Genshin Impact Fanart Ideas: 4 Ways to Ignite Your Inspiration

Want to breathe life into your favorite Genshin Impact characters, but worried your skills are stuck in Spiral Abyss? Or maybe you’re itching to create something beyond just replicating the in-game style? This guide introduces you to four Genshin Impact fanart ideas that can unleash your creative spirit and showcase your favorite characters in a whole new light.

Ready to dust off your brushes, summon your muse, and create stunning Genshin Impact fanart that’s eccentrically you? Let’s get started!

Paint your Favorite Characters in Another Artistic Style

Fanart is more than replicating — its true magic lies in adding your own artistic fingerprint. Reimagine your favorite characters, test variations, and make them your own!

Even if you're new to finding your style, start by imitating the original art, then gradually incorporate your own creative touches. As you gain confidence, try altering a few elements — exaggerate features for a cartoony take, or incorporate bold lines for a more graphic style.

This fusion between the familiar character and your personal touch reveals how YOU see them, creating a doubtlessly special piece.

Here are three popular artistic styles that can serve as a springboard for your Genshin Impact fanart journey:

1. Isometric Anime

Forget flat portraits. Isometric anime offers a refreshing twist on your favorite Genshin Impact characters. This innovative style combines anime's signature expressiveness with a tilted 3D view, allowing you to craft miniature worlds teeming with personality.

Xiao gazing at a ‘Sea of Lights’, by Bigmouth on HoYoLAB

2. Pixel Art

Pixel art can offer a certain amount of nostalgic feel which aptly complements the world of Teyvat. It also provides space for detailed characters and charming environments.

Yao-Yao by Inês on HoYoLAB

3. Ukiyo-e Style

Evoking a sense of classic Japanese art can make the Genshin Impact characters and scenes look bold and dramatic.

Kaedehara Kazuha by OrexisCluster on HoYoLAB

Give Genshin Impact Characters a Completely New Identity

Ever thought that Genshin’s characters deserve more than just epic battles? Sure, the combat is thrilling, but what truly captivates players are the characters themselves. These quirky, dream-chasing folks are bursting with personality.

And if you’re stuck on Genshin Impact fanart ideas, this is exactly where you should start. Look at your favorite character’s strengths and imagine how these could translate into actual, modern-day jobs!

What if Jean, the meticulous healer with a herbalist’s heart, turns up as a Michelin chef? Or Bennett, with his unwavering optimism, nudges others towards their dreams as a motivational speaker?

The possibilities are endless. Need more inspiration? Check out the Genshin Impact fanart entries for the Hoyofair Teyvat Fashion Carnival Event  — it’s pure genius!

1. Ayaka performing rhythmic gymnastics

The Cryo queen, usually reserved, has a playful glint in her eyes as she pirouettes with a ribbon. The final note? A serene pose.

Ayaka as a gymnast by cla00 on HoYoLAB

2. Xianyun as a Pilot, and Ganyu as an Air Hostess

All Travelers can surely imagine Xianling, in a sharp pilot’s uniform, confidently steering the vessel and soaring through the clouds. She is accompanied by another Liyue favorite, Ganyu, ready to take to the skies.

Ganyu and Xianyun as the Air Hostess-Pilot duo by Raquel (Rei Rei) on HoYoLAB

3. Professional tennis players, Kamisato Ayaka and Kamisato Ayato

What if the sibling rivalry unfolds on a tennis court? Ayaka, with her unwavering focus, and opposite her, Ayato, with a playful smirk. Their competition would be a must-watch!

Kamisata Ayaka and Kamisata Ayato as professional tennis players by Costious on HoYoLAB

Creating New Storylines Between Characters

Travelers like us have a secret weapon that trumps even the most powerful Visions: our imagination. Fan art isn’t just about capturing Teyvat’s beauty; it’s about unlocking untold stories. It becomes a portal, allowing players to explore the many “what ifs'' between characters. And you can even break down the boundaries between universes with your Genshin Impact fanart!

Take the “Gambling Partners” created by Reddit user junebuart as an example. The fanart  presents a surprising crossover between Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. The piece features Yelan, with her signature dice, and Aventurine (from Honkai), with his iconic ace of spades, both known for their fondness for gambling.

Curious to see more? Here are some examples of Genshin Impact fanart that either reimagines or dives deeper into character relationships:

1. Baby Ganyu and Xianyun

This artist was inspired by a video featuring Baby Ganyu and decided to draw this Genshin Impact fanart that shows her with Xianyun — this is a story worthy of a whole lore of its own!

Baby Ganyu by kiranara on HoYoLAB

2. Zhongli and Xiao, the Father-Son Equation

If Ganyu and Xianyun share an actual mother-daughter relationship, the one between Zhongli and Xiao is purely imagined in the world of Genshin Impact fanart — but it’s highly celebrated too. This artist decided to create a comic which proves why this equation must be explored.

