Tell us about yourself and your background in the digital arts.

What other hobbies do you have? Do you do other types of art? What got you interested in digital art? When did you begin drawing digitally? What made you join DeviantArt?

I've always loved to draw; one day baby me picked up a pencil and never put it down. At first I mostly drew using graphite pencils, occasionally colored pencils and markers. Over the years I've picked up numerous other mediums: Copic markers, watercolor, oil paint, but once I discovered digital art it quickly became my favorite. My first digital artworks I drew online, on a website called goSupermodel, where you could have your own avatar and design clothes for it. The clothing design app also had an option to hide your avatar, so I used that as a blank canvas to draw.
On that website I also got to know some other artists, who introduced me to drawing programs like OpenCanvas (which I downloaded but never understood), and Paint Tool SAI. When I got Paint Tool SAI is when I truly became interested in digital art. Shortly after that, although I’m not entirely sure how, I learned about the existence of DeviantArt, and as proud and as eager as I was to share my art at that time, I joined.
Whoa, didn’t expect that to become such a long story! As for other hobbies… I love books, movies, video games, TV series – any kind of fiction, really. I’m a big fan of the fantasy genre especially. I also enjoy writing, as well as singing, dancing and playing the piano.

I have only been doing digital art for the past few years. I do other types of art. I know how to use clay, oil paints are one of my personal favorites, acrylics, straight up water colors, pastels and quite a few others mediums as well. I also am skilled as a seamstress though I am sure there is always something new to learn. I tend to enjoy learning new ways to create things in general. I joined DeviantArt because I wanted to share my art and I didn't have a way at the time, to really do that.

I joined DA a few years back with a bunch of people that I knew! I wasn't all that active for a while, but for whatever reason, I came back to it a few months later. Which, I'm really glad that I did! Art's been a constant the past few years and the fact that it stuck sort of surprised me. Thankfully, it became a hobby that I stuck with and wanted to improve with, and people around me were very supportive of it! Mostly I do digital art, since it's easiest for me. But, I dabble in watercoloring and traditional art sometimes. Not often, though.

We’d like to know more about your drawing process.

What is your ideal and/or usual drawing environment? What mediums/programs you use? What is your drawing process?

I usually draw at my desk in my bedroom, though I also like to sketch on the living room couch in front of the TV. My current digital art program of choice is Clip Studio Paint PRO a.k.a Manga Studio 5; I’m absolutely in love with its brushes, tools and endless options for customization. As for traditional art, I’ve been experimenting with watercolor lately and I’m enjoying it so far. I also like to use Copic markers.
My drawing process begins with a usually simple concept, which I then turn into a sketch. One thing I’ve started doing very recently is trying to create a story behind my concepts; this helps me come up with some depth and the details that really help make my artworks more complete. If the concept turns out to be interesting, I start ‘planning’ my painting. I’ll sketch out some thumbnails, followed by a more detailed line sketch. At this point I’ll try out some color schemes to see what works best, and finally I do a clean-up of the most detailed parts of my painting, such as any characters, as a guideline. Finally, I’ll start putting down my base colors, and then just add more and more colors and brush strokes until I’m happy with the result!

Well, I wouldn't say I have an ideal drawing environment. I have always just sort of done so... I guess I prefer not to do it in a moving vehicle but make no mistake, I will do so if the mood strikes and I happen to be in a moving vehicle and have nothing else to be doing at the time. Mostly if I have my stuff on me I can just sit down anywhere and draw. I might start with lines and I might skip it altogether. It all depends on what I want to do at that time.

I use Paint Tool Sai for the most part, and sometimes I'll use Paint.NET, too! Normally when drawing, I'll start out with a really rough outline of a body before deciding if I want to put more work into it to finish it up. I have so many files on my computer of unfinished outlines and sketches. I listen to music or watch television when I draw, since it's nice to have extra distractions for my brain. My drawing speed varies a lot depending on how inspired I am to draw! I can barely draw if I'm not 100% motivated, it kind of sucks.

Let's talk about the hard parts of digital art, for you.

What was the most difficult thing you had to learn when it comes to art? Currently, when you make a drawing, what is the most difficult part of the process? And what do you feel you still need to learn about? What is your biggest insecurity when it comes to your art?

