Walk into any corner of the internet where artists hang out—Twitter, DeviantArt, or that weirdly specific niche of Tumblr that refuses to die—and you’ll see it. Blue cats. Pink rabbits. A floating eyeball with a top hat. The Amazing World of Gumball ended its original run years ago, yet the amazing world of gumball fanart scene is arguably more vibrant now than it was when the show was actually airing on Cartoon Network. It’s a phenomenon that defies the usual "dead show" logic. Usually, when a cartoon wraps up, the fan art trickles down to a few dedicated hobbyists. Not here.
Why?
Because the show itself was a visual fever dream. It mixed 2D animation, 3D CGI, puppetry, stop-motion, and live-action backgrounds. This "everything-and-the-kitchen-sink" aesthetic basically gave artists a permission slip to do whatever they wanted. There is no "correct" way to draw Gumball Watterson. That freedom is addictive.
The Chaos of the Mixed Media Legacy
The show was a masterpiece of technical anarchy. Created by Ben Bocquelet, it intentionally broke every rule of cohesive art direction. You had Gumball and Darwin, who were fairly standard 2D designs, interacting with Penny (a shape-shifting fairy in a peanut shell) and Rob (a glitchy 3D model). This paved the way for the amazing world of gumball fanart to become a playground for experimental techniques.
I’ve seen artists recreate scenes using literal felt and googly eyes. Others go the complete opposite direction, turning the characters into hyper-detailed "humanized" versions that look like they stepped out of a high-fashion magazine or a gritty cyberpunk anime. Honestly, the "humanization" (or Gijinka) sub-genre is where things get really wild. It’s a polarizing corner of the fandom. Some people love seeing Darwin as a kid in a hoodie with orange sneakers; others think it loses the charm of the goldfish-with-legs. But that’s the beauty of it. The show's DNA is built on being uncomfortable and weird.
If you look at the work of popular fan artists like Kuro-M or the countless creators on Instagram, you notice a trend: they aren't just drawing the characters. They are mimicking the show’s meta-humor. The art often breaks the fourth wall, just like the episodes "The Signal" or "The Copycats."
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The "Copycats" Incident and Intellectual Property
We can't talk about this art scene without mentioning the "Miracle Star" incident. For those who don't know, a real-life Chinese dairy brand created a show called Miracle Star that was a blatant, shot-for-shot rip-off of Gumball.
Instead of just suing, the Gumball team wrote an episode called "The Copycats" where the Wattersons literally fight their knock-offs. This meta-commentary fueled a massive wave of fan art comparing the two styles. It turned "copying" into a joke within the community. It’s one of the few times a show has directly engaged with the concept of "imitation" in a way that empowered fans to create even more transformative works.
Why Character Design Drives the Algorithm
Darwin Watterson is a design miracle. He’s a circle with legs. He’s the easiest thing in the world to doodle on the side of a notebook, yet he’s expressive enough to carry a heavy emotional scene. This low barrier to entry is why the amazing world of gumball fanart is so ubiquitous.
- Beginner friendly: A five-year-old can draw Anais.
- Expert depth: A professional animator can spend 40 hours rendering the subsurface scattering on Penny’s shell.
Most shows have a "house style" that is hard to replicate. If you draw The Simpsons slightly wrong, it looks horrifying. If you draw Gumball "wrong," it just looks like another guest animator stepped in for a segment.
The Dark Side: Creepypastas and Horror Art
The internet has a weird obsession with making cute things scary. Gumball is no exception. Because the show already toyed with horror elements—remember "The Joy" or the unsettling nature of "The Void"—fan artists have leaned heavily into the "Analog Horror" aesthetic recently.
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You’ll find plenty of art depicting the characters being consumed by "The Void," the dimension where the universe's mistakes go. This isn't just "edgy" content for the sake of it. It’s a reflection of the show’s own existential themes. When fans draw a "glitched" version of Gumball, they’re engaging with the show’s canon lore. It’s a rare case where the darkest fan theories actually have a foothold in the source material.
The Impact of "The Void" on Creative Expression
Speaking of The Void, it’s the ultimate "get out of jail free" card for creators. In the show, The Void is full of forgotten relics from the 80s and 90s, plus discarded character designs.
Artists use this to bring back early pilot designs of Gumball (the ones where he looked a bit more... blue-dog-ish). It creates a sense of history. You aren't just drawing a fan art piece; you're contributing to an ongoing digital archive of what the show could have been.
There’s also a huge community built around "OCs" (Original Characters) that are designed to fit into Elmore Junior High. Because the school is filled with everything from a T-Rex to a piece of toast, anyone’s art style can technically be "canon." You could draw a sentient paperclip, and it wouldn't look out of place next to Gumball. This inclusivity is a huge driver for engagement on platforms like Pinterest and TikTok.
Where to Find the Best Work Right Now
If you're looking for the high-end stuff, you’ve gotta know where to peek.
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- Twitter (X): Look for the hashtag #TAWOG. It’s where the most "modern" and experimental stuff lives. You’ll see a lot of Japanese and Korean artists bringing a distinct "sakuga" flair to the characters.
- Behance: Surprisingly, professional character designers often post their "warm-up" sketches of Elmore residents here. It’s more technical and less "fandom-heavy."
- Tumblr: Still the king of long-form AU (Alternative Universe) art. This is where you find the deep-lore comics and the "what if they were all ghosts" storylines.
The Future: Gumball: The Series and The Movie
With the announcement of The Amazing World of Gumball: The Series (effectively season 7) and the long-awaited movie, the fan art scene is currently in a "hype" phase. We’re seeing a shift toward more cinematic fan posters. People are trying to guess what the new art style will look like.
There’s a tension here, though. Fans are protective. They don't want the show to lose its mixed-media edge. This anxiety is manifesting in art that emphasizes the "old" style—thick outlines and grainy textures.
Final Thoughts for the Aspiring Artist
If you’re thinking about jumping into the amazing world of gumball fanart, don’t try to be perfect. The show isn't perfect. It’s messy, loud, and sometimes ugly. That’s the point. Use a photo of your backyard as a background. Draw a character using a medium you’ve never tried before. Use MS Paint for one layer and a high-end tablet for the other.
The community rewards creativity over technical "correctness." In a world where AI is trying to make everything look smooth and "average," the jagged, chaotic energy of Elmore is a breath of fresh air.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
- Check out the "The Art of The Amazing World of Gumball" book if you can find a copy; it’s out of print but offers a deep dive into the actual production assets that fans often use for reference.
- Follow the show’s former storyboard artists on social media. Many, like Mic Graves or Aurelie Charbonnier, often share "behind the scenes" doodles that never made it to air.
- Participate in "Gumball Week" challenges on social media, which usually pop up during the summer months. It’s a great way to get your work seen by the core community.
- Experiment with mixed media. Don’t just stay in Procreate or Photoshop. Take a photo of a real-life object and try to "Gumball-ify" it by adding 2D eyes and a simple mouth. It’s the fastest way to understand the show’s visual logic.