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Dalia Ataev

@dalia_ataev

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Illustrator 🌼 storyteller
📍Toronto
✉️ Commissions open
Portfolio ↓ (best viewed in browser)

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(A continuation of the previous illustration.)
She falls from the stars and sky, piercing through the clouds, heading to one destination: Earth.

This is something I have been working on and off since last year. I am writing the story, but also sketching/illustrating it to better capture the visual aspect of the story.
Originally, I created it digitally, but I have now decided to have them all illustrated with coloured pencils. I really like the texture and the control this medium provides me. It teaches you when to stop, because at some point, due to the waxiness of the pencil, it becomes harder to layer the colours.

#graphicnovel #colourpencil #illustration #prismacolor #falling by @dalia_ataev

After years of drawing mostly digitally, I forgot how much I love and treasure creating art with traditional media such as colour pencils. It felt like a really nice therapeutic session, taking my time building the layers upon layers of colours.

#colourpencil #illustration #graphicnovel #torontoartist #prismacolor by @dalia_ataev

Passage Through the Unknown.
In hope of improving his life, he steps into the unknown and spends days wandering through the wild. Eventually, he discovers a monstrous cave, its shape strangely familiar, its eyes glowing, its mouth open as if both inviting and warning him. Still, he moves forward.

I really enjoyed creating this one! i love storytelling, and i hope this one delivers 😊
I added the sketch, rough greyscale and rough colour placement in the following slides.

#daliaataev #storytelling #graphicnovel #instaart #procreate @procreate #conceptart #cave #adventuretime by @dalia_ataev

It turns out the underground water system is spiralling out of control, and who else but the handy groundhog can fix this dilemma?

I had a lot of fun creating a banner for the @scbwi_canada_east event "Digging Even Deeper," and I was sure to go with the most Canadian animals I could think of: a groundhog, a squirrel, and pill bugs (turns out they are very Canadian as well 👀).

@scbwi #banner #diggingevendeeper #childrensbook #groundhog #canadiananimals by @dalia_ataev

Growing up, my mom would say in Russian, "There are people who give you energy, and people who drain it."
The energy-drainers? We call them “вампиры” (vam-PEER-ee)—vampires!
So on this Valentine’s Day, find your energy-givers and hold them close ❤️🧛🏻

(A polished version of a previous piece)

#daliaataev #valentineday #vampire #starbuckscup #procreate #instaart #вампиры by @dalia_ataev

My website portfolio, mobile edition!
I started with a blank canvas on @readymag and focused on a story-like approach for each page. Available on website and mobile 👀

#artist #readymag #website #portfolio #visualstorytelling by @dalia_ataev

Happy Birthday

I just turned 32, and I've been reflecting on how birthdays change as we get older. They become quieter, and sometimes we forget them ourselves. Is it the fear of aging, or just that each year feels harder to celebrate in a meaningful way?

Some years, it's a celebration with the family. Milestone years like 30, I believed, were meant to be spent more enthusiastically, an adventure or a fun activity I haven't done yet.

This drawing reminds me of the expectations we have of others and of ourselves. Or maybe I'm just overthinking this.

(A polished version of a previous piece)

#daliaataev #procreate #birthdaythoughts #celebration #overthinking #balloons #instaart by @dalia_ataev

As i wrap up my website (daliaataev.com, almost ready for viewing), i've decided to polish some of my older pieces.
The first image is a redraw i completed in April 2025, and the next slide shows the original version from 2022. (I also made the decision to use my handwritten name as my signature 👩‍🏫)

It's really fun seeing the before and after 👀.

#daliaataev #illustration #recreation #comfortinnature #instaart #nature #procreate #beforeafter by @dalia_ataev

[Swipe to see the front and back design of the character!]
#originalcharacter Sirah of the Woven Eye fully rendered with her snake familiar.
A total of 25 hours working on this character design and I am excited to share the results! I hope you can feel her story from her tired expression and hunched body that is constantly on the move carrying her life on her shoulders.

#daliaataev #characterdesign #traveler #OC #procreate #fantasycharacter #mystictraveler #snake #nomadlife #visualstorytelling #Instaart #digitalart by @dalia_ataev

Character expression study of Sirah of the Woven Eye #OC.
Snakie always mirrors Sirah. If she’s angry, he reflects her fury and stands by her side. When she’s hurt, he reminds her she’s not alone. And when she’s tired, he guards her dreams of endless fabrics and gentle rest.

#daliaataev #characterdesign #traveler #originalcharacter #procreate #mystictraveler #snake #visualstorytelling #digitalart by @dalia_ataev

Colour palette options for my original character Sirah of the Woven Eye 🐍
I will share the final render soon!
I already have a chosen colour palette but would love to hear which one is your favorite.

#daliaataev #characterdesign #traveler #originalcharacter #OC #procreate #fantasycharacter #mystictraveler #snake #visualstorytelling #Instaart #digitalart #greyscale by @dalia_ataev

Let me introduce you to my OC, Sirah of the Woven Eye. A traveler of many wonders, burdened by a ball and chain shackled to her leg, the last remnant of a past she cannot escape. With her thread-like cane in hand and her familiar, a snake, coiled in its weight, she journeys onward, carrying stories spun into fabric.

#daliaataev #characterdesign #traveler #originalcharacter #OC #procreate #fantasycharacter #mystictraveler #snake #visualstorytelling #Instaart #digitalart #greyscale by @dalia_ataev