Sharing sketches of the released “Torch” skin collection — in my humble opinion, they turned out quite charming and definitely worth your attention. 😃
While working on this collection, the possibilities for my imagination felt almost limitless! 💫
Fire, as one of the first symbols marking the beginning of human history, holds warmth, protection, fear, and power all at once. 🔥
At times, I allowed myself to experiment and move away from the classic image of a torch and flame, while still trying to preserve a recognizable silhouette. That’s how models like “Carousel,” “Hut,” and “Cake” were born 😏

🎁1. Ancient Column
A Greek order with fire at the top.
Ancient Greece as a symbol of light, knowledge, and philosophy.
🎁2. Totem Eye
A torch with an eye.
A reference to ancient civilizations and the symbol of the all-seeing observer.
🎁3. Voodoo Mask
A bright, aggressive totem.
Caribbean cultures and rituals — fire as a channel to the spirits.
🎁4. Gothic Torch
Sharp shapes, dark metal.
The vibe of medieval European castles.
🎁5. Viking Torch
Rough wood, metal rings, and the feeling of travel gear in harsh conditions.
🎁6. Bamboo Torch
Minimalism and natural materials.
Southeast Asia — simplicity, harmony, and tradition.
🎁7. Royal Goblet
A golden torch adorned with gemstones.
Medieval Europe — a symbol of power, wealth, and immortality.
🎁8. Birthday Cake
Yes, it’s a cake with candles. 😄
🎁9. Forest Spirit
Roots, branches, and a living form.
Scandinavian and Slavic myths — the forest as a living being.
🎁10. Bone Lantern
A reference to shamanic practices and ancestor cults.
🎁11. Sea Spirit
A torch shaped like a seahorse with a blue flame.
🎁12. Carousel
A torch in the form of a fair carousel with horses.
A reference to European festivals and old amusement parks — light as a symbol of a celebration that never fades.
🎁13. Balinese Dragon
A torch shaped like a mythical creature from Bali.
Balinese culture and Indonesian Hindu traditions — the dragon as a guardian, and fire as a manifestation of spiritual power and protection.
🎁14. Fire Cannon
A torch resembling a modern flamethrower, like in action movies.
A nod to American pop culture — fire as spectacle and destructive force.
🎁15. Hut on Chicken Legs
A torch shaped like a fairytale hut with smoke coming from the chimney.
Slavic folklore — Baba Yaga, the forest, and magic, where a lit window means it’s definitely not just a house.
🎁16. Skull with Roses
The contrast of life and death.
Mexican Día de los Muertos — remembrance through beauty.
🎁17. Serpent Goblet
A cup entwined with a snake.
Ancient Greece and the symbol of medicine — knowledge, danger, and healing.
🎁18. Chinese Lantern
A red lantern with hieroglyphs.
🎁19. Triple Blade
A torch resembling a weapon.
Japan / samurai aesthetics — discipline and strength.
🎁20. Airplane
A torch shaped like an upside-down paper plane, reminiscent of the Telegram symbol — a sign of the digital age, where fire becomes a symbol of connection, speed, and transmission of meaning.
🎁21. Forest Fairy
A torch entwined with flowers.
European folklore — nature spirits and gentle magic.

✍️🧠 telegram.org/blog/ai-editor-mighty-polls-and-more

3 000 000 сообщение в @OHUENKOchat запустит игру на перебив с призом 🎁NFT.

⭐️ Just Interview #3: Ohuenko

Just News continues the tradition of first-ever public appearances by some of the most notable figures on Telegram. Today, we're lifting the veil on the person behind many of the platform’s visual creations.

➡️Meet @Ohuenko — art director, artist, visionary, and just a fascinating individual.

Before we begin, a special bonus for Ohuenko’s Russian-speaking audience: a full Russian version of this interview is available as well.

• Tell us about your way: how have you started as an artist? Was it love at first sight, or did you try other things and ultimately choose art?

