Making Memories To Last (August 2020 Wallpapers Edition) — Smashing Magazine

Do you need a little inspiration boost? Well, then our new batch of wallpapers is for you. Designed with love by the community for the community, the wallpapers come in versions with and without a calendar for August 2020.

Everybody loves a beautiful wallpaper to freshen up their desktops and home screens, right? To cater for new and unique artworks on a regular basis, we started our monthly wallpapers challenge more than nine years ago, and from the early days on to today, artists and designers from all across the globe have accepted the challenge and submitted their designs to it. It wasn’t any different this time around, of course.

In this post, you’ll find their wallpapers for August 2020. All of them are available in versions with and without a calendar — to help you count down the days to a big deadline (or a few days off, maybe?) or continue to use your favorite even after the month has ended. You decide. A big thank-you to everyone who shared their designs with us — we sincerely appreciate it!

As a little bonus goodie, we also added some “oldies” at the end of this post, timeless wallpaper treasures that we rediscovered way down in our archives and that are just too good to gather dust. Now there’s only one question left to be answered: Which one will accompany you through the new month?

All images can be clicked on and lead to the preview of the wallpaper,
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 through 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.

Submit your wallpaper

Did you know that you could get featured in one of our upcoming wallpapers posts, too? We are always looking for creative talent, so if you have an idea for a wallpaper for September, please don’t hesitate to submit it. We’d love to see what you’ll come up with. Join in! →

We’re All The Same

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with calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 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, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Women’s Equality Day

Women’s Equality Day is a US celebration of the prohibition denying voting rights on the basis of sex. It’s a celebration of those trailblazers and suffragists who faught for their right to vote. So this 26th of August let’s honor them for the vitally important change they brought about back in 1920. — Designed by Ever Increasing Circles from the United Kingdom.

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with calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 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, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

August Days

August is the month when we get sunburnt doing agricultural works, hike across the wild and untamed forests, and explore the depths of sun-kissed oceans and seas. The wind is mild and warm, the nights are filled with chatter, smiles, and music. August days are scattered around everywhere, and we try to catch and use up each and every one of them until summer gets lost in the face of murky autumn. In August, we chase laughs, sunsets, and memories. — Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.

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with calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 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, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Live In The Moment

My dog Sami inspired me for this one. He lives in the moment and enjoys every second with a big smile on his face. I wish we could learn to enjoy life like he does! Happy August everyone! — Designed by Westie Vibes from Portugal.

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with calendar: 320×480, 1024×1024, 1080×1920, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
without calendar: 320×480, 1024×1024, 1080×1920, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

In A Sunbeam

A lot of summer activities and holiday travels had to be canceled this month, but our pets don’t know that – they’re perfectly happy to lie around at home and soak up the sun. I wanted to make some calming art that would channel that energy, to help people recharge between all the stressors you have to face these days. — Designed by Erin Ptah from the United States.

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

Creating Buzz

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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, 3840×2160
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, 3840×2160

August And A Half

Somewhere it’s summer, somewhere else it’s winter time. — Designed by Dan Di from Italy.

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with calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×900, 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, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Remembering The Freedom Struggle

Freedom is the highest value. August tells the tales of sacrifices and courage of a nation that fought its way through a very difficult path for independence. — Designed by AufaitUX from India.

Oldies But Goodies

A crackling fire, a well-deserved nap on a hot summer day, a cornfield glowing golden in the midday sun — a lot of things have inspired the design community to create an August wallpaper in the last few years. Here are some favorites from our archives. (Please note that these designs don’t come with a calendar.)

Colorful Summer

‘Always keep mint on your windowsill in August, to ensure that the buzzing flies will stay outside where they belong. Don’t think summer is over, even when roses droop and turn brown and the stars shift position in the sky. Never presume August is a safe or reliable time of the year.’ (Alice Hoffman) — Designed by Lívi from Hungary.

Headed towards Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference this summer? Oh, they say it’s gonna be a big one! Get yourself out there well-prepared, armed with patience and ready to have loads of fun with fellow Bigfoot researchers. Looking forward to those campsite nights under the starry sky, with electrifying energy of expectations filling up the air? Lucky you! — Designed by Pop Art Studio from Serbia.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Childhood Memories

Monthly Quality Desktop Wallpaper - August 2012

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without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Handwritten August

“I love typograhy handwritten style.” — Designed by Chalermkiat Oncharoen from Thailand.

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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

Bee Happy!

“August means that fall is just around the corner, so I designed this wallpaper to remind everyone to ‘bee happy’ even though summer is almost over. Sweeter things are ahead!” — Designed by Emily Haines from the United States.

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without calendar: 640×480, 800×600, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Estonian Summer Sun

“This is a moment from Southern Estonia that shows amazing summer nights.” Designed by Erkki Pung / Sviiter from Estonia.

Coffee Break Time

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Purple Haze

Meet Lucy: she lives in California, loves summer and sunbathing at the beach. This is our Jimi Hendrix Experience tribute. Have a lovely summer! — Designed by PopArt Web Design from Serbia.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Psst, It’s Camping Time…

“August is one of my favorite months, when the nights are long and deep and crackling fire makes you think of many things at once and nothing at all at the same time. It’s about heat and cold which allow you to touch the eternity for a few moments.” — Designed by Igor Izhik from Canada.

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without calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 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

Hello Again

“In Melbourne it is the last month of quite a cool winter so we are looking forward to some warmer days to come.” — Designed by Tazi from Australia.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×960, 1600×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Liqiu And Orange Daylily Season

“Liqiu signifies the beginning of autumn in East Asian cultures. After entering the Liqiu, the mountains in Eastern Taiwan’s East Rift Valley are covered in a sea of golden flowers, very beautiful. The production season for high-mountain daylilies is in August. Chihke Mountain, in Yuli Township, and Sixty-Stone Mountain, in Fuli Township, which are both located in Hualien County, are two of the country’s three high-mountain daylily production areas.” — Designed by Hong, Zi-Qing from Taiwan.

Summer Nap

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without calendar: 800×480, 800×600, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Happy Janmashtami

“Janmashtami, the day that Lord Krishna was born, is an important Hindu Festival which is celebrated worldwide. The idea was to create the Lord Krishna’s flute-playing persona, in a minimalist design form.” — Designed by Damn Perfect from Jaipur, India.

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without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

A Bloom Of Jellyfish

“I love going to aquariums – the colors, patterns and array of blue hues attract the nature lover in me while still appeasing my design eye. One of the highlights is always the jellyfish tanks. They usually have some kind of light show in them, which makes the jellyfish fade from an intense magenta to a deep purple – and it literally tickles me pink. On a recent trip to uShaka Marine World, we discovered that the collective noun for jellyfish is a bloom and, well, it was love-at-first-collective-noun all over again. I’ve used some intense colours to warm up your desktop and hopefully transport you into the depths of your own aquarium.” — Designed by Wonderland Collective from South Africa.

Saturn Among The Stars

“This summer I have a telescope. Every night I look to the sky and I look into the stars. Fortunately, I can see Saturn.” — Designed by Verónica Valenzuela from Spain.