Think Less, Embrace More: Inspiring Desktop Wallpapers For February 2018

9 min read
Graphics, Wallpapers
Share on Twitter, LinkedIn

About The Author

Cosima has been an editor at SmashingMag since 2013. Whenever she’s not writing articles for the weekly Smashing Newsletter, she’s probably working on a … More about Cosima ↬

Email Newsletter

Weekly tips on front-end & UX.
Trusted by 200,000+ folks.

As every month since more than nine years already, artists and designers from across the globe once again fired up their favorite illustration tools and got out their paint brushes and cameras to create charming desktop wallpapers that are sure to breathe some fresh life into your desktop. Today, Cosima Mielke brings you unique and inspiring desktop wallpapers that celebrate the month of love, Chinese New Year, and the small things that make us happy. Created by artists from across the globe and available with and without a calendar for February 2018.

Time flies by… The first month of the new year is already behind us, and with February just around the corner, it's time for some fresh inspiration. So how about some wallpapers to tickle your ideas? Wallpapers that are a bit more distinctive as the ones you usually find out there? Well, we've got you covered.

As every month since more than nine years already, artists and designers from across the globe once again fired up their favorite illustration tools and got out their paint brushes and cameras to create charming desktop wallpapers that are sure to breathe some fresh life into your desktop. All of them come in versions with and without a calendar and can be downloaded for free. Now you only need to decide which one will accompany you through the month.

From Smashing With Love

You want to give your project some extra love this month? With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’ve got a set of simple and beautiful Valentine's-themed icons designed by our cat illustrator Ricardo Gimenes just for you. Spread some love! →

Please note that:

All images can be clicked on and lead to the preview of the wallpaper,
You can feature your work in our magazine by taking part in our Desktop Wallpaper Calendars series. We are regularly looking for creative designers and artists to be featured on Smashing Magazine. Are you one of them?

Dog Year Ahead

“Even though dog days come in the summer, the Year of the Dog lies ahead of us. In fact, the Chinese celebrate their New Year's Eve on February 15, which inspired us to create this calendar. According to the Chinese horoscope, 2018 is the Year of the Dog. Hopefully, it will not be as hot as July sun…” — Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

February Love

“This is a sweet wallpaper with hearts to spread the love around this month.” — Designed by Melissa Bogemans from Belgium.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Plucking At The Heart Strings

“Choose to embrace Valentine's as a day to appreciate those who are special to you. The base of this wallpaper is ‘Plucking at the Heart Strings’, an original painting by Hayden Gigner.” — Designed by Adam Mezzatesta from the UK.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 800x480, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 800x480, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Love Is For Everyone

“Love is for everyone! Find it, enjoy it and show it every day.” — Designed by Anilevi from Bulgaria.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Create A Life You Love

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x960, 1600x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x960, 1600x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

“I prepared a simple and chill layout design for February called ‘Share The Same Orbit!’ which suggests to share the love orbit. The font used in the design is a font created by me. It's called Valio.” — Designed by Valentin Keleti from Romania.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Where There Is Love, There Is Life

“One love is all we need to survive in this world. However, the ugly truth about life is, people rarely find true love. Most of the time, it is not true love but infatuation. If you are lucky enough to find one such gem, you are lucky!” — Designed by Dipanjan Karmakar from India.

preview
with calendar: 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1440x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080
without calendar: 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1440x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080

Sunny February

“February is the warmest month of the year and not because of the weather in Florida, but because of the sun inside everyone of those, who are in love. Let the love shine bright!” — Designed by MotoCMS Website Builder from Florida, United States.

preview
with calendar: 360x640, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x900, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 2560x1440
without calendar: 360x640, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x900, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 2560x1440

Charlie Chaplin

“I love street art, so I took a shot of this great graffiti of Charlie Chaplin with his inspirational quote that is even more true for this age: ‘Sometimes we think too much and feel to little’. He also said: ‘More than machinery, we need humanity; more than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. Therefore, be kind and gentle in 2018. Cheers!” — Designed by Marija Zaric from Belgrade, Serbia.

preview
with calendar: 800x450, 1280x720, 1366x768, 1440x810, 1600x900, 1680x945, 1920x1080, 2560x1440
without calendar: 800x450, 1280x720, 1366x768, 1440x810, 1600x900, 1680x945, 1920x1080, 2560x1440

French Fries

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Love Work

“This ant managed to drag its breakfast up to a branch. He had his mandibles open in attack mode as if to protect his find, some wild fruit. This is dedicated to the love of work in February, and not relationship love. The rich colors of the vegetation in the background give the image a soothing feel, despite the aggressive subject. This tree just gave its fruit, and the one protected by the ant is the type of fruit this tree bares.” — Designed by Phumelela Mdluli from Swaziland.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1680x1050, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1680x1050, 2560x1440

Olympic Winter Games

“If, like me, you love the winter weather, the snow, the clear days and winter sports… it's time to celebrate the event of the month!” — Designed by Laura Sclavi from Italy.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

Going Back In Times

“Go back to the times of true love and celebrate the spirit of togetherness with your loved ones this Valentine's month.” — Designed by ColorMean Creative Studio from India.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Don’t Look Back

preview
with calendar: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x960, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x960, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Winding Road

“Outside, the winding roads are all around us. We think this quote encapsulates the amazing places we visit: ‘May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.’” — Designed by Photo Tours South America from the USA.

preview
with calendar: 1400x900, 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 1400x900, 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Embrace The Ray Of Opportunity

“Embrace the ray of opportunity. In every adverse situation, there exists a narrow opportunity to build positive things. People may look only at the problems and never the available chances, but there's always a reason to go ahead along with what they like and prove themselves. Let's embrace the ray of opportunity and make wonderful things happen.” — Designed by Sweans from London.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Love Is In The Air

“Love can't get expressed in words, nor can it be expressed in a day… It is a feeling that travels through souls binding the two in perfect harmony, which rests in the heart for lifetime.” — Designed by PVS Builders from India.

preview
with calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Join In Next Month!

Please note that we respect and carefully consider the ideas and motivation behind each and every artist’s work. This is why we give all artists the full freedom to explore their creativity and express emotions and experience throughout their works. This is also why the themes of the wallpapers weren’t anyhow influenced by us, but rather designed from scratch by the artists themselves.

A big thank you to all designers for their participation. Join in next month!

What’s Your Favorite?

What’s your favorite theme or wallpaper for this month? Please let us know in the comment section below.