Modern Disney Princesses by Artist Fernanda Suarez

After a Disney World trip filled with princess meet-and-greets, we came across Chilean digital artist Fernanda Suarez and her Modern Princesses project.

The idea is simple and immediately recognizable. Suarez reimagines familiar Disney princesses as modern young women, updating their styling while keeping the visual traits that make each character easy to identify.

Fernanda Suarez’s Modern Princesses

Suarez has created modern versions of Cinderella, Pocahontas, Mulan, Jasmine, Ariel, Belle, and Snow White.

The portraits use contemporary hair, makeup, clothing, and facial styling. However, they still hold onto enough of the original character design to make the connection obvious.

That balance is what makes the series interesting. The characters look updated rather than completely reinvented.

The Characters Still Feel Familiar

Each portrait also keeps a little of the character’s personality. Mulan appears focused and strong. Belle feels serious and self-assured. Ariel comes across as lighter and more carefree.

Cinderella still has the polished storybook quality people associate with the character, but the portrait looks much more contemporary.

It is less “What if Disney princesses owned smartphones?” and more “What if these characters were painted as people you might actually pass on the street?”

A Look at the Digital-Art Process

Suarez has also shared parts of her digital-art process through her public work and supporter channels.

Those stages include sketching, color, lighting, facial detail, and final rendering. Seeing the process makes the finished portraits more interesting because you can follow how the familiar character becomes the modern version.

Why the Series Works

For another Disney-related story, read about the Chris from Orlando Disney World name-tag legend.

The appeal is not simply putting Disney princesses in modern clothes. The strongest part of the project is that each portrait still feels connected to the original character.

Suarez changes the presentation without losing the identity. That is a much harder trick than giving Cinderella a new hairstyle and hoping everyone applauds.

You can explore more of Fernanda Suarez’s work through her Patreon page.