This is my entry for @mae_illustrator’s Winter DTIYS 2026 ❄️🕊️
I was immediately drawn to the calm, wintry atmosphere of her original illustration and to this gentle OC who finds comfort in snow and her bird companions. There’s something very quiet and reflective about her that I wanted to preserve while translating the piece into my own style.
For my version, I focused on soft motion and texture — the feeling of cold air moving around her, the birds acting almost like a protective presence, and that moment of stillness you get when winter goes quiet. I kept her recognizable while leaning into painterly strokes and expressive color to give the piece a slightly dreamlike quality.
Created digitally in Procreate on iPad Pro.
