Victoria “xXMioXx” Aubry is a 21-year-old French artist who has had a fondness for art since she was a child, but began taking it seriously when she was 12. Her first inspirations were visual stories with shocking images. She wanted to be able to make others feel this way with her art and started to experiment. Until two years ago, she was self taught. Since then, she has attended a Japanese-media oriented art school.

The following is an interview with this talented artist.

Toonari Post (TP): What mediums do you use for your art work? Which is your favorite and why?

xXMioXx (M): I like to try a bit of everything! After years of using both digital and traditional media, that last one still stays my favorite. There’s a physical dimension in it that remains unequaled and asks for the artist’s hands to struggle with in order to achieve a piece. One is never too old for finger-painting! Digital has that interesting capacity in evolving quickly; we don’t really know how it is going to be in the future, and we could be greatly surprised.

TP: What piece of your work is your favorite and why? Which one are you most proud of?

M: This one is my favorite. I spent quite some time on it, working with strong and saturated colors, but it left me unsatisfied. One
day I just got rid of all the colors on it, instead of trying to refine them, and took a fresh start! It was a great relief to finish it that way. (Here you can see how it evolved ). The one I’m the most proud of is this two years old illustration. It comes with a 10 page story that I would like to re-work soon.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

M: My main and general inspiration comes from Japanese manga artists. It’s still the case, but lots of internet artists are just as inspirational! My all times favorites are still the Japanese game-designers Shigenori Soejima (Persona 3 and 4…) and Akihiko Yoshida (Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre), amongst others.

TP: Have you ever had to deal with a situation where someone else took credit for your work? If so, what did you do to resolve it? How did this art theft make you feel?

M: No, I happily have not had to face any major case of art theft! Most of the time it’s just un-credited use of artworks. But real art-thief can make you fell pretty helpless, especially when you try to discuss with the art or idea thief and you only face a wall.

TP: What is your favorite subject to draw and why?

M: I love to draw characters that are heavily influenced by all the recent Japanese anime and manga cultures. The manga style is something I’ve loved for years, and as I still see many of the young artists I met during my teenage years “growing out of it”, I’m trying to  hold onto that style, in particular.

This is not something people should be ashamed to do because it does not mean being a copy-cat or “not evolving”, it’s a style that stands by itself, as valuable as western comics, classical art, or any other imaginable style. With the actual way art is shared throughout the world with the internet, styles are not bound anymore to specific countries and I’m always glad to see an artist from outside of Japan that successfully assimilated the manga style, took liberties with it and made it his own to convey ideas.

TP: If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

M: Oil painting would be the medium I would like the most to master one day. Classical paintings fascinate me with their soft and unique texture that is created using particular kinds of paints. Still, it is a bit too expensive for me to use now! Maybe in a few years I’ll be able to afford it.

TP: Outside of Deviantart, what is your life like?

M: Sometimes I’m a student and somtimes I’m a hobby artist. I love to see as much visual material as my brain can absorb, and visiting museums. Collecting things is also my other passion! My room is my own little museum full of not-really-valuable toys, books, dolls, video games, and art prints.

TP: What is it like to be able to be part of a community (Deviantart) that allows you to share your artwork with artists from all over the globe?

M: The community part is the best thing it has to offer! I can’t count how many nice (and talented!) artists I’ve met there that led to some great art collaborations. Also, they are from locations I probably would not have been able to reach through, for example, a blog, or a forum, that are often made around a single language and country.

TP: What are your goals in life? Do you plan to continue art as a hobby or make it a career?

M: I would really like to make a living from art! I’ve tried some other disciplines like Art-History and Language, but I can’t focus on them completely; art is always in the way in my mind. So I’ll try in the near future to work it more and more and I hope things will come out as nice as possible.

If you would like to see any of xXMioXx’s artwork, check out her Deviantart page.

Image Courtesy of   http://xxmioxx.deviantart.com/gallery/

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About the author

Kala Istvanek
Presently, I am attending Carthage College in Kenosha, U.S.A. I will be graduating with a degree in Asian Studies, with a minor in English and Studio Art. I have been a bookworm ever since I could read and I can never turn down a book. Art is also one of my loves and discovering new artists is always a thrill for me.