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My entry for the Recraft x Contra Archive Style Challenge. I picked J. J. Grandville, a French artist who back in 1829 drew Parisians with animal heads. He was way ahead of his time, the Surrealists later called him one of their own. I always like turning things into a system, so I thought it would be fun to make a game out of it: Qui suis-je?, where you stick a card on your forehead and guess who you are, with 27 modern types from the crypto bro bull to the kangaroo sneakerhead. Recraft draws in his style surprisingly well, I really enjoyed working with it. Thanks Recraft for the challenge, hugs to everyone!
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What if the Old Masters designed sportswear?
While taking part in the Recraft contest, I started thinking about how to mix classical painting with modern brands. I experimented with 18th–19th-century oil painting aesthetics and thought: why not take this idea further and create an entire sportswear brand around it?
Classic art, modern athletes, contemporary fashion. A little unexpected? Maybe. But that's what makes it fun! So, I created a sportswear brand concept that brings these two worlds together. The result is right below 👇
Recraft project: https://www.recraft.ai/project/ae17a521-566c-457e-9482-d4b94157111f
Archive references:
Sick art direction
7:30 a.m. First coffee. Same ritual, every single day.
Some people have a sweet tooth. I have a coffee tooth. And while the kettle boils, I usually catch myself daydreaming about the same place: Japan, a trip I’ve wanted to take for years.
For this challenge, I brought the two together. Digging through public domain archives, I found Japanese woodblock prints with rolling waves, round windows, cherry blossoms and graceful women drawn in a few calm, confident lines. I turned them into a custom Recraft Style and gave it a brief no Edo-era print shop could have imagined: a modern café, with takeaway cups, delivery bags, loyalty cards and an ordering app.
The café is called Mado, “window” in Japanese: a small window to slow down in a busy day. Its barista, also Mado, wears an indigo wave apron, a round-window hairpin and wireless earbuds. She remembers your oat milk order, protects the window seats from video calls, and believes every laptop should close when the cake arrives.
Old prints, new rituals. My entry for the Contra × Recraft Archive Style Challenge.
This is beautiful Sofiia! Love how you turned your daily coffee ritual + Japan daydream into a full brand concept. The MADO packaging with that Japanese illustration style is so warm and nostalgic. Coffee tooth is real! ☕️ Hope you get to Japan soon!
Which one you guys prefer.
A or B
I used recraft.ai today, and I have to say it’s the best AI tool for cohesive, pleasing designs. From just a prompt, I got such clear visuals. I was amazed! Check this out- this is my creation for a collection I’m working on.
3 voted
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8 votes
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