Interview with Artist Taryn Knight

Snow White by Taryn Knight

CM: What is your background/education in art?

TK: I got started in art at a very young age. It was one of few things that I was really passionate about, and something I knew I wanted to pursue as a career for as long as I can remember. Whenever adults would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d always say “a children’s book illustrator!” or “an artist!”. As far as education goes, my experience is pretty limited! As a kid I took a few painting classes, and last year attended a couple online lectures, but I never did go to art college. I work best at my own pace, and felt like art college just wouldn’t work well for me.

CM: Did you work other jobs before freelancing? What are some of the benefits and challenges of freelancing?

TK: Freelancing and running my Etsy shop are my first and only jobs, actually! I’m only just starting out in my career, so that may change, but as of right now it’s the only thing I’ve ever known. It definitely comes with many benefits and challenges, yes – being able to work from home and in my own time is something I really enjoy, but it also means keeping myself in line and making sure I don’t procrastinate and miss deadlines, or overwork myself and stress out.

Alice in Wonderland by Taryn Knight

CM: How did you develop your personal style?

TK: It was a long, loooong, never-ending process, and still is! I tried so many different styles and techniques before I even knew what I wanted my work to look like and represent. Once I finally decided that, it became easier to make stylistic decisions and develop it into what I wanted. I feel like developing my style was like building Frakenstein’s monster, in a way – I’d watch animated movie or look at illustrations and pick out certain things I liked about the faces or proportions, and try to make it my own and incorporate it into my art.

CM: What are some of your favorite things to draw?

TK: I just really love everyday people, like maybe a lady walking her dog or someone caught in the rain. I find simple things like that really charming and enjoyable to draw. Some of my favorite projects I’ve worked on are probably fanart pieces, or any time I get to draw plants and trees!

CM: What materials/programs do you use most often?

TK: Definitely Photoshop and my Wacom tablet. I use them almost every day, and they’re often my favorite materials to work with.

CM: What artists have had an influence on your work?

TK: Far too many to recollect! I’m really inspired by Laika films (The Boxtrolls is a favorite of mine), Renaissance paintings, and illustrators like Mary Blair and Claire Keane.

By Taryn Knight

CM: Many of your pieces feature characters or elements from books. Do you often find inspiration in mediums other than art, and do you have any favorites (books or movies) that have influenced or encouraged your art?

TK: Yes, absolutely! I’m often inspired by books and films, as well as music, nature, and just people in general. There’s something about watching/reading my favorite film or book that just fuels my creative fire! Familiar stories like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Alice in Wonderland are my favorite.

CM: Do you ever experience art block? If so, how do you deal with it?

TK: I’m sure every artist does at some point, and I’m definitely no exception! Whether it lasts a day or a week, I find the best way to get over it is to just draw my way through it. I try to work on small, un-intimidating pieces like flowers or small portraits.

CM: What is a style/medium/new art challenge you would like to try in the future?

TK: Some day I’d love to work with gouache or watercolor! I don’t work in traditional media very much, so I’d really like to conquer my fear of the paintbrush in the future.

By Taryn Knight

CM: What are some of the most important lessons about art you’ve learned through your own experiences?

TK: Artists are often faced with a lot of decision-making, so I learned a lot about being independent and making my own artistic choices. I would often catch myself thinking things like “I’ve never seen that done before, I can’t do that” or drawing something a certain way just because it’s how someone else did it. I learned how to draw that way I would, not the way someone else would.

CM: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

TK: Start where you are, learn all you can, and be determined! If you’re just starting out, don’t stress about developing a style – start with learning the basics, with anatomy, form, and color. Challenge yourself and set artistic goal! Be persistent, and don’t get discouraged!

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Taryn is an American artist currently living in Colorado and working as a freelance illustrator. Outside of art, her hobbies include reading, blogging, and obsessing over her fandoms.

 

 

 

Elinor and Merida

Waterfall

Girl and Unicorn

Interview with Artist Nathanna Erica

CM: What is your education/background in art?

NE: Apart from the blurred years of elementary school, I never took a single art class in my life! I’ve been drawing ever since I was 4 or 5 years old, but it wasn’t until last year – after I finished law school – that I began focusing completely on art and art alone. In fact, I’m planning on making 2016 a very big year. I’ll be taking Film and Animation classes here in Brazil and hopefully abroad as well!

CM: What got you into paper art?

NE: I’ve always been a very crafty person, but I think that what really got me into paper art was the wonderful artwork of The Little Mermaid made by one of my favorite artists ever: Brittney Lee. I stumbled across her blog last year and I was so amazed that I decided to give it a try.

CM: What is your process for creating pieces with paper?

NE: As to my process, I usually start with some doodles and sketches on my sketchbook. It’s really messy at first, and sometimes even I can’t see how the whole thing is going to turn out! It normally takes me three or four days to finish a piece, and I often try to use different kinds of paper so I can have a wide variety of colors and textures. The same goes for my gouache paints and watercolors.

CM: What are the challenges of working with paper?

