Cynthia L. is an illustrator of the fantastical based out of Toronto, Canada. If you need another world to transport yourself to for while, just take a look through her gallery. The colors, the characters, and atmosphere created in each image is at once nostalgic of imaginary childhood make-believe friends and thought up places of retreat.

ToonariPost (TP): How and when did you first start practicing your art (are you traditionally trained or self-taught)?

Cynthia L (CL): I started drawing in high school after taking art, where the teacher was a stellar artist and a big motivational factor to keep practicing. Generally, I am self-taught because high school was mainly art history and I pursued science in university.

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

CL: I use mixed media, but a large percentage of that is watercolour paint. I adore watercolours because they are prone to imperfections and irregularities, and the results can often be unpredictable. It’s really the reason why I love traditional mediums.

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

CL: To be honest, I don’t remember the pictures too clearly after they are done. I think this one is a favorite at the moment because it is simple, but still has some mood to it. I’m proud of this one because it took so long that it threatened to jump into the abandoned paper pile but didn’t.

TP: When you first started did you ever hit any bumps in your art process. What were they and how did you overcome them?

CL: There were and still are countless bumps in the road. The first couple were probably drawing proportions and colours. I overcame or learned to live with them by trying to allocate some time to draw every day.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

CL: When I first started drawing, it was actually all fashion designs. Alexander McQueen was such a huge inspiration with his ornately beautiful and eccentrically morbid works. Later on, when I became more interested in the picture book illustration style, Tove Jansson was a HUGE influence. Her stylistic works are full of imaginative creatures and scenery, and that fantastical other-worldliness is something I strive to create day.

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?

CL: Art theft doesn’t really bother me anymore if the person is not using it for monetary gain. It used to upset me because of the time and effort put into a piece, and I’d still contact people if they are blatantly announcing that the picture is their own. But then I realized that the person will never get anywhere by works taken from others, and all the while I continue to make new things beyond the few stolen pictures.

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

CL: My favorite theme would be children in an imaginary world, partially because I’d like to illustrate children’s books one day, and also because I hope to capture the magic of the world seen through a child’s eye where anything can be, and is possible.

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

CL: I’d love for more than anything to master water color. It is my main medium of use, but I’m far from using it to its full potential.

TP: Outside of art what is your life like?

CL: I have a loving family, a handful of very close friends, and fantastic coworkers. On my off days I like to attend art events or explore downtown. When I work, it is in an art store. So I guess art is my life right now, haha.

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

CL: Actually, I had a complete life direction change recently. I’d gotten into teacher’s college and was going to pursue teaching science. It wasn’t a direction that was driven with the right intentions, I think, because I was quite unhappy. It took me a while to finally let go of that, so now I am going to pursue graphic design and hopefully make creative output into a career.

TP: Do you feel that your culture has influenced you in some way that makes you different than other artists?

CL: I don’t think it makes me different, but there is quite a bit of Asian influence in my art because of the cultures I was exposed to as a child. Since I was raised in China and Japan, I think maybe some of the values and feelings in the pictures are slightly different.

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

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Egyptsand is a Canadian artist, whose playful clay figures I first saw on her Deviantart page. She accepted my inquiry to ask her a few questions to better know the maker of these cute, clay figures and many other forms of art.

Toonari Post (TP): I see that you are an artist of many talents (plushies, clay figures, and traditional drawings). Which is your favorite medium to work with and why?

Egyptsand (E): I enjoy working in a variety of mediums as you’ve noticed. The earliest medium I remember using was graphite and colored pencils, and then I moved on to paintings and recently, sculptures and plush. I am favoring sculpting a lot more lately because I enjoy the 3D aspect of it.

However, combining mediums (mixed media) is even more exciting for me to think about. I haven’t had many projects that call for this yet, but I am hoping to work on some in the near future. Another thing about sculpting is that you are able to feel the material with your hands, and it’s definitely a much different process than pencil to paper, which I quite like, that brings my creations to life.

TP: How and when did you first start practicing your art (are you traditionally trained or self-taught)?

E: I am a self-taught artist and have been doing art for as long as I remember. From the first day I picked up a pencil and pen, I began to draw and color all sorts of shapes everywhere. This progressed to doodling and art class soon became my favorite in elementary school. I began exploring different mediums as I grew older that were more available and accessible to me, like charcoals in high school, which were supplied by the school for students to experiment with.

TP: When you first started, did you ever hit any bumps in your art process? What were they, and how did you overcome them?

E: I’ve always been a big perfectionist when it came to making art, so I would always see visible flaws in my own work. This did not go well as one of my primary interests back then was realism, so I would spend hours and days just going back and reworking details until I was exhausted by the piece. Over the years, I have figured out various methods of simplifying details and saving time, but still retaining the intricacies. This has probably been one of the most valuable things I have taught myself.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

E: I am inspired by many artists for various reasons ranging from the quality of work to how much of a role model they are as an individual. I adore artists who are passionate for what they do and I am drawn to technical pieces in different mediums, especially ones I do not recognize. It’s very hard for me to pick favorites as I do not browse religiously, but a few artists on Deviantart come to mind: demiveemon, juumou, witchiko, babylondonstar for plush and costume, blackeri and farkwhad for digital art, olluna for her little misshapen human sculptures, and DannArte for beautifully painted and molded fan art sculptures.

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

E: I find it tough to choose a single medium, as I generally have an indecisive nature, but I am very attached to plushing right now. I just got a new machine, so I am excited to experiment and see where it will take me. Next up would definitely be sculpture, but I am aiming to push outside my comfort zone with most mediums (for example, working bigger or manipulating it in a way I have not before) because I feel like I can achieve remarkable things when they are done spontaneously.

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

E: I am a full time student attending the University of Victoria and I enjoy gaming, taking commissions, playing piano, and working on side projects in my spare time. I used to play dance games (like DDR) competitively and still do occasionally for fun.  I feel as if I am able to tie together my experiences in my artwork as a means of self reflection. Not many people are able to harmonize their activities with what they do as a profession or would like to do, and for that I feel very lucky.

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

E: At the moment, I am finishing my bachelor of Fine Art in university, and am a freelance artist. I am planning on taking a year off after I graduate at the end of the year to think about the direction I want to pursue while working on some of my own projects. As far as a career goes, ideally I would like something that both is enjoyable for me and can supply me with a wage that I am satisfied with; I am not afraid of risk taking, but I also appreciate the security of a steady income.

I definitely want to do something related to art for my career, but I may have to take some time to decide on that still. I have thought about becoming my own manager and opening up a business, but I also like the idea of working on a larger project with a team of other artists. I’m very flexible with working alone and with others so I am not too concerned about this.

My biggest dream is to become a well established artist, to master and be known for what I do (when I decide on this, which could be one focused medium or a larger body of work in various mediums), and to be an inspiration for other artists. I have always fed off inspiration, so I hope to make it my biggest priority to help other artists achieve their dreams and motivate them with the drive they need to do this by being a good role model.

Image Courtesy of   http://egyptsand.deviantart.com/

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