We're excited to bring back the Artist Spotlight series after a brief hiatus! (And there are plenty more to come in the future.) This week, Ohuhu is delighted to welcome Belgian artist Chip.illus, who will be sharing thoughts and insights about art and an impressive drawing style. In the coming year, Chip.illus is also set to hold a solo exhibition in Tokyo. Let's dive right in and hear what the artist has to say!
Tell us a bit about yourself and your artistic journey. What sparked your passion?
My name is Chip and I am a Belgian Illustrator driven by things that make me feel nostalgic. All my life i have been obsessed with collecting little gadgets and trinkets. This quickly turned me to the Japanese toy and collectable culture. A lot of this is resembled in my artworks.
You have a very unique and eye-catching style - where do you find inspiration? Any influences you'd call out?
Well obviously vintage toys and collectables are something i Always look at. But when it comes to my idols i can name Crysalis, Mechibaz, Pipidummy, Nemupan and Nakamura Kyoko to name a few. These are artists I have been looking up to for years and their art evokes a very strong feeling of nostalgia and happiness for me. When I start a new illustration I will usually go through a mix of my vintage toy, fashion magazines and artbooks of artists I love. Finding inspiration online is often harder these days with just how much there is to find. I find it a lot easier to own physical reference books as they are usually more consise rather than scrolling for hours for something super specific.
What's one work that you're particularly proud of? Did the process of creating it teach you anything noteworthy?
My Devil Girl is definitely my favourite one, but not just because of the final product. Also because of the struggle it was to get it done. I still have the 4 other linearts and messed up colourways in my storage. I spent over 5x the usual time i usually take on an A3 illustration trying to make it better with each attempt. Since I work traditionally most of the time its hard to undo mistakes and when you really like a design its hard to just let go of perfection because I'm so sure I can make it better every time I try again. So when I saw how much people loved it, I felt amazing. It reminded me that hard work pays off.
Any tips or advice you could give to an aspiring artist?
When did you first start using Ohuhu products? What do you love about them?
What advice would you give newer artists that have just begun using art markers?
Is there a particular project or goal you're focused on achieving next?