NE: I think that the main challenge of paper art is trying to achieve the sense of movement easily found in a digital illustration, or even in traditional acrylic/gouache/watercolor paintings. That’s because my technique consists basically of little pieces of paper glued together. It can seem a bit static at first. The perk of working with paper, however, is the awesome 3D effect that it provides, which I’m constantly trying to improve.

CM: You’ve done quite a few Disney pieces. What draws you to create Disney art? (Or art from different fandoms, like Sherlock and Game of Thrones.)

NE: Disney means a lot to me because I grew up surrounded by it. Stories like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella have always been present in my life. I love the whole fairytale-princess-mermaid thingy so I guess that this passion for magical things is in everything I do.

Speaking of passion and magic…the fandoms. Oh, don’t ever let me get started on them. But for the purpose of this interview, I’ll just say that British shows are one of my favorite topics to discuss. Any day, anytime.  I’ll definitely start working on some Doctor Who pieces soon because…well, David Tennant and Matt Smith. Not necessarily in that order haha!

CM: You’ve also done a few Audrey Hepburn pieces. What about Audrey appeals to you as an artist?

NE: I think Audrey will always be my greatest source of inspiration. To me, she is one of those people that you wish that could have lived forever. Her timeless style, grace, and class are the very qualities I try to bring to my own style of drawing and art in general. She had that rare kind of innocent beauty and elegance that you just can’t find anywhere nowadays.

CM: Where did you get the idea to create your own model of Bag End?

NE: At first I had this idea of making some sort of night lamp shaped like Bag End, but only the front door and the Hill, like a bonsai tree. I thought it would be so pretty to see it lit up on my desk. But then this little idea became much bigger, and I decided to build the whole thing, with rooms and furniture, just like a dollhouse. The first thing I did was to cut holes on the wood to make the round windows and doors. That was definitely one of the most difficult things to do! My mom helped me a lot (she’s a far better artist than me!) during this part. After that, I began putting together the walls and room dividers, painting them, installing the floor tiles and so on.

All this crazy adventure took about one year and a half – I started it in July 2013 and finished it in November 2014. I had to pause the project for a bit because I was studying a lot during the time. The materials I used…let me see, I used pinewood for the walls and pretty much for the whole structure, mini bricks, static grass, many kinds of decorative stones, MDF wood for the most delicate parts of the house, and Fimo clay for the food and garden flowers.

CM: What was the most difficult thing about this project? The most fun?

NE: Apart from cutting holes on the walls, the most difficult thing about the entire project was figuring out a way to build a replica as close as possible to the real hobbit hole. The obvious problem was the fact that Bag End is essentially a tunnel, round with curved walls. Carving the wood to make it round was pretty much impossible so I decided to change the whole design. The most fun part of building my miniature Bag End was probably having to watch The Fellowship of the Ring and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey over and over again!

CM: What did you learn from this experience that was different than your other art?

NE: I definitely learned a lot about construction and architecture, and I had to figure out how to set up the electrical wiring, install tiles, window panels and everything else that there is in a real house. This is the kind of art that you only make once in a lifetime, and it’s completely different from everything that I’ve ever done before, but if I had to I would undoubtedly start it all over again from scratch. In fact, I’m planning to start building a 221b Baker Street dollhouse soon…

CM: Are there any new mediums, subjects, or styles you’d like to try in the future?

NE: As I mentioned earlier, I enrolled in Film and Animation class, so I guess I’ll be starting to work with digital illustration soon enough. I also want to create some pieces based on animals, like horses and cats. I just love their elegant silhouettes!

Which artists inspire you?

NE: I’ve also already mentioned Brittney Lee as a contemporary artist that greatly inspires me. Some other awesome people that I admire far too much for words are: Eyvind Earle, Mary Blair, Eric Larson, Glen Keane, Lorelay Bové and J. Scott Campbell.

CM: Do you have any new upcoming projects you can share?

NE: As for new upcoming projects, I plan on building a miniature of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson’s legendary rooms at 221b Baker Street, complete with Persian slippers and many types of tobacco ashes! I’ll continue working on my Audrey pieces – there are still a few Breakfast at Tiffany’s outfits to be done and after that I’ll jump to the My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday and Funny Face ones (phew!). I recently started watching Downton Abbey and I loved it with all my heart…

Like I said, I love far too many movies and shows, so it’s fair to say that my head is constantly filled with ideas! I’m also working on some original characters, and I’m trying to put together a little art book, like a portfolio, which will soon be available on my Etsy shop.

Ta-ta for now guys!

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Nathanna Érica is a Brazilian girl who loves to draw, paint and cut paper. She also loves to build things and watch movies. The Seventh Art has pretty much defined her life in numerous occasions. She grew up waiting for her Hogwarts letter. Then she wanted to personally take the One Ring to Mount Doom and make sure that everything that is green and beautiful in this world would be safe from the shadows of Mordor. Sometimes, she’s sassy like Holly Golightly, singing Moon River by her window. Sometimes, she’s like the Dark Knight, on the rooftops, waiting for a chance to fight crime and injustice. She likes detective stories. And detectives. She also loves fish and chips, red buses and black cabs. If you can carry on a conversation with her about all those DC and Marvel superheroes, she’s already your best friend. She sings all the time. Just like a Disney movie. Yep, that sums it up.

