Painting with Paper by Yulia Brodskaya

Paper portraits

This artist, based in the United Kingdom, creates large-scale portraits that she describes as “painting with paper.”

Her signature technique is a contemporary form of quilling.

That process involves the artist bending, folding, and creating spiral strips of colored paper to use in the artwork.

Instead of filling each space with a high density of paper strips, Brodskaya incorporates flat background color fields between textural elements to create a unique multimedia piece.

It Took the Artist 12 Years to Develop This Technique

Brodskaya still creates paper artwork even with her two-part technique.

The inclusion of additional elements creates dramatic shadows and shapes that immediately draw the attention of the viewer.

The artist is originally from Moscow, but she moved to the United Kingdom in 2004 to continue her education at the University of Hertfordshire.

She holds a graduate degree in Graphics Communication.

Her innovative approach to paper art involves gluing the edges of each piece to the final display.

You can also find typography in many of her works, which is a form of creativity that she calls her “second love.”

This unique approach earned Brodskaya the Breakthrough Artist of the Year award by Creative in 2009.

Her Work Has Reached the Mainstream

Brodskaya might be known for her “painting with paper” technique for her original pieces, but the signature designs have caught the attention of the rest of the world too.

She created the official poster for The Wimbledon Championships in 2015.

Brodskaya was asked to create a large piece for the clubhouse the next year as well.

The United States Postal Service commissioned her to create one of their Forever Stamp® designs.

A Christmas commission from the New Zealand Post features her work as well.

If you want to get to know the artist more and learn about her techniques, she has a book called Painting with Paper releasing in September 2019.

It is not a collection of DIY projects like other artists create.

She calls it an insight into her creative process, sharing tips with how to use her methods using one’s own creativity.

You can connect with Brodskaya’s work on YouTube.