Italian Character Design Artist Creates Exquisite Pieces Of Disney Fan Art To Hone Her Skills

The very definition of #NailedIt

Elana

• Published in Disney
• March 15, 2022

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

Every artist has their own style and areas of expertise, which usually translates to being able to see their personality in their work, and Niniel is no exception there! Her personality and interests blend effortlessly with her talent and skill, with the end result being exquisite pieces of artwork.

This couldn't be more accurate of an explanation than when it comes to her fan art. While she dabbles in a variety of pop culture genres including anime and all things Tim Burton, it's only to be expected that her Disney fan art is what has us so excited today!

Niniel has re-created iconic and popular characters like Elsa from Frozen as well as under-appreciated 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 marker 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: ArtStation | Instagram | DeviantArt

1. Mufasa & Rafiki

2. Mulan

3. "Color of the Wind" Pocahontas

4. Fifth Element Elsa

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 chronicles King Arthur's humble beginnings." While at the time the film received mixed reviews, 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 would also compose the scores of the next three animated Disney films, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, and Robin Hood!

6. Madame Mim (The Sword in the Stone)

7. Alice in Wonderland

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."

9. Hector Rivera (Coco)

10. Anna & Olaf

11. Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

12. Aurora / Briar Rose / Sleeping Beauty

13. Hades (Hercules)

14. Alfredo Linguini (Ratatouille)

15. Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

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

16. Prince John and Sir Hiss (Robin Hood)

17. Merida (Brave)

18. "Zero to Hero"

19. "This Is The Way"

If you do 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)

Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)

Dracula (Hotel Transylvania)

Of course, we won't give away all the goods, so go check out Niniel and show your support to 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!)

Elana