Follow her on Twitter @nathsketch and Instagram @nath.sketch
See more of her art at nathsketch.tumblr.com
For the whole story behind her miniature Bag End, visit myhobbithole.weebly.com and nathshobbithole.blogspot.com

Interview with Artist Miranda Yeo

Mermaid by Miranda Yeo

CM: What got you interested in art at a young age?

MY: I’d have to go with Disney movies being one of the most important things that got me interested in art. I would spend hours watching The Lion King, Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and trying to draw the characters.

CM: When did you decide to become a professional artist?

MY: I had no idea what I was going to do after high school. It really came down to the wire and I looked up art schools and found Sheridan. I figured I could draw decently, maybe I should try it. I applied to the Animation program at Sheridan College but had no idea what I was doing, or even what a portfolio really entailed so I didn’t get accepted – but they recommended the Art Fundamentals program and I ended up taking that instead.

CM: What did you study in college?

MY: I took two years of Art Fundamentals courses and then I applied to the Animation program. In Fundamentals we studied life drawing, painting, 2D design, textiles and sculpture. In Animation we studied character design, storyboarding, layout, 3D animation, life drawing and traditional animation.

CM: What are the benefits to going to art school?

MY: One of the biggest benefits is being in a creative environment with a bunch of peers. Seeing what everyone else is doing is incredibly motivating and class critiques can really help you improve. It’s great to be able to connect with your peers and teachers and create networks that will last after you graduate!

CM: What is your favorite medium and/or tools to use?

MY: That’s a hard one – I love both digital and traditional media. Inking is one of my favourite things to do traditionally, but I also love being able to quickly sketch and colour digitally.

Dancer by Miranda Yeo

CM: How is it different to draw traditionally vs. drawing digitally?

MY: It’s actually surprisingly different! I sometimes have a hard time switching to drawing traditionally after weeks of only doing digital work. I tend to feel much more relaxed when I’m drawing in Photoshop because I know I can just Undo any mistakes or tweak any small problems. When working traditionally you have to have an idea of what you’re trying to create – especially when using a permanent medium like ink. There’s no going back!

CM: Which method do you prefer?

MY: Generally most of my work is digital. Sometimes it’s just much easier!

CM: What are your favorite kinds of things to draw?

MY: I love drawing ladies, hair and outfits! Cute stuff is what I gravitate most towards.

CM: Where do you find most of your inspiration?

MY: In everything! Movies, music, books, other artists, the tree outside my window. It’s incredibly cheesy but there is inspiration in everything.

CM: What is the most fun thing about character designing?

MY: I love creating and designing the look of characters and their clothing. I could spend hours researching and gathering references for what a character will look like!

CM: What is the most difficult thing?

MY: The most difficult thing is getting everything working together – do those pants allow the character’s legs to move properly? Does the hair suit the character’s personality? Every aspect has to drive home the character’s personality. You should be able to look at the design and have an idea of what the character is all about.

Character Design by Miranda Yeo

CM: What are you favorite kinds of characters to draw?

MY: Kids are incredibly fun to draw! Characters with lots of personality.

CM: What kind of references do you use when you draw?

MY: I usually have some images of clothing, props or people up when I’m drawing characters. If I have to draw something like hands I might take pictures of my own. If I’m drawing an action pose I will get up and do it.

CM: Who are some of the artists you admire most?

MY: There are so many! Glen Keane, Earl Oliver Hurst, Mary Blair, Brittney Lee, and Lorelay Bove are some of them!

CM: What has your experience freelancing for Nickelodeon, Disney Junior, and DHX Media been like?

MY: It’s been great! It’s been such a pleasure working with these studios on projects that I never thought I’d contribute to. I’ve been mainly focusing on freelancing for the past few months. It’s really nice to be able to wake up and work in your own home. It’s interesting to see different studios’ workflows and communicating back and forth with directors via text can be a great form of feedback.

CM: What have your favorite projects been?

MY: One of the most recent projects I set out for myself was to work on drawing all the main characters from the Lord of the Rings series. It was incredibly fun to finally draw the characters I’ve loved for so long! It was a very rewarding project to get into in-between work. I’ve always been a huge Lord of the Rings fan so it was exciting to work with the characters. I also really love taking part in the annual Inktober event on Instagram. It’s so inspiring to see everyone’s work throughout the month! And it’s a great excuse to work traditionally.

CM: What are some of the joys and/or challenges of this work?

MY: The biggest joy is creating art that people respond to. It’s always a great feeling to see people liking your work. I find the biggest challenge is staying motivated and pushing yourself to the next level. It can be easy to get comfortable with your work and not feel a need to keep improving yourself.

CM: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

MY: Always keep drawing. Do not get too hung up on developing a ‘style’ or doing something a particular way. Find what you’re comfortable with and do it as much as you can.

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Miranda Yeo is a recent graduate of Sheridan’s B.A Animation program. She is a character designer currently residing in beautiful British Columbia.

Website: http://miranda-dawn.net
Instagram: https://instagram.com/snarkies

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Read about Miranda’s Lord of the Rings series here.