Hakumo is both a digital and traditional artist with pieces featured in a variety of art books including Kingdom Carousel, Quixotic, and GAIA. Each of these art books’ proceeds go towards a charitable cause (St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, American Cancer Society, and the Red Cross of Colombia, respectively). Hakumo’s skills range from digitally drawn fanarts of anime and other interests to creating fantastical pieces inspired from childhood memories.

ToonariPost (TP): What artists would you consider working with to do a piece? Why, and what type of work do you think would come from this partnership? If not, what are your reasons?

Hakumo (H): For the time being, I’m not mentally ready to work with other artists. As far as I know I have a strong urge to control. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be fair to the other partner if that happens. If I need to do it, something that’s humorous or playful, like maybe working with friends or people I already know is a possibility, or doing a meme of sorts actually feels like a way I could work with the artists who made it (and most of the time the answers are pretty much, ridiculous, haha).

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

H: All! Well, that would be too good to be true. As for me, I would like to master pencil and pen. I was inspired by manga and aspire to do my own comic one day. I think the two are a fundamental part of starting it. Not just that, it’s simply amazing how a piece of work can look with just a pencil or a pen! To be honest, I think there’s never enough practice for any medium, you keep finding different ways to play with it and that’s never boring.

TP: You are taking part in the charity art book project, Kingdom Carousel. Can you tell me more about how you became a part of this project? How did you choose an art piece to be used in the project?

H: I was kindly invited by the organizer and it was a great pleasure for me! How I chose the piece: there were 3 or 4 ideas to choose from. From them I took one that fit the criteria first, and then one I had the urge to do very much, to make sure I expressed the feeling well. The ideas are mostly my impression of (my) childhood; warmth, comfort, whimsicality, and fantasy because when you’re a kid it seems like your mind is at the wildest, isn’t it?

The piece submitted is the one I wanted to do at that moment, I loved working on it; crazy hours but I learned a lot. When I have time in the future I would love to complete the other ideas as well.

TP: What is your most memorable moment from any convention you have been to?

H: Aside from learning to organize, I got to meet people who enjoy doing what I enjoy to do! Not just the artists’ themselves (in real life!), but also people who enjoy the artworks: people who’re willing to buy, even just saying that they like it. I met people I didn’t know before and they became my friends. I think that is one experience you don’t get often.

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

H: Both. Career sounds so formal doesn’t it? I like to think of it more as making art as a living. If I can make what I love to do that will be the best job one can have in the world! As for life itself, I want to make it as enjoyable as possible, learning new things as much as possible, and go with what chances greet me on the way.

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

H: Quite likely. One thing I realized was it wasn’t as comfortable for me in exposing things that are rather personal because I was taught to keep low and safe. I still think I do now. There are so many safely kept ideas because of that. Although, recently, memorable things from my childhood or personal favorites keep appearing in my works, so I take it as a positive thing. Gradually I hope to conquer this habit.

TP: Can you tell me more about your background?  What experiences brought you to be the person you are today?

H: Ah, nothing interesting about my background except that I was born in a family with no artistic background. The support of family, friends, and people I meet or know me, online or offline is what brought me to what I am now. Without them I would probably be somewhere not knowing how to draw. Thinking back on that, I regard this as a great blessing and luck.

Image Courtesy of  Hakumo

The article Artist Spotlight: Hakumo Interview, Part 2 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Hazu is a 17 year old Hungarian artist who started making art only for fun, but it soon turned into a lifelong love. When Hazu was in elementary school she received good grades and her parents wanted to send her to a harder school where she could study to be a doctor or lawyer. Hazu refused and although her parents wanted her to go in one direction they accepted her decision not to follow that path. Now they are her biggest fans and her biggest inspiration.

Most of Hazu’s creations are full of happy, bright things that are not in the least depressing, but often lift the spirits of viewers. Hazu loves to draw these types of images because of all the financial problems in her country. By creating such joyful pieces she can forget the troubles of everyday life in Hungary and the suffering many families go through. Her art has taught her that money is not everything.

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

Hazu (H): As I remember, I started drawing in 2007 because of anime. I was only 12 and I drew for myself only. It was really fun because I didn’t have to draw to suit anyone, I could draw anything I wanted.

At first, I was self-taught, then I realized I wanted to go to a school for art, so I started at an art high school. Well, actually, it’s a school for art and sewing. Some kind of fashion designer school. We have to design a full collection and then we choose one costume and sew it. We have about 5 drawing lessons each week.

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

H: I like to try out as many mediums as possible. I have fun with alternative techniques, like coffee or tea, but my favorite is watercolor. Its a very unique medium which has many facilities and its fast. You can do awesome things in a very short time. It’s perfect for me. At school we use plenty of mediums, like aniline watercolor, coal, color pencils, pastel and lead pencil. We also try many tools for painting like sponges, toothbrushes and we use our hands sometimes to paint.

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

H: I guess I have always been the most proud of my latest artwork, but my favorite is “The Moon and the Sun” since I finished it. I love how it came out, the colors and the floating pose. I think it’s my best traditionally made painting so far. I am always prouder of my traditional works than the digital ones.

TP: How would you describe your unique artistic style?

H: Well, I hope it’s unique enough. For me, it’s very important to be unique. I started with anime then I realized I wanted my own style, and if I have to be honest, I can’t remember how my present style came out. I just drew how I wanted to and then it’s slowly transformed into something new. I like to use bright colors, draw skinny people with big pointed noses and scarves.

TP: Among some of your pieces you have some that are fashion design. What caused you to turn to this area of art? Would you ever consider making your designs into actual clothing?

H: As I mentioned, in my school we learn art and sewing at the same time. I have regular art lessons but also have design lessons where we can learn how to make proper designs. Since the beginning I really enjoyed these lessons, mainly because we can make the clothes we imagined in our minds. We sew small things like skirts and shirts but we also have to sew our costumes for the year-end fashion show. Also this year I applied for a competition. We had to design and sew a special wedding dress.

TP: Who are some of your favorite fashion designers and why? What makes your designs unique?

H: I don’t have a favorite fashion designer because I’m not really into this fashion thing. Of course I love clothes and I love to design them, also wear them, but I never look around at professional fashion. But the Hungarian fashion designers are incredible. I think there are a lot of good designers in my little country as I look around, but I’m not a professional so I can’t judge it properly.

TP: When you first started did you ever hit any bumps in your art process. How did you overcome them?

H: When I started it I only drew for fun, so I never thought about the proper anatomy or things like that. Because of that reason I never hit any bumps. I just drew however I wanted to and what I wanted to. But this year I had some problems with drawing. I think all artists have art blocks and my advice is to wait. Don’t force yourself to draw, just wait until you get inspired. It helped for me.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

H: I get a lot of inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki and his films. He’s truly amazing. He creates simple and lovely characters and also his stories are fantastic. My other inspiration is DeviantART. There are so many awesome talents there especially Phobs. I really adore his work and stuff. I check his gallery once every day and I hope I can be a unique and awesome artist like him one day.

TP: What artists would you consider working with to do a piece?

H: Haha, I’m not good enough yet to work with any big artists. For now i just draw, draw, draw and after I finish university I will think about a partnership.

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

H: Digital media. I love traditional media but in digital you have many more possibilities. Some artists can do awesome things in digital media, monumental breathtaking pieces. I hope I can make digital paintings like them one day.

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

H: I want to make it a career, I hope I will succeed. I don’t know my goals yet. I will have plenty of time a university to think about them.

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

H: It has not influenced mine at all! It’s very strange, by the way, but my home country is the least of my inspirations. I really love it and like living here, but I can’t get inspired from it.

The article Artist Spotlight: Hazu Interview appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

NekoKirara is a full time graphic designer of Malaysian origin and you can find your artwork in her various galleries on Deviantart and on Tumblr. The first piece of her work that I was exposed to was “Koibito,” which means lover and was inspired by koi fish.

The resemblance is in the color palate, but the posture of the characters and the look of their eyes struck me and caused me to wander through her other galleries and become enraptured with some of her more macabre art. To find out more about the artist behind these pieces of art, I requested an interview and was allowed to ask a few questions.

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

NekoKirara (NK): I started to draw in 2005 and am self-taught. I mostly learned to draw by observing and constantly practicing.

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

NK: I do my work mostly through digital media, such as Paint Tool SAI and Adobe Photoshop. I used to do my work using traditional media (e.g. markers and color pencils), but I like doing my work through digital media nowadays because it’s really convenient.

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

NK: Ah, I don’t have a set one, it usually changes, depending on what I would make in the future, but this is my current favorite for now. I like it because I’ve always loved surreal elements that are out of the ordinary. The artwork I’m most proud of has to be this.

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

NK: Not really, well, I have to be honest, I neglected my studies during school and put all the time I had on drawing because I knew it was what I wanted to do when I grew up.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

NK: My main inspiration for now is my favorite band, Goo Goo Dolls. Their music is the biggest inspiration to me. I have done quite a lot of work that is inspired by their writings.

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?

NK: Oh, a lot of times, it is no stranger to me. Usually, someone would inform me about thieves who are claiming my artworks as theirs, and I would, firstly, ask them to remove my work. If they refused to do so, I would just contact the administration or anyone in charge of the sites where my work is stolen to have them removed. It has worked very well so far.

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

NK: As for now, I’m really enjoying drawing object heads. I have a fondness of doing dark macabre art.

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

NK: For painting, I would like watercolors. I have always admired the skills and patience needed to use that medium. I really like the smooth blending on textured paper. Other than that, I really would like the ability to play musical instruments, like piano, violin or guitar.

TP:  Outside of art what is your life like?

NK: Of course, but I’m afraid it’s nothing amazing. I just feel very blessed to have the ability to transfer what’s on my mind to a blank canvas, so I’m just drawing all the time.

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

NK: I want to be inspired and to inspire people. It is my biggest wish! I want to send messages through my work. It would be the greatest compliment to me if I could do that. Art is already both a hobby and career to me. I’m really grateful to be able to make it.

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

NK: I’m not sure what to say about this. Maybe, a little? I try to stand out from the ordinary through concepts, I’m always thinking of new ideas to win the hearts of my audience.

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

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