Francesca Buchko Watercolors Jaime Lannister, Carl Sagan Inspiration And Adorable Firebenders [Art]

Digital color can really pop on the page, but watercolor has a transporting quality. The play of texture and light can do a lot capture the mood of a piece, whether it's a portrait, a storybook scene or a moody cityscape. Francesca Buchko enhances her line art with both digital and watercolor, lending just the right tone to everything from fanart to Sunday bicycle rides to quiet architectural scenes. Plus, she transforms Avatar: The Last Airbender's Iroh and Zuko into an adorable dog and kitten.

Buchko works as a freelance illustrator as well as for the design firm Paper Bicycle. Amidst her fan art and other ink and watercolor scenes, her blog includes some rather charming patterns, most of which have me craving sweets. Like so many illustrators, Buchko makes perfectly lovely fanart, but is at her best when creating original work, and Buchko's original illustrations are just delightfully cozy. They contain the comforts of a familiar apartment, a night spent curled under a blanket while watching the snow fall, a weekend ritual spent with family. I do love that Avatar piece, though.

You can see more of Buchko's artwork (including her patterns and sketchbook pages) at her blog and her Tumblr.