We always try our best to challenge your artistic abilities and produce some interesting, beautiful and creative artwork. And as designers we usually turn to different sources of inspiration. As a matter of fact, we’ve discovered the best one—desktop wallpapers that are a little more distinctive than the usual crowd.

This creativity mission has been going on for over five years now, and we are very thankful to all the designers who have contributed and are still diligently contributing each month. This post features free desktop wallpapers created by artists across the globe for May 2013. Both versions with a calendar and without a calendar can be downloaded for free. It’s time to freshen up your wallpaper!

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 Calendar series. We are regularly looking for creative designers and artists to be featured on Smashing Magazine. Are you one of them?
• You can also download the wallpapers for Windows 7/8.

The Green Bear

Designed by Pedro Rolo from Portugal.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Power

Designed by Elise Vanoorbeek from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Quote Of The Day

Designed by Eloise Ha from Malaysia.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Winter Is Over

Designed by Uxue Goikoetxea from Spain.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Raring Ringtail

Designed by Vlad Studio from Russia.

• preview
• with calendar: 800×600, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Get Caught Reading Month

Designed by Jill Hamilton from Canada.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Full Of Spirit

Designed by Ushuk Maria from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900,
  1600×1200 (currently missing),
  1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

World’s Labor Day

Designed by debobrata debnath from India.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×1024, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×1024, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Designed by Morgan Newnham from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480 (currently missing),
  1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Octopus: The Master Of Disguise

Designed by Sasha Endoh from Canada.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

The Arabian Stud

Designed by Atelier Pall from Romania.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

A Better Summer

Designed by Joeri Claes from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200

May I Love You

Designed by Julien Savoldi from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Game Boy

Designed by Sander Geenen from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Mental Health Awareness Day

Designed by Kay Karremans from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Old vs. New

Designed by Wannes De ROy from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Museum Day

Designed by cheloveche.ru from Russia.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Blooming

Designed by Alexandru Nastase from Romania.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200

Ethnic Snake

Designed by Katerina Bobkova from Ukraine.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080

Maypole Animals

Designed by Charlotte Blatchford from UK.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

May Fiesta

Designed by Pat Buenaobra from Philippines.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

“He Who Sings…”

Designed by Yiannis Kranidiotis from Greece.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Awaiting Rebirth

Designed by Kristof Van Espen from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Splash!

Designed by Ajan Navaratnasingam from London, UK.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Mondriaan

Designed by Siemon Donvil from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Praise The Workers On Labor Day

Designed by N. Baeten from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200

Daydream

Designed by Maarten Wydooghe from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

May Around the World

Designed by dangerbrain from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Mothers Day

Designed by Kim Janssens from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1366×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Savanna May

Designed by Brian Jonah Obara from Kenya.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480 (currently missing), 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Puppet Show

Designed by Pietje Precies from The Netherlands.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

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 the 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.

© The Smashing Team for Smashing Magazine, 2013.