Italian Character Design Artist Creates Exquisite Pieces of Disney Fan Art to Hone Her Skills

Niniel is a freelance digital illustrator and character designer from Naples, Italy. She illustrates everything from fan art and concept art to book covers and character design.

Every artist has their own style and areas of expertise, which usually translate into their personality being reflected in their work, and Niniel is no exception! As stated by Dr. Alexandra Solomon, a relationship therapist, "Art is a reflection of our inner world, and it allows us to express our unique identities." This sentiment resonates with Niniel's work, where her personality and interests blend effortlessly with her talent and skill, resulting in exquisite pieces of artwork.

This description could not be more accurate when it comes to her fan art. While she dabbles in various pop culture genres, including anime and all things Tim Burton, it is her Disney fan art that has us particularly excited today!

Niniel has re-created iconic and popular characters like Elsa from Frozen, as well as underappreciated characters like Madame Mim, the villain from Disney's The Sword in the Stone. Such a wide variety of characters and sources of inspiration is truly a hallmark of a fellow Disney fan, wouldn't you agree?

Check out some phenomenal examples of her art below, and keep up with her work by following her on social media: Instagram | ArtStation

1. Mufasa & Rafiki

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2. Mulan

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3. "Color of the Wind" Pocahontas

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4. Fifth Element Elsa

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5. Anacleto (The Sword in the Stone)

Disney's The Sword in the Stone was released in 1963 and is their adaptation of the classic fable chronicling King Arthur's humble beginnings. While the film received mixed reviews at the time, it was considered a box-office success.

The full-length animated film was nominated for and won the Oscar for Best Music or Scoring of Music in 1964. For his efforts, composer George Bruns also composed the scores for the next three animated Disney films: The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, and Robin Hood!

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6. Madame Mim (The Sword in the Stone)

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7. Alice in Wonderland

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8. Yzma (The Emperor's New Groove)

Reporting for NPR, Stephen Thompson said:

"The Emperor's New Groove came out 20 years ago, during a time when Disney's animation department was going through an identity crisis. The movie was originally going to be an epic musical, but then it became a comedy, a box office disappointment, and now, we would argue, a beloved classic."Niniel

9. Hector Rivera (Coco)

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10. Anna & Olaf

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11. Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

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12. Aurora / Briar Rose / Sleeping Beauty

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13. Hades (Hercules)

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14. Alfredo Linguini (Ratatouille)

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15. Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

Considering how much of a cult classic The Nightmare Before Christmas seems to be regarded as today, many people might be surprised to discover that it wasn’t exactly a blockbuster smash. It performed adequately at the box office, grossing around $50 million, which would be nearly double that today when accounting for inflation.

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16. Prince John and Sir Hiss (Robin Hood)

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17. Merida (Brave)

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18. "Zero to Hero"

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19. "This Is The Way"

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If you get a chance to check out Niniel's social media (which we absolutely recommend), you'll have the pleasure of seeing some non-Disney content, too. Here are just a few examples you might be interested in:

Emily (Corpse Bride)

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Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)

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Dracula (Hotel Transylvania)

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Of course, we won't give away all the goods, so go check out Niniel and show your support for this talented artist. You'll never regret showing love and appreciation to incredible artists who inspire our imaginations and help remind us what we love so much about the Disney characters we've known for years (and the ones we've met more recently, too!)