Blackwork and Illustration Now

Dejvid Knezevic, stories in illustrations, illustrations in dots.

Today I’m really excited having here Dejvid aka @dejvid.knezevic as one of our favorite black and white illustrators! Let’s start the questions!

How long have you been drawing Dejv?

Actively 5 years. But I’ve drawn for most of my life.

What’s your process?

The idea comes first. I can sit around and doodle at all. So first comes the idea, the story or the message, then I develop the concept and finally it goes from sketch to dots.

Digital vs traditional?

Traditional.

How long does