Watercolors are calming works of art, where simple brush strokes can tell a poignant story. The small but striking details can take you to another world. It’s the perfect medium for artist Alina Chau, whose whimsical paintings combine the beauty of watercolors with the entertainment of pop culture.
As she has worked in the animation industry for years—including a stint on Star Wars: The Clone Wars—it’s no wonder many of Chau’s subjects are Star Wars themed. Female heroines figure prominently, from a bold Ahsoka Tano, to a stoic Queen Amidala. Her tributes to Leia lovingly capture the consummate image of the self-rescuing princess.
You can tell Chau is a pop culture fan herself in the way that she honors Game of Thrones’ Daenerys by surrounding her with swiftly sweeping dragons, or pays homage to classics like The Last Unicorn and colorful stories like The Little Mermaid. The latter both happen to include surreal water scenes that align perfectly with her watercolor work to create stunning underwater visuals.
As if the watercolors didn’t pull you in by themselves, Chau has thought of a way to make them even more memorable by adding the art of papercutting to her works. By chopping up her beautiful artwork she adds layers and distinction to the composition, to where it seems to jump off the page. A simple He-Man piece suddenly gains depth and motion with the added function of papercutting.
Chau’s magnificent designs take pop culture to a new level, making them frameable pieces of art worthy of a museum.
See more of Chau’s watercolors in the gallery below and get a print for yourself on her website alinachau.com.
Which of your favorite characters would you like to see in watercolor form? Let us know in the comments!
The art of arting:
- Star Wars IX‘s art director is…
- Hogwarts carved from ice.
- The blackest paint makes a starry sky.
