Posted on Oct 8, 2013

30 Painfully Talented Artists You Should Follow On Pixiv

Japan's largest social network for artists is a bonanza for charming cartoons and swooping fantasy illustrations.

BuzzFeed Staff

With 5 million members and 29 million artworks, Pixiv is probably the largest artists' social network you haven't heard of yet. The online gallery was founded in Shibuya, Tokyo, and only launched its English and international version in 2011. In 2009, Pixiv held its first convention in Japan. It also has its own quarterly magazine. In other words, it's a lot like DeviantArt — with the house style skewing towards mindbogglingly elaborate citycapes and wistful anime naifs instead of DeviantART's cyberpunk and goth obsession. There's a lot of generic high school doodling, sure, but there's also (as you'll see below) disgustingly talented artists that will make your face collapse and your spleen explode.