Anatomy is my mortal enemy. I definitely see it as one of the biggest flaws in my art, and one that seems to improve very very slowly even with a lot of practice. There’s a lot of other things I find difficult to draw; environments, animals, but since I like to draw people, anatomy has the biggest impact. When drawing I spend a lot of time trying to get my character’s pose to look just right.

The most difficult thing for me so far has been digital art. I actually didn't start out in it because of a desire to use that specific medium but more because I didn't have the money for all the supplies for traditional mediums. So I tend to use traditional techniques even in my digital art rather than specialized digital art techniques. The hardest part had to be doing that before I got my drawing tablet. Going from traditional to using a mouse (and mine was old and kept sticking too which made it more difficult)... that was the hardest thing about it. Another thing is when you have to deal with people with more emotional works, its all emotional of course, but I mean anything depicting pain, if it uses imagery that makes people uncomfortable sometimes people like to try and make that out to be a problem with you. It isn't. It is actually quite healthy. Still, you run into people like that in pretty much any walk of life. Because of my personal style not everyone realizes that as an impressionist I am more concerned with the feelings, the impressions, however at the same time I am entirely capable of realism. Not everyone understands why I don't if I can... so I don't always get the feedback I need. Currently this is the issue I deal with most in regards to my art. I have even had people who didn't look through my gallery say they felt I had improved in my realism when clearly they weren't looking at things I did using some aspects of realism. Every once in awhile I do get that wild hair up my butt. Like any artist I go through my phases of what I currently am more prone to painting or doing... we all do it according to ourselves or something going on in our lives etc etc etc. Like any artist I do that as well. Because of my style people who look at it judging from a realism standpoint don't realize their are countless ways to do art and judge it from only that one set of standards. That is a difficulty for both me and them I think, because they often don't know how to respond when I tell them something is supposed to be that way. I think those are also my biggest insecurities as well. I am not trying to seem difficult. My style simply isn't reliant on the standards of realism. While I enjoy learning different mediums, styles and technique and incorporating whatever I feel like using in different pieces, I don't particularly like that it makes it harder on people who are trying to help. I am not trying to be difficult and it makes me really self conscious and then I end up over explaining a lot trying to help them understand more and sometimes it works and we end up helping each-other sometimes, others I just put my foot in my mouth.

OOOH, EVERYTHING'S HARD?? Anatomy's always really hard for me, but more specifically the limbs? Like legs and arms, it's always been reeeal difficult. I'm proud of the improvement I've had over the past few years, though! I feel like it's been incredibly slow at times, and really frustrating to deal with. I'm always going to be open to learning more, because even the things I'm proud of are sure in need of improvement still! I don't want to block myself off and be guarded when it comes to that. My biggest insecurity in my art. . . is hard to pin down. In some pieces, I'll like one thing, and then in others, I'll feel unsure about it. In a really broad way, all of my art makes me feel insecure, even in the slightest ways.

What helps you improve you art?

How much is giving and receiving critique important to you and your art?

Critique is very important to me. Can you imagine checking your inbox and being filled with glee to find that someone wrote you two paragraphs of nothing but criticism? Some of the advice other users have given me on DeviantArt has been a big part of my progress, and I’m very grateful for that.

I enjoy getting different perspectives on my art. Like anyone I prefer they be respectful and constructive. I like to hear it even if I don't agree with it all the time (even the realism comments are useful in different respects though the commenters who judge based on such don't always know what to say when something is supposed to be that way). Still, honestly I just like to hear what it makes people feel or what they see in it for themselves more than anything else, their perspectives. And if they happen to give a suggestion along the way I listen to that too. That is what helps me most.

I try to look at other people's art, and references of people, and watch them in real life (without being creepy lmao) to see how people hold themselves, or walk, or how other artists interpret things, how the light falls, and I think that's always made me want to improve! EVERYONE LOOKS AND INTERPRETS THINGS DIFFERENTLY... That's so cool. Don't know if I've ever added all those things into my own art, but I try to keep an open mind. I haven't ever really received or given a critique, but I don't believe I'd hate the idea. I think I'm a very easily discouraged person, though, and that's made me a little bit nervous.

