We're excited to introduce UK artist @static_wool as our Artist Spotlight this Saturday! In this interview, she provides valuable advice for emerging artists on finding passion and overcoming blocks, as well as insights into creating art that nourishes the soul above all else. Be sure to check Static’s social accounts after reading to discover her delightful style and techniques, and we hope her encouraging message to "Draw because you enjoy it" continues to inspire creative fulfillment for all.
How long have you been creating art? When did you start using art markers?
I've been making art for as long as I can remember. My Mum is an artist herself; she paints, uses pottery and other wool related arts too, so she was very encouraging when it came to me and my Brother being creative. Having both my Mum and older Brother as artistic role models meant that making art seemed very normal to me and confused my younger self when I learned not everyone was like that. I then also took art as my courses throughout education but only really started taking it seriously around 2018 when I came across DrawingWiffWaffles art channel. This is also around the time I got my first set of Ohuhu alcohol markers, I'd used other brands before but the price was always very daunting and it made me nervous to experiment and really figure out how to use them, I'd heard people talking about Ohuhu and also seeing Rin (DrawingWiffWaffles) use them convinced me to give them a try.
What advice would you give to newer artists that have just begun using art markers?
EXPERIMENT! It is key to figuring out the best way you like to use them. Watch tutorials, find artists you like and see how they use them. There are so many ways and styles they can be used, so my thought is if you see something you like, try it. Also don't be afraid to blend, the pens are more durable than you think.
Do you have any favorite artists?
I have quite a lot of favourite artists!
Alphonse Mucha was a big inspiration for me during college and had a big effect on my digital art at the time.
Frank Dicksee is another, his technique is beautiful but I also really like the stories told in his work and the connection between the characters he paint in his work.
J. C. Leyendecker is one I've fairly recently gotten into, I really love his use of form and colours.
Then there are a lot of Artists I've come across through social media:
DrawingWiffWaffles, like I mentioned earlier, has been a huge inspiration for me and gave me the drive to finish my very first sketchbook.
Goldentar.art got me into purely graphite drawings, their use of cross hatching and linework is very inspiring.
The Last Coffee Bean is the reason I started making videos on youtube. She creates such fun and lively art with beautiful colour palettes and I always look forward to her videos. There are lots of artists who inspire me in so many different ways, too many to list here, and I've made such great friends because of art.
How long does one work of art typically take you?
I'd say that depends on the piece. I think "Finished" pieces can take me anywhere from 1 hour to 4, where smaller pieces can be done in 30 - 40 minutes. I don't always keep track of how long it takes. Sometimes I'm just swept up by it and can spend hours at a time working on it, other times I'm having to take a break every 5-10 minute because I just can't focus.
What's one work that you're particularly proud of?
A piece I think of often is a fanart picture I made of Zagreus, from the game
Hades , sometime in 2021. I was trying out some new markers I got and I was very nervous to use them. I wasn't confident with using colours at this time, but I was so happy with how it came out and it kept pushing me to make more coloured art that I could be proud of the same way I was with that piece.
What inspires you? Where do you look for inspiration?
A lot of what inspires me comes from media. I can get so obsessed and caught up with movies, shows, games etc and that is where a lot of my drive to create comes from. I love taking in all these stories and characters that someone has created and poured their heart into and getting swept up in the realities of these made up worlds and relationships is just so much fun. It pushes me to create my own characters and ideas that I otherwise might have never thought of. Absorbing all these medias can be so helpful when creating as, whether you realise it or not, it affects what you yourself come up with. Expand that mental library.
What's the most important advice you could give to an aspiring artist?
I have 2.
1 - Draw for yourself. Draw because you enjoy it. This doesn't mean you can't also draw for other people too, but at the end of the day if you find you don't want to draw something or you feel like you have to or it's expected of you, don't. Of course commissions are the exception here but even then you're allowed to set your own boundaries within that. You should be making art because you enjoy it and not because you think you should. Also something else I don't think a lot of people hear who might need to, it's okay to stop. If you find you just don't want to make art anymore you're allowed to stop. And if you one day want to pick up a pencil again you can, there are no rules for this. There are no rules for art.
2 - USE REFERENCES. There've been posts flying around saying using references is cheating. It's not. References are an incredibly vital tool for artists, you need a basic understanding of how a thing works if you want to be able to accurately draw it. Learn the basics of anatomy, use photo references, use art references, follow tutorials online. How are you to know what a tiger or a skyscraper looks like without having seen one before? Your mental library is important, and if you build it up enough you can get to the point where you don't need to look things up to remember them, but it always helps to do it.
What does art mean to you personally?
I suppose it's a form of escapism. Our world is a fixed point, so if I want to immerse myself in a reality with magic or monsters or post apocalyptic city scapes, then art is a safe way to do that. Building on my own ideas or the ideas of others I can imagine how certain puzzle pieces go together and it's just a lot of fun. It's not anything too deep, but my life is a lot more colourful because of art.
What is your favourite Ohuhu Series?
I think my favourite is the
Honolulu set . I just really love the brush nib, it feels the most natural to work with, you can get both a fin point or broader point depending on your pressure which I just think it super convenient.
If you could keep only 5 colors from your Ohuhu collection.Which would they be & why?
From the Honolulu set, probably
R110 ,
Y5,
E050,
Y6, and
B120 for no other reason than I just really like those ones. They're probably the ones I use the most :)