Zhongli and Xiao by Pun_Rii on HoYoLAB

Experiment with Different Materials to Create Your own Fanart

Don’t limit yourself to digital art. Traditional mediums can also breathe new life into your Genshin Impact fanart. Watercolors, for instance, capture the ethereal beauty of Teyvat’s landscapes with a soft touch, perfect for rendering your characters with a gentle glow.  Imagine Mondstadt's vibrant hues or Liyue's dramatic mountains in swirling washes.

Look at Frey Leong’s watercolor rendition of Chongyun for example.

chongyun fanart by frey leong on HoYoLab

For a truly special touch, you can level up your Genshin Impact fanart with embroidery. Picture  meticulously stitching the intricate details of Zhongli’s attire, just like Kucrafts did with Geo Daddy here.

Geo Daddy fanart by Kucrafts on HoYoLab

Embroidery allows for incredible detail and a textural depth that digital art may not be able to replicate.

The methods are nearly endless, Travelers! Sculpt your favorite characters with polymer clay, experiment with vibrant pastels, or even add depth to your digital art with textured brushes.

3 Tips on Creating a Stunning Genshin Impact Fanart

Come Up with an Intriguing Concept

An intriguing and unique concept can help your work grab attention and stand out from the vast sea of character portraits and action sketches. Depict a rarely explored moment from a character’s backstory or showcase them in an unexpected situation.

Make sure that the concept you’ve chosen can pique the viewer’s interest and invite them to delve a little deeper. Your concepts can also be strong, even exploring deeper into the characters’ lives and emotions.

You can show them struggling with an inner conflict or in a pivotal moment, but with a new perspective. This depth adds layers of meaning to your Genshin Impact fanart. Symbolism and metaphor can also be used to convey a complex idea and anchor your storytelling.

Remember that a well-crafted concept will always resonate with other fans.

Acquire Basic Painting Skills

While passion for your favorite characters and stories is a great starting point, building strong artistic skills and understanding art fundamentals can take your Genshin Impact fanart to the next level.

Grasping fundamentals like anatomy, form, and perspective allows you to accurately depict characters and their actions.

Understanding composition – how elements are arranged – helps you create visually engaging pieces. You can use the leading lines to draw the viewer’s eye to a character or use color theory to create a mood that reflects your theory.

Even if you’re aiming for a stylized look, a grasp of the fundamentals give you a baseline to work from. You can then tweak it to create your artistic vision.

Pick the Right Tools to Refine Your Fanart

Selecting the right tools can seamlessly enhance your workflow. Different tools have unique strengths.

Digital painting software lets you experiment with layer blending and lighting effects that would be difficult traditionally. With graphic design programs, you can create fun layouts for your fanart too.

If choosing the traditional medium, think of whether you’d want the expressive lines that you can get with a brush and ink, or the soft, blended tones achievable with pastels.

Make sure you’re working with the right type of paper too. For example, smooth Bristol paper is ideal for sharp lines and detailed work with pens or markers, while textured watercolor paper can handle washes and wet-on-wet techniques beautifully.

If you prefer digital art, consider a drawing tablet with an intuitive interface that minimizes distractions. Ideally, it should have a pressure-sensitive pen that mimics the tilt of a real brush for expressive lines and smooth transitions. A handy dial for zooming and scrolling can further streamline your process.

These features can actually be found in XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro, allowing you to focus on creating truly stunning Genshin Impact fanart. While exploring options, prioritize tools that align with your artistic needs, enabling you to bring your vision to life effortlessly.

FAQs on Genshin Impact Fanart

1. What Art Style is Genshin Impact?

Genshin Impact forgoes photorealism for a vibrant anime aesthetic. Cell-shading and bold colors pop, while clean lines ensure characters and landscapes shine with a polished, cartoonish charm.

2. Where Can I Find More Genshin Impact Fanart?

The most common spaces for finding Genshin Impact fanart are HoYoLAB, pixiv, and Reddit's r/Genshin_Impact. You can also find these on Behance and Deviantart.

3. Which Genshin Impact Characters Have the Most Fanart Available?

Venti, Xiao, Aether, Lumine, Jean, and Furina are some of the characters that feature frequently in fan art. Usually, characters with visually appealing designs, strong personalities, and high meta relevancy shoot up in popularity when it comes to fan art.

Conclusion

You’ve now learned almost every secret to spark your creativity and make phenomenal Genshin Impact fanart. Remember, the beauty of fanart lies in adding your unique touch. Don’t be afraid to experiment with artistic styles, reimagine character identities, or craft new storylines.

Feeling inspired? The Hoyofair Teyvat Fashion Carnival Event is brimming with fan art showcasing characters in modern-day professions — check it out and submit your entries too!

Though some drawing ideas are shared in this passage, creators from Xppen do believe that there’s no single “right” way to create fanart. Explore different mediums, try out new materials, and most importantly, have fun!