This artist captures J.R.R. Tolkien's hobbits and elves in a magical new light

Digital art with a painterly look.

Nia Kovalevski is an illustrator based in Germany who focuses on character and story-driven imaginative realism. With an academic background in graphic design, German studies, and psychology, she now works mainly in games and publishing, such as Magic the Gathering, Brotherwise Games and Fantasy Flight Games.

Here are four examples of her craft. She does much of her digital painting in Photoshop (see our guide to the best digital art software).

Mark of Elokoss

(Image credit: Nia Kovalevski)

This was a piece created for Fantasy Flight Games. “I enjoyed playing with dramatic light, vintage fashion, and a darker mood here. I wanted the character to feel mysterious and rooted in the story,” Nia says.

Keen Eye

(Image credit: Nia Kovalevski)

This was a personal piece inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Merry and Pippin

(Image credit: Nia Kovalevski)

Another personal piece, this time depicting the two mischievous Hobbits from the Fellowship.

Little Red Riding Hood

(Image credit: Nia Kovalevski)

This piece is from a personal concept project putting the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale in a noir fantasy-horror setting.

You can see more of Nia’s work on her website.

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.

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