Svetlana Molodchenko — Medieval Illumination Illustrator

Looking at Svetlana Molodchenko’s artwork is like stepping back to a long-lost era of finery and grandeur – a Renaissance painting, a medieval cathedral or perhaps even an Ancient Greek villa. Rich in detail but with a light touch, there’s a sense of craft and luxury in everything she draws.

Svetlana has vast experience working in the creative industries as a graphic designer but her passion for illustration, illumination and calligraphy is what drives her. Book covers, packaging, home décor – clients come to her for a whole range of projects requiring ultra-premium treatment. From the mosaics of Byzantium to heraldic engravings and on to Celtic illuminations like The Book of Kells, inspiration steps out of the mists of time. Svetlana’s dedication to accuracy, which includes deadlines, will astound you.

Approach

You won’t find an artist with a process more authentic than Svetlana’s. She creates everything by hand using traditional materials – paper, parchment, watercolours, sheet and shell gold, silverpoint, brushes and nibs. Her paints are made with natural pigment, and every detail is considered from the earliest sketches. By glazing her watercolours with translucent layers, she builds volume with each stroke to capture the effect of medieval lighting. To process images and prepare final files for clients she uses the Adobe software package: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign.

Style

Whether it’s truly traditional or infused with modern themes, each illustration Svetlana creates is delicate and sophisticated. The beauty and the grace of the past, alive again in the modern world.

Client list

Her clients include American Greetings, Williams-Sonoma, Harrods, Havas Lynx Group, ARK Playing Cards, ARTiSTORY brands, JKS Restaurants, Le Trapp, Andreas Oster Winery, Belle Meade Winery, Impression Originale, Monnickendam Diamonds Ltd, Earth London, Conversation Tree Press, FairyLoot Books, Erewhon Books, The Story of Emily Ltd.