Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
School: College of Design at NCSU
♥ Artists:
Yun Kouga (Loveless)
Yuichiro Fukaya (Kagrra)
Mihara Mitsukazu (Gothic Lolita Bible)
Takato Yamamoto
Tama
Kira Imai (Angelic Pretty)
Naoto Hirooka (H.naoto)
Range Murata (Last Exile)
Miwa Shirow (Dogs)
Thores (Trinity Blood)
Kaori Yuki (Angel Sanctuary)
Takashi Murakami (Superflat)
Takaya Miou (Tengokukyou)
Edward Gorey (The Gashlycrumb Tinies)
Yana Toboso (Kuroshitsuji)
♥ Music:
Dir en grey, Girugamesh, Maximum the Hormone, One ok Rock, Doping Panda, the Gazette,Muse, Android Lust, Sneaker Pimps, Skankfunk, Kozi, Hyde, Kagrra, Abingdon Boys School, Acid Black Cherry, Miyavi, Psycho le Cemu, Plastic Tree, Sadie, Marbell, The Pillows, Ali Project, DJ Takuya Angel, Ellegarden, Gullet, Veltpunch, Gorillaz, Orgy, 12012, Back-On, D'espairs Ray, Deadman, Unchain, Fact, Boom Boom Satellites, Big Bang, Monobright, Heidi., Jazztronik, Rin to Shite Shigure
♥ Anime + Manga:
Durarara!, Eden of the East, Trinity Blood, Soul Eater, FLCL, Toshoukan Sensou, Boogiepop Phantom, Petshop of Horrors, Yami no Matsuei, Alichino, Dogs, Loveless, Angel Sanctuary, Vampire Knight, Ouran High School Host Club, Nabari no Ou, D.Gray-man, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Code Geass
What drove you to become an artist?
When I was young, my mother actually took me to her office when I wasn't able to go to school on holidays or whatever. I ended up being really bored with being there. Since it was a computer science company there wasn't much there other than computer and office supplies, and computers weren't fun back then like they are now. So I began to learn to draw to entertain myself. The moment I really knew that art was something I wanted to pursue was actually during high school. I realized after not having the mind to grasp computer science, that art was really something I wanted to do and that I was good at and wanted to be better at. So in the end, my boredom as a kid and my realization of it being something that I enjoyed and could be self-motivated about was what drove me into being an artist.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
Right now, I wouldn't call what I do a profession. It's a dream for me to call it a profession just yet. But I love being able to spend my time drawing things I like to draw and sharing those thoughts and feelings with people who appreciate it as much as I enjoyed putting what I love into it.
What Inspires you to keep drawing?
Seeing other art or watching other people succeed at their own dreams keeps me going. I love trying to top my last drawing and to better polish my own skills or learn new ones to more accurately depict what I wish to show on paper.
Did you have any internships in college, if so what was the internship for?
I did not have any internships in college, but I had one in high school. I worked at ArtSpace, a local non-profit organization geared towards creating a space for artist studios and classes to be held in Raleigh, NC. My mentor was Eric McRay (http://mcraystudios.com) where I learned a bulk of what it means to be an artist in the art business. It's not just painting what you love, but also knowing how to paint what you love and make money too. It's also about marketing and promoting your work and you. The image you create isn't just your work, but your personality and your public image as well. It's also about networking and people skills. Things you wouldn't normally think about right of the bat when you decide "I want to be an artist."
What advice would you give to artists who are just starting out or still in college?
Don't rush it. Take in everything you can and really make the effort to define you and your own art style. It's easy enough to just rip off someone else's idea and tweak it as your own. It's a lot harder to create something brand new. But there really isn't anything like creating something that people haven't seen and seeing their reactions to it. Make a lot of friends. They will help you in the long run in one way or another. Networking is one of the biggest things I cannot stress enough to anyone who wants to be an artist. If no one knows about you, you can't go very far. Take an interest in yourself (without being arrogant) and really find who you are, who you want to be, and how to get from point A to point B. And lastly, NEVER stop improving. Don't get comfortable. Just keep pushing and pushing. I met a guest teacher who used to teach figure drawing to Disney animators who said, "the more I draw and the older I get, the less I know about drawing." I feel that this really stuck with me because even though I feel I get better, I always feel like there is so much more to improve on than I could even attempt to master in a lifetime. But it's ok, I'm going to keep trying anyways. And you should too.
Interview questions by Ja-mes Kirkwood.