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been into creativity. I'd sketch in pen in my school notebooks and draw color portraits at university. Things really changed when a friend of mine, a web programmer, introduced me to a web site with contests for freelance designers. One of my first big wins happened — creating a mascot for VK that guided new users through the platform. In my life I also experimented with poetry, short films, even writing a book — but drawing always kept pulling me back in. From a hobby it became my full-time job.

• Could you describe what your work looks like on a day-to-day basis, and how you approach the creative side of it?

I spend most of my day staring at colorful animated visuals and aiming to make them look cooler. But the real value is working with the most talented people I've ever met. My main everyday goal is to find balance: to avoid perfectionism that burns everyone around including yourself out, while still constantly leveling up the skills and strength.

The Creative Process:

• What inspires you creatively — both within and outside of digital platforms?

Anything genuinely well-made inspires me — games, films, paintings, design. Observation of visual languages helps me create work that feels fresh and relevant. After all, we all appreciate nostalgia and hidden references.

• Tell us more about your artwork process approach: do you ever do sketches on paper, or draw straight away digitally? Do you use AI tools and what do you think of them?

I used to make collages with photo references, build 3D models, even shoot my friend posing to trace over the photos later. Now AI has become a core part of the visualization process. I think, whatever you're at, AI will eventually outperform you at almost everything, both in digital and physical worlds. You'll become useless. Or just a battery in the Matrix. At this point, creating things will only make sense if you genuinely love and enjoy the process itself.

More 🔽

Gifts & Stickers:

• Which gift collection is your favorite, and why? And conversely, have there been any that you didn't feel fully satisfied with?

Never underestimate the power of the little 15 Stars teddy bear gift 🎁 — that’s my favorite. Just look at it evolving through different versions (🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁)

Creating gifts and their models is like trying to release a music album with nothing but hit songs. Starting with simple sketches, we eventually came across technical limits — almost no one knows, there is a tight 64KB file-size restriction, so there is a lot to do with optimization. Still, I can clearly see how much the quality has grown from the early drops to the latest ones.

All in all, we've made quite a splash with Telegram gifts. Only recently have we managed to catch our breath and are picking up speed again. Currently, in addition to the 50 key authors, we've selected another 50 talented new candidates, who are now undergoing a test assignment.

• How do you see the direction of stickers evolving on Telegram?

To me, stickers already feel a bit like relics from another era. They were always a short-term entertainment — people constantly needed fresh packs to stay interested.

Gifts feel more exciting to me because they feel like a way to please people you care about. And we’re ready for new formats to show people more of our creativity skills.

• You work a lot with independent artists and designers on Telegram. Do you ever have strong disagreements with them when it comes to the art concepts? Is there any "red flag" for you, something you would never accept?

At this point, our team is a “closed circle”. Nobody’s trying to prove anything anymore — we already trust and know each other well. The work is public, so people instantly notice when something was done carelessly. Mistakes are fine — we can correct them together. Lack of effort isn’t.

About @Ohuenko Community:

• You're quite a public figure online. What made you create the @Ohuenko community on Telegram? Should we watch for more insights out there?

The whole “public figure” thing mostly happened by accident. The channel was originally created just to archive my artworks, but the real phenomenon here is @OHUENKOchat ✨. For the whole 2025 it was in the Top 10 for sure. What started as a small community somehow turned into a chaotic social experiment, which at some point felt like almost my second job.

At its peak, the chat gave me everything from pure euphoria to a total burnout. Sometimes I wanted to delete it all — other times it felt genuinely legendary. As for insights… maybe a little teasing here and there. But I’ve learned it’s usually better to talk less and let the work speak for itself.

I truly appreciate everyone actively involved, with special thanks going to my moderation team that has become like a new family to me (except Herman, sorry bro). Without you all guys there’d have been no "iconic Pepe takeover game 🎁", no surprise visit from Gunwest, and no chance for me to meet all the fascinating new people out there. Let’s keep on having fun together.

• You've probably had some wild post ideas. What's the craziest one you've got so far?

The chat became a testing ground for a lot of weird ideas and formats that later spread much further. But the craziest ideas are still sitting unreleased somewhere in my head. Give me enough free time and we’ll make it happen.

@just 📄