What piece of advice have you been given that has helped you the most? If it is different, what piece of advice would you give to a new or struggling artist?

Learn to draw realism. When I really started to become interested in art, I only drew anime. When one day I lost interest in that style and tried to do something different, I couldn’t. Everything I tried to draw ended up having the same anime-style proportions that had become muscle memory for me. The best decision I ever made as an artist was to forget everything I knew, go back to square one and learn to draw realism. Realism is the base of any style; if you understand it, it will massively improve absolutely anything and everything you draw. That’s the best advice I got, and the advice I’d like to pass on to everyone else!

The piece of advice I was given that helped me the most... to paint my heart. Go with how I feel. Sometimes people don't understand but... my mother once told me when I was little that if I painted with my heart other people might understand it with their hearts. It probably sounds idealistic but... I was pretty much into anything art I could from an early age and I was like six when my mom told me that. I was frustrated because people weren't seeing what I was putting into it and wanted to know how to make them see it. The second most helpful piece of advice was this. 'Not everyone will see it. Sometimes they see themselves or someone they know in it. It is much more important you are happy with it than everyone else.'
I think I would tell a new or struggling artist to never give up and to paint what makes them happy. What lifts their heart be it by relieving a burden or something that brings their heart peace. What speaks to your heart will speak to someone else's. Maybe not everyone will appreciate it but if you can appreciate it and be happy with it then it doesn't matter but above all else never give up. That is how you stay as well as how you're going to be even when the money isn't coming in.

oooh gosh I don't think I've ever really got any good advice that stuck with me and inspired me. But, to new and struggling artists out there, don't give up! There's always going to be people out there who don't like what you draw or create, but that shouldn't matter. It's easy to get mixed up in what others think of what you do, but try to remember that if you enjoy it and it inspires you and it makes you happy, that's all that matters!

What inspires you?

Which people inspire you? Are there particular artists, either on DA or in real life, who you admire?

A lot of my inspiration comes from animated movies as well as fantasy films. One movie that I always watch to get through an art block is Disney’s Wreck-it Ralph, my absolute favorite ever. I’m hardly even exaggerating when I say there’s countless artists that inspire me. Some I can think of off the top of my head that I admire a lot are sakimichan, D.M Cumbo , DestinyBlue, Yu-Han Chen, and Glen Keane.

What inspires me? Honestly a lot of things really and a lot of people to be honest. I find inspiration in history, in emotions, mythology, in nature, in people... in experiences personal or otherwise.
Well, Aviva I do admire how you somehow stay so sweet despite the cruel place this world is. It is a rare thing to stay genuinely so the way the world is. Most people become quite burned being that way, guarded and unwilling or unable to show that side of themselves to others or simply becoming cruel themselves. The world needs more people with the strength you have to still be a sweetie or simply kind. I can't help but admire that you have that strength.
I also admire 3wyl for all their hard work with project comment, something that helps artists get more constructive feedback who might otherwise not get it. I wish I found them sooner to be honest.
I admire Vincent Van Gogh. His work reminds me you don't have to obsessively stick to realism to have your work touch peoples hearts. It inspires me when I get discouraged because people snubbed his art for the very same reasons mine has at times been snubbed. He wasn't following popular notions others were where they used popular techniques that gave paintings a more realistic quality than his. He gave up a lot though and while his story is sad (especially how the lead in the paints drove him mad over the years, leading to his eventual suicide) he never let it stop him from painting, not to the very end. While he was snubbed in life his paintings are today held in very high regard. I think every artist wants their art to find a place in someones heart. His art eventually found that in a lot of someones and his pieces are considered national treasures. I don't really aspire for that level though, I am just happy if someone appreciates it. When it doesn't feel like that is really happening I remember Vincent Van Gogh. I think though it didn't happen during his lifetime it gives me hope for my own pieces. After all, we all put bits of our own selves into every piece, it is only natural we desire they be appreciated.

I get inspired by such weird, random little things HAHA. I don't think there are specific things or people that will always inspire me to draw, or never inspire me. Music inspires me, clothing inspires me, the little strange picture ideas that come into my head at 2am when I should really be asleep inspire me, my friends and family and their own creations inspire me. There's nothing specific, it's always new and different and exciting.