustration techniques, however he starts with sketches on paper to develop his ideas. He uses limited color palettes, focusing on composition, contrast, texture, and shape language instead.
Notable Works by Charlie Davis:
- Adobe Campaigns – Davis has worked on various projects for Adobe’s campaign creating several pieces of promotional materials.
- Cadbury and Playboy Collaborations – Davis has worked on commercial illustration for events and advertising campaigns of said brands.
- Editorial Illustrations – Davis’ illustrations have been featured in publications like The Daily Telegraph and Mr Porter as well as other publications multiple times.
18. Ekaterina Savic
Ekaterina Savic is a digital artist and illustrator based in Switzerland who specializes in making beautifully enchanting illustrations for children’s books, board games, puzzles and more. Her cute, charming and playful style make her work magical and captivating, especially for children and young audiences.
She uses software like Procreate and Adobe Photoshop primarily along with digital drawing and painting techniques, focused on giving her work a textured, traditional effect. Her work is very colorful and detailed, and she makes sure to integrate strong narrative elements into her work, making each illustration a part of a larger story.
Notable Works by Ekaterina Savic:
- Children’s Book Illustrations – Savic has illustrated numerous children’s books, each filled with her signature charming and colorful style.
- “The Rainbow Pages” – A project featured on Behance that showcases her talent for imaginative illustrations full of narrative depth for the wonderful book, written by Kirsten Joy Liv.
19. Filip Hodas
Filip Hodas is a 3D artist and illustrator known for his hyper realistic yet surreal landscape illustrations and designs. His work focuses on 3D renderings of pop culture, digital media, and popular characters mixed with dystopia and apocalyptic futures. With a keen attention to detail and an excellent use of composition, Hodas work has a surreal balance between reality and fiction.
He uses 3D modeling techniques for most of his work, using tools like Cinema 4D, Octane Render and Substance Painter to create highly detailed models and add realistic textures to them.
Notable Works by Filip Hodas:
- “Pop Culture Dystopia” – This series imagines decaying pop culture icons like Mickey Mouse and SpongeBob SquarePants in abandoned, desolate settings, exploring themes of consumerism and cultural decay.
- “Cartoon Fossils” – In this series, Hodas depicts realistic skulls of beloved cartoon characters, mixing childhood nostalgia with a dark, archaeological twist.
- Collaborations with Major Brands – Hodas has created art for brands like Adidas, Apple, and Samsung.
Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Artists
Here are a few frequently asked questions about digital art and digital artists:
What Does a Digital Artist Do?
Digital artists create visual art using computer software as a major part of the process. They make all kinds of art, sketches, illustrations, animations, 3D models, 3D animations, VR Art, etc. These pieces are used for various media like movies, TV shows, visual novels, video games, and even advertisements.
Digital artwork is a key piece of the modern art world, and just like traditional artists, digital artists must have strong artistic skills, a good understanding of design principles, and also great technical proficiency with digital tools.
What Are the Different Styles of Digital Art?
Digital art has various styles, each with unique features, techniques and tools. Digital painting, Vector art, 3D Modeling, Pixel Art, Photobashing, Digital Collage, Fractal Art and Animation are only a few of them. You can read more about them in our article Types of Digital Art Styles where we explore each and every one of them, the techniques, software and tools involved and the most notable artists that mastered each art style.
How do Digital Artists Make Money?
Digital artists can make money in a lot of different ways, freelance work is the most popular one, where they can use their skills and take freelance projects for clients making illustrations, animations, 3D models, etc. Platforms like Fiverr, Upwork and Behance help artists connect with potential clients.
Other ways digital artists make money are through commissions, selling prints or merch online, uploading their work as Stock Images, NFTs, etc. While being skilled in their craft is very important, most of the ways for digital artists to make money involve more of a marketing approach as well as other social and networking skills.
Even the best digital artists can struggle to make money if they don’t take advantage of social media and market themselves and their art. By diversifying their income streams and leveraging online platforms, digital artists can effectively monetize their talents and reach a global audience
