The Vibrant World of Bubblegum Digi Art Taking Over Social Media

The Rising Popularity of Bubblegum Digi Art

Bubblegum digi art has exploded in popularity on social media lately, especially on platforms like TikTok. Often referred to as "bubblegumcore," this artistic style features bright pinks, blues, and purples blended together to create a unique retro, yet futuristic aesthetic. Let's take a closer look at what defines bubblegum digi and what's behind its viral status.

What is Bubblegum Digi Art?

Bubblegum digi art is a subculture of digital art that revolves around vibrant cartoonish themes and exaggerated colors. The color palette tends to consist of various shades of pink, blue, purple, mint, and white. The artwork has an upbeat, positive vibe and features subjects like space, fantasy creatures, landscapes, anime characters, and pop culture icons.

The term "bubblegum" comes from the bright pink bubblegum shades that are commonly used. "Digi" refers to the fact that the art is created digitally, often using digital painting apps and styluses on devices like tablets and smartphones.

Bubblegum digi art has a distinctive look that sets it apart from other art styles. Some of the key features include:

• Bright, saturated colors
• Soft gradients
• Simple, cartoonish subjects
• Smooth, airbrushed textures
• Fantastical, dreamy landscapes
• Sparkles and starry textures

The style evokes feelings of optimism, magic, and childlike wonder. It's meant to transport viewers into a fun, positive world.

The Origins of Bubblegum Digi

Bubblegum digi started gaining traction in the early 2010s. It grew out of vaporwave, an electronic music and visual art subculture with nostalgic 80s and 90s themes. Vaporwave incorporated bright Miami Vice-style colors along with retro anime and video game graphics.

As digital art and design software became more advanced and accessible, artists began experimenting with creating increasingly vibrant, stylized digital paintings and animations. The bubblegum digi aesthetic grew organically from these origins.

Some key artists who paved the way for the bubblegum digi style include:

• Griffinilla - A digital artist known for anime-inspired illustrations with bright, contrasting colors
• Marina Amaral - Creates vivid colorized historical photos
• Ashley Mary - Renowned for airbrushed fantasy photo manipulations with pink and blue hues
• Jonathan Jay Lee - Digital painter who popularized sparkly, holographic textures

These artists demonstrated the potential of creating stunning, otherworldly art digitally. Their influence helped bubblegum digi gain momentum as a distinctive aesthetic.

Bubblegum Digi Goes Viral on Social Media

In the last few years, bubblegum digi has exploded on social media, especially Instagram, Tumblr, and TikTok. Young artists are embracing the style to create original illustrations, photo edits, animations, and more. #Bubblegumdigi yields over 11 million views on TikTok, showing the viral popularity of the aesthetic.

So what explains the sudden viral status of bubblegum digi online? A few key factors contributed to its rise:

• Nostalgia - Post-ironic millennials and Gen Z feel a sense of nostalgia for the bright, kitschy 90s and Y2K aesthetics that bubblegum digi evokes.
• Escapism - The fantastical, upbeat themes provide an escape from modern realities and negativity.
• Creativity - Digital art tools enable new creative possibilities for bringing the bubblegum vision to life.
• Community - Online artist communities band together around the hashtag, empowering one another to create.

In many ways, the art form represents a generation's vision for a more hopeful, connected, and imaginative future. The explosion of bubblegum digi online shows that this resonates widely among young demographics.

Notable Bubblegum Digi Artists on Social Media

Many brilliant artists are taking the bubblegum digi style to new heights on social media. Here are a few standout accounts to check out:

• @mochi.s.art - TikTok artist with 6.9M followers. Creates original anime/Harajuku-inspired illustrations with soft pastel and neon accents.
• @artxmina - An Instagram artist known for colorful digital portraits and photo manipulations with bubblegum tones.
• @hawfdraws - TikTokker and Twitch streamer who makes videos of her process drawing fantasy characters and creatures in a bubbly style.
• @baguettegirl - Popular for nostalgic 90s/Y2K-inspired animations with a vaporwave vibe.
• @miel.bee - An illustrator who combines minimalist fashion drawings with soft bubblegum colors.

These artists demonstrate the diversity and creative potential within the bubblegum digi niche. Their content ranges from original illustrations to photo manipulations, animations, character art, and beyond. Following them provides endless inspiration.

Tips for Creating Your Own Bubblegum Digi Art

Want to try your hand at designing bubblegum digi art? Here are some tips to achieve the distinctive aesthetic in your own work:

• Use high saturation - Vibrant, intense colors are key. Don't be afraid to turn up the saturation.
• Mix soft gradients - Blend colors together gently for a smooth, airbrushed look.
• Add sparkle textures - Try overlays like stars, glitter, or lens flares to add magic.
• Incorporate neons - Neon accents help achieve that futuristic vibe.
• Use simple subjects - Cartoonish, abstract, and geometric subjects work best.
• Strategize color schemes - Stick to "bubblegum" palettes with pinks, purples, blues, and mints.
• Have fun! - Don't take it too seriously. Play around and see what you can create.

Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, and Clip Studio Paint are all excellent digital tools for bringing your bubblegum vision to life. Start with some color experimentation and let your creativity run wild!

The Future of Bubblegum Digi Art

Bubblegum digi continues to thrive and evolve thanks to the talented artists pushing the style forward. Based on current trends, here are some predictions for where we may see the aesthetic go in the future:

• More crossover into animation, gaming, and VR spaces - Beyond static art, bubblegum digi lends itself beautifully to interactive digital media.
• Increasingly surreal and fantastical themes - As tools progress, artists will likely get even more experimental with subjects and scenery.
• Continued nostalgia influence - Vintage anime, cyperpunk, 90s, and Y2K references will stay prevalent.
• Expanded color palettes - More shades like lime green, orange, and even black will likely get incorporated.
• More mainstream presence - We should expect to see bubblegum digi in advertising, clothing/fashion, and mainstream entertainment.
• Growth on new platforms - Expanding beyond TikTok, the style will thrive on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and future new networks.

While tough to predict an art movement, bubblegum digi's momentum shows no signs of slowing. Its message of hope, joy, and imagination continues inspiring new creative bounds. The only limit is artists' imaginations for where they can take the aesthetic next.

Bubblegum digi represents a modern art movement powered by digital natives and Gen Z's vision for the future. It shows the power of online artist communities banding together around an inspiring, upbeat aesthetic. While it started as a niche subculture, bubblegum digi is on track to gain wider mainstream appreciation and influence.

FAQs

What software is best for creating bubblegum digi art?

Most bubblegum digi artists use digital painting apps like Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, or Artstudio Pro. These offer lots of options for vivid colors, gradients, brushes, and textures.

What are some subject ideas for bubblegum digi art?

Some popular subjects include anime characters, space landscapes, fantasy creatures, 80s/90s pop culture, geometric shapes, floral motifs, and abstract portrait collages.

How can I make my bubblegum art more retro/vaporwave?

Try incorporating retro references like arcade machines, vintage cars, checkerboard patterns, Greek statues, or 80s fashion. Soft purple, blue, and pink gradients also evoke vaporwave style.

What are the main bubblegum digi accounts to follow on Instagram?

@artxmina, @baguettegirl, @hawfdraws, and @miel.bee are some of the top Instagram accounts leading the bubblegum digi niche.

What makes bubblegum digi art different than other styles?

The extremely vibrant color palettes, soft gradients, magical/fantasy themes, and positivity set bubblegum digi apart from other digital art forms.