Have you always been creative and what’s the earliest work you can remember creating?
I've been creative since I was really young. One of the earliest memories I have as a creative person would have to be tracing a big illustration by Alphonse Mucha that my mom kept in our attic. There was something very appealing to me about the line work and the flow of the entire drawing. I tried my best to copy it by eyeballing it and I failed miserably a hundred times. My interest was piqued though and from then on I would always keep a pad of tracing paper with me so that I could quickly replicate anything that caught my eye. Eventually I left the tracing paper behind and trained my hand to do what my brain wanted (which isn't easy!)
What's your studio like and how do you keep organised?
Right now my studio is my bedroom. When I was doing homework for my art classes there would be supplies everywhere: Papers, chalk, pencils, rulers. It was a mess but it made me feel like a real artist (because real artists are a mess, ya know?) Now I keep things neat. My iMac on my desk is my main creative portal. I like to keep my current sketchbook nearby, as well as three or four others so that I can reference my older work quickly. I also have a lot of brothers and sisters so I'm used to a very busy environment. Last year I found a cheap couch and an entertainment system which I also placed in my room, where my siblings usually chill while I'm creating. Most people would find the noise distracting but I really enjoy their company and it actually fuels my creativity!
Where do you look for inspiration?
Tumblr has been a big source of inspiration for me. I'm trying to focus on improving my character design skills so I follow a lot of animators and even some fashion blogs to see what people are drawing and wearing.
I've also been mesmerized by Andrew Wyeth's paintings lately. My friend gave me a HUGE art book filled with his most famous pieces and I flip through that thing almost every day. His paintings feel tired...but beautiful? Like I'm stepping into a haunted house. I love his work so much.
Whats in your pencil case / camera bag?
The top drawer of my desk is filled with old Dr. Who comics, rulers (which I have an abundance of for some reason...) outdated business cards, three blank sketchbooks, stickers, markers, a ziplock bag of lucky charms (just the marshmallows), and a marker sketch of Anna from Frozen where she's smiling and yelling "SANDWICHES!"
Any tips for someone suffering from creative block?
Get some sun. I get a really bad block every winter and I'm almost positive it has something to do with how much I get out of the house. I've also found that when I eat healthier my brain is happier and it's easier to create. Creative block works differently for everyone but a little self-care gives me the push I need to get back on track.
Do you do any other crafts and what are your hobbies?
Does graphic design count? I work at a digital marketing agency which means I get to obsess over things like fonts and layers and they actually pay me to be picky...it's pretty much the dream.
I'm also a casual gamer. Over the summer I'm really looking forward to playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild if I can find some spare time!
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Nope! Thank you so much for the feature!
Drawing
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