Veronika Baybakova
Illustrator & Comic Artist
From Ideas to Visual Stories
I create illustrations, comics and experimental publications, finding a visual language that brings each project’s idea to life.
What I Can Bring to Your Project
— Illustrations for books, publications and cultural projects.— Visual storytelling through comics and storyboards.— Experimental visual approaches combining different materials and techniques.
ILLUSTRATION
Streets of Vietnam
— Exploring Hanoi’s urban landscape through panoramic illustration
The Idea
«Streets of Vietnam» is a series of panoramic illustrations exploring the everyday urban landscape of Hanoi. The three scenes capture different aspects of the city, from residential streets to a railway lined with cafés and shops.
Streets of Vietnam, 2025 г.
The Approach
The challenge was to make Hanoi’s busy streets accessible to a young audience without losing their distinctive character and visual richness. I used bright colours, exaggerated forms and planar compositions to simplify complex urban scenes while preserving their variety and lively atmosphere.
The Outcome
The project resulted in three panoramic illustrations depicting different parts of Hanoi’s urban landscape. Presented both as standalone artworks and in a children’s room interior, the series explores how illustrations can introduce young viewers to the character and diversity of an unfamiliar city.
Chropowatość
— Exploring sensory associations through mixed media
The Idea
«Chropowatość» is Polish for «roughness». This experimental project explores how sensory associations connect different experiences: sounds become textures, tastes turn into colours, and images evoke physical sensations.
Chropowatość, 2026 г.
The Visual Approach
Inspired by everyday observations — from spring slush and melted ice cream to clutter and childhood drawings — I translated sensory associations into visual experiments using alcohol inks, ink drawing, collage, photography and coloured pencils.Combining contrasting materials allowed me to explore sensations ranging from roughness and discomfort to unexpected sweetness. In one experiment, ink trapped beneath smooth glass reminded me of jam inside a candy wrapper: visually tempting, yet inedible.
The Outcome
The project took the form of an experimental art book combining mixed-media works. Each piece explores a different sensory association, while the variety of techniques creates a cohesive collection of visual experiments.
COMIC & VISUAL STORYTELLING
Saint Barbara
— A documentary comic about folk musician Varvara Kotova
About the Project
«Saint Barbara» is a documentary comic about Varvara Kotova, a performer of traditional folk music, soloist of the ensemble Sirin and leader of the groups «Uzorika» and «Gorozhane». The comic was created for More Than Anyone Asked For, a collaborative collection about people who took the initiative to create something new.
Saint Barbara, 2026 г.
Research and Interviews
I visited Varvara Kotova at her home and spoke with her about her musical practice and everyday life. During the visit, I also met her daughter Anya, who frequently sang around us and showed an interest in pursuing music herself.Anya’s presence was not part of the original concept, but this spontaneous encounter inspired me to include her in the comic. It allowed the story to develop beyond Varvara’s musical career, bringing in a more personal perspective on her family life and the passing of musical interests between generations.
Visual Development
I explored different ways of drawing the characters through sketches, silhouette studies and experiments with cut-up office sticky notes. Their geometric shapes became a starting point for developing the characters and compositions, giving the comic its distinctive visual style.
The Outcome
The finished comic brings together Varvara’s musical career, personal experiences and family life in a documentary narrative. By including Anya’s spontaneous presence in the story, I was able to show a more intimate side of Varvara’s life and explore how an interest in music can be passed on between generations.
Elevator
— An everyday horror zine about a familiar space turning strange
The Idea
I began paying attention to the elevator as it became an unavoidable part of my daily routine. What once seemed like an ordinary space started to feel like a mechanical trap.This observation became the starting point for «Elevator», a horror zine that transforms a familiar everyday experience into something unsettling.
Elevator, 2023 г.
