Top 19 'Lore-Weaving' Folkloric Art Styles to try for illustrators creating modern myths in 2025 - Goh Ling Yong
Hey fellow creators, ever feel that spark? That deep-seated urge not just to draw a character, but to build their entire world? To create a story that feels like it’s been whispered down through generations, even if it was only born in your sketchbook yesterday? If so, you're not just an illustrator. You’re a lore-weaver, a modern-day myth-maker.
In our hyper-digital world, there’s a growing hunger for stories with soul, for myths that feel both fresh and ancient. As artists, we have the incredible power to answer that call. But how do we infuse our digital canvases with the weight of history and the magic of folklore? We look to the masters of visual storytelling who came before us. We tap into the rich, diverse wellspring of folkloric art styles from around the globe.
These styles are more than just aesthetics; they are visual languages perfected over centuries to convey epic tales, intricate beliefs, and cultural identity. By understanding and adapting them, we can give our own modern myths an unforgettable texture and depth. So, grab your stylus or your favorite pencil, and let’s explore 19 lore-weaving art styles that will supercharge your creative world-building in 2025.
1. Japanese Ukiyo-e (Pictures of the Floating World)
Originating in Japan's Edo period, Ukiyo-e woodblock prints are masters of dynamic composition and narrative efficiency. Characterized by bold, black outlines, areas of flat, vibrant color, and a unique approach to perspective, this style can capture everything from a fleeting emotional moment to a cataclysmic battle with incredible grace and energy. Think of Hokusai’s "The Great Wave" – it’s not just a picture of water; it’s the raw power of nature captured in ink.
For the modern myth-maker, Ukiyo-e is a perfect tool for creating action-packed scenes or striking character portraits. The style forces you to be economical with your lines, making every mark count. It’s about finding the essential gesture or expression that tells the whole story. Imagine depicting a duel between cyber-samurai or a pensive god overlooking a neon city, all with the elegant flow and graphic impact of a classic woodblock print.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Use Ukiyo-e’s "cut-off" compositions (where figures or objects are partially cropped by the frame) to create a sense of a larger, ongoing world. Experiment with digital brushes that mimic the texture of woodblock printing to add an authentic feel.
2. Celtic Knotwork & Illumination
If your world is steeped in intricate magic, ancient lineages, or cyclical nature, the Celtic style is your go-to. Known for its endless, looping knots (interlace), stylized animal forms (zoomorphics), and spirals, this art form is deeply symbolic. The unbroken lines represent eternity, loyalty, and the interconnectedness of all things – a powerful visual metaphor for any complex magic system or sprawling family tree.
Look to historical sources like The Book of Kells. It’s not just text; it's a sacred object where every swirl and beast has a meaning. You can use this style to design magical artifacts, intricate tattoos for your characters, or decorative borders that subtly tell a story about the world’s creation myth. The sheer density of detail invites the viewer to look closer and get lost in your world.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Start with a simple concept (e.g., two dragons, a tree, a sword) and build the knotwork around it. Focus on the flow and rhythm of the lines rather than perfect realism. This style is fantastic for designing logos or faction symbols in your universe.
3. Norse & Viking Runic Styles (e.g., Urnes)
For myths that are epic, gritty, and raw, look to the art of the Vikings. Styles like the Urnes style are characterized by tightly interlaced, stylized animals—often serpents or dragons—with elongated bodies and a powerful, dynamic flow. This isn't cute or decorative; it's visceral and energetic, carved into runestones and longships to tell tales of gods, monsters, and heroes.
This art style is perfect for conveying a world shaped by conflict, fate, and primal forces. Use it to design the carvings on a hero’s axe, the prow of a star-faring vessel, or the magical sigils that bind a great beast. The strong, geometric, and almost chaotic energy of Viking art can make your world feel ancient, dangerous, and profoundly alive.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Focus on asymmetry and tension. The creatures in Norse art are always in motion, biting and struggling. Use a limited color palette (stone, wood, blood-red) to enhance the raw, elemental feel.
4. Art Nouveau
Emerging at the turn of the 20th century, Art Nouveau is the art of elegant fantasy. Inspired by the organic, flowing forms of nature—think vines, flower petals, and insect wings—it’s defined by its whiplash curves and graceful asymmetry. Artists like Alphonse Mucha used it to elevate everyday advertisements into something ethereal and god-like.
Art Nouveau is the perfect language for myths about nature spirits, Fae courts, or elegant, god-like beings. Its flowing lines are ideal for illustrating magical energies, luscious environments, or characters with long, flowing hair and robes that seem to merge with the world around them. It lends an instant air of romance, mystique, and otherworldly beauty to any illustration.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Let your line work "grow" organically across the page. Frame your characters with intricate floral or natural motifs that reflect their personality or powers. A muted, sophisticated color palette often works best.
5. Mesoamerican Codex Style (Aztec/Mayan)
To create a sense of a lost, powerful civilization, the Mesoamerican codex style is unparalleled. Seen in ancient painted books, this style uses bold, black outlines, flat and symbolic color areas, and highly stylized figures, often shown in profile. It's a pictographic language where every element, from a feathered headdress to the position of a hand, is packed with meaning.
This is a fantastic style for creating prophecy scrolls, temple murals, or historical records within your fictional world. It gives your lore a sense of authenticity and historical weight. Imagine illustrating your world’s pantheon of gods or a key historical event in this powerful, graphic style. It forces you to think symbolically and create a visual shorthand for your world's most important concepts.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Develop a consistent "glyph" system for recurring elements in your story (e.g., magic, death, royalty). Study the use of color in Mayan murals—specific colors were often tied to specific directions, gods, or concepts.
6. Ancient Egyptian Papyrus Art
Instantly recognizable and iconic, Ancient Egyptian art is all about order, divinity, and the eternal. Its "composite" view of figures (profile head, frontal eye and torso, profile limbs) was a way to show the body in its most complete, ideal form. The use of registers (horizontal lines to separate scenes) and hieroglyphs creates a structured, narrative flow that is perfect for telling a grand, linear story.
Use this style to depict the deeds of gods, the judgment of souls, or the founding of an ancient dynasty in your world. The rigid structure and symbolic nature of the art lend an immense sense of authority and timelessness to your lore. It feels less like a snapshot and more like an eternal, unchanging truth.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Pay attention to scale. In Egyptian art, the most important figures (pharaohs, gods) are drawn larger than others. This is a simple but powerful tool for establishing hierarchy in your own compositions.
7. Persian Miniatures
If your myth is a rich, detailed epic filled with romance, poetry, and intricate courtly life, the Persian miniature style is a treasure trove of inspiration. These small, jewel-like paintings are known for their incredible detail, vibrant colors made from ground minerals and plants, and a flattened, "bird's-eye" perspective that allows every element of the scene to be seen clearly.
This style is perfect for illustrating crowded festival scenes, lush garden encounters, or complex battlefields where you want the viewer to see everything at once. It’s a storyteller’s dream, allowing you to pack immense amounts of narrative information into a single image without it feeling cluttered. The focus is on beauty, pattern, and clarity of story.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Don't be afraid to flatten your perspective. Tilt the "ground plane" up so you can see every character and object. Fill the space with intricate patterns on clothing, architecture, and landscapes.
8. Slavic Folk Art (Palekh/Khokhloma)
Drawing from a deep well of fairy tales (skazki), Slavic folk art is vibrant, magical, and full of life. Styles like Palekh (miniature painting on black lacquer boxes) and Khokhloma (vivid floral and animal designs on wood) are known for their bright, swirling colors, gold highlights, and fantastical creatures like the Firebird.
This is the perfect style for creating whimsical, magical, and slightly dark fairy tales. The high contrast of bright colors on a dark background gives illustrations a dreamlike, glowing quality. Use it to depict enchanted forests, talking animals, and quests for magical items. The style has an inherent warmth and charm that makes even the darkest woods feel enchanted.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Use flowing, calligraphic lines to define your shapes. Don't be shy with gold paint or its digital equivalent to make magical elements pop. Focus on motifs like swirling leaves, berries, and birds to fill your compositions.
9. Indian Madhubani Painting
Hailing from the Mithila region of India, Madhubani is a striking folk art style traditionally done by women on the walls of their homes. It’s characterized by complex geometric patterns, bold outlines (often double-lined), and flat, bright colors. Figures are stylized, often in profile with large, prominent eyes, and there is no empty space—every inch is filled with patterns of flowers, animals, or geometric shapes.
This style is fantastic for creating myths that are deeply connected to nature, community, and divinity. The "horror vacui" (fear of empty space) approach means you can embed layers of symbolism and story into every corner of your illustration. It’s perfect for creating a tapestry-like image that tells a complete, multifaceted story.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Plan your composition around a central figure or event, then fill the surrounding space with symbolic patterns and creatures that add context and meaning. Use a pen or fine-liner to create the intricate linework before adding color.
10. Indonesian Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppet) Style
Wayang Kulit is the art of the shadow puppet, and its visual style is built for drama and character. The puppets are intricately carved leather figures with elongated limbs, stylized features, and highly detailed costumes, all designed to cast a compelling shadow. The heroes are often depicted as graceful and refined, while villains and demons are more grotesque and monstrous.
This style is a goldmine for character design. Thinking about your characters as silhouettes first is a powerful design principle, and Wayang Kulit is the ultimate expression of that. Use its exaggerated proportions and intricate details to design gods, demons, heroes, and tricksters that are instantly readable and full of personality, even from a distance.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Design your characters in profile view. Exaggerate their most prominent features to define their archetype. Think about what parts you could "cut out" to let light through, even in a 2D illustration, to create a sense of delicate detail.
11. Aboriginal Australian Dot Painting
This sacred and deeply symbolic art form is one of the oldest continuous art traditions in the world. Using dots, lines, and circles, artists depict stories of the Dreamtime—the creation of the world, the ancestors, and the laws of nature. From an aerial perspective, they map the land and its spiritual significance.
While it's crucial to approach this style with cultural respect and not appropriate sacred stories, you can be inspired by its core principles. The idea of using abstract patterns and a "map-like" perspective to tell a creation myth or a character's spiritual journey is incredibly powerful. It shifts the focus from literal representation to conveying a deeper feeling or concept.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Think about the "story" of a landscape in your world. How can you represent a river, a mountain range, or a sacred site using only dots, circles, and lines? Use a limited, earthy color palette to evoke a connection to the land.
12. Medieval European Woodcuts
Before mass printing, the woodcut was a primary method of illustration. This relief printing technique results in a style that is bold, graphic, and often raw. It’s characterized by thick, strong lines, high contrast between black and white, and a certain charming "crudeness" that gives it a powerful, historical feel.
If your myth is gritty, grounded in a historical-fantasy setting, or has elements of horror, the woodcut style is perfect. It’s great for creating bestiary pages, wanted posters, or illustrations for a commoner's book of fables. The style's inherent imperfections and bold texture make your world feel tangible and lived-in.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: In digital art, use a hard, textured brush and focus only on black and white. Think in terms of shapes and negative space. How can you tell a story with the simplest, boldest marks possible?
13. Byzantine Iconography
Byzantine icons were not meant to be realistic portraits but "windows into heaven." This sacred art is defined by its solemn, elongated figures, the use of gold leaf backgrounds to represent the divine realm, a reverse perspective that brings the image out to the viewer, and a highly symbolic language of gestures and colors.
This style is ideal for creating a pantheon of gods or depicting saints and legendary figures from your world's history. The goal is not realism but to convey a sense of awe, reverence, and otherworldly power. Using the conventions of iconography can make your fictional deities feel truly ancient and divine.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Use a lot of gold (or a warm yellow/orange) in the background. Keep figures frontal and expressions serene or solemn. Research the traditional meanings of colors (e.g., blue for divinity, red for humanity/sacrifice) and create your own symbolic color system.
14. Haida Formline Art (Pacific Northwest)
Developed by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Formline is a complex and sophisticated art style. It’s defined by continuous, flowing lines (formlines) that swell and taper to create highly stylized creatures, primarily in black and red. Key shapes include ovoids (for eyes and joints) and U-forms, which are assembled to create animals like ravens, bears, and whales.
This strong, graphic style is perfect for myths centered on animal spirits, transformation, and genealogy. Use it to design totems, crests for different clans or factions, or illustrations where the spiritual and physical worlds intertwine. The way forms fit together like a puzzle is a beautiful metaphor for a world where everything is connected.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Practice drawing the basic components: the ovoid and the U-form. The main "formlines" are typically black, with secondary details in red. Think about deconstructing an animal into its essential symbolic shapes and then reassembling them within a defined space.
15. Chinese Ink Wash Painting (Shanshui)
Less about depicting a literal place and more about capturing its spirit or "qi," Chinese ink wash painting is a masterclass in minimalism and atmosphere. Using a brush, ink, and water on paper, artists create vast landscapes, misty mountains, and delicate bamboo with just a few expressive strokes. The empty space (negative space) is just as important as the painted areas.
This is the perfect style for establishing the mood and environment of your world. If your story involves long journeys, solitary contemplation, or the overwhelming power and beauty of nature, ink wash is your language. It’s not about rendering every leaf, but about conveying the feeling of a mountain or the movement of the wind.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Limit your palette. Try working in monochrome to focus on value, tone, and brushwork. Embrace "happy accidents" as the ink and water bleed and blend. The philosophy of this style can teach us so much, something we often discuss on the Goh Ling Yong blog.
16. African Batik
Batik is a wax-resist dyeing technique found in many parts of the world, but with an incredibly rich tradition in Africa. The artist applies wax to cloth, dyes it, and then removes the wax. The characteristic "crackle" effect where the dye seeps through cracks in the wax gives it a unique texture. The designs often feature symbolic patterns and scenes from community life and nature.
The visual style of batik—with its bold shapes, vibrant color layering, and organic crackle texture—can be beautifully simulated in digital art. It’s a wonderful choice for stories that celebrate community, the natural world, and the vibrancy of life. The texture alone adds a layer of warmth and handcrafted soul to any piece.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Work in layers, from light colors to dark. Use a "crackle" texture brush or overlay to simulate the batik effect. Create simplified, bold shapes for your main subjects to make them stand out against the detailed background.
17. Mexican Otomi Embroidery Style
Originating from the Otomí people of Central Mexico, this style is pure joy and vibrancy. It features densely packed, brightly colored figures—often stylized, symmetrical animals and plants—that tell stories of the natural and spiritual world. The designs have a flat, graphic quality and a happy, energetic rhythm.
Use this style to create myths about a world teeming with life, where the animal and plant kingdoms are sacred and full of magical creatures. It’s perfect for creation myths, stories about nature deities, or simply to create a piece of art that feels celebratory and full of positive energy.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Embrace symmetry in your character and creature designs. Don't be afraid to use a wild, non-realistic color palette—blue deer, pink rabbits, rainbow birds! The story is told through the interaction of the figures, filling the space in a harmonious dance.
18. Art Deco
The style of the Roaring Twenties and ‘30s, Art Deco is the folklore of the machine age. It’s characterized by strong symmetry, bold geometric shapes, sharp lines, and a sense of luxury and technological optimism. Think of the Chrysler Building or the posters for Fritz Lang's Metropolis. It's the visual language of industry, progress, and man-made gods.
Art Deco is the ultimate style for creating myths about modern or futuristic societies. Are there gods of electricity, steel, and information in your world? Design them with the sleek, powerful, and symmetrical lines of Art Deco. It's perfect for depicting grand cities, powerful technology, or myths that explore the tension between humanity and its own creations.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Use strong vertical lines to create a sense of height and power. Incorporate repeating geometric patterns like zig-zags, sunbursts, and chevrons. A limited color palette with metallic highlights (gold, silver, bronze) works wonders.
19. American Folk Art / Primitive Style
American Folk Art is characterized by a charming disregard for realistic perspective and proportion. It’s the art of self-taught creators telling stories of their daily lives, beliefs, and communities. The style is often flat, colorful, and focused on narrative clarity above all else. There's an honesty and directness to it that is incredibly appealing.
This style is perfect for creating "homespun" myths—local legends, tall tales, or stories passed down within a small community in your world. It gives your lore a feeling of authenticity and groundedness, as if it were created by the very people living in your fictional world, not by an omniscient narrator. As Goh Ling Yong himself might say, sometimes the most powerful stories are the most simply told.
- Lore-Weaving Tip: Forget the rules of perspective. Flatten the space and arrange objects and characters based on their importance to the story. Use simple shapes and bright, clear colors. Focus on the details of everyday life—the patterns on a quilt, the tools in a workshop—to make your world feel real.
Weave Your Own Legend
There you have it—19 visual languages ready to be learned, adapted, and woven into your own unique myths. The goal isn't to perfectly replicate these styles, but to understand their core principles and borrow their power to tell your own stories.
What happens when you combine the dynamic composition of Ukiyo-e with the geometric futurism of Art Deco? Or the intricate symbolism of Celtic knotwork with the raw energy of the Viking style? The possibilities are endless. These historical styles are a toolkit, not a rulebook.
So go forth and create. Be a lore-weaver. Build worlds that feel new yet timeless, and craft images that don't just show a story, but feel like a piece of its history.
What's your favorite folkloric art style? Are there any you'd add to the list? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and if you create an illustration inspired by this post, be sure to tag us on social media—we'd love to see the myths you're making!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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