Lexis Vanhecke is a 23-year-old Ohio woman whose drawings have been going super viral on TikTok.
So, what kind of drawings does Lexis do? She reimagines Disney characters in an edgy (and some would argue sexy!) way. Here, take a look at her interpretation of Aladdin โ which has over 16 million views on TikTok:
Here is the before and after:
It's pretty obvious in the comments that people think the makeover is HOT:
Lexis โ who recently graduated with a BFA in fine art and painting โ told BuzzFeed that she is actually an oil painter who has been experimenting with digital art. "I downloaded the application Procreate and started making portraits on there before coming up with the idea to insert a picture and draw on top of it. I've always loved Disney, so I decided to give that a try. Other creators also had the idea to give a makeover to Disney characters, so I wanted to put my own personal spin on it. Although the other accounts I've seen have definitely given stylish makeovers, I've never seen anyone put an edgy spin on the characters, so I decided that would be my thing," she explained.
"When it comes to whether or not I consider my characters 'sexy,' well, it depends. I remake the characters in a way that I, personally, find fun and stylish. I do have a lot of children following me, so I don't want them to get too risquรฉ. But, it depends on how you look at it! A lot of my adult viewers do find the beards, piercings, and tattoos sexy! However, my drawings aren't so sexy that they would be considered inappropriate," she said.
Lexis said she thinks people love her videos because she is merging both fashion and art. "When I begin a video, I don't have an end goal in mind. I think up the makeover as I go. So, in a way, it's a surprise for me to see the end result as well, which is super fun!"
"People can see their beloved characters as they would look in a different time or place, and I think the curiosity of seeing more characters is what keeps them coming back and following my account," she added.
Most of Lexis's drawing videos have millions of views. "Something that I think has helped my videos go viral is that I make the entire video an experience, not just the 'before and after.' I try to make my artistic strokes go along with the music, and I make it satisfying to watch the entire way through," she said.
Here's her take on an edgy Moana:
Lexis has also created gothic versions of Disney characters:
Here's a look at her goth Snow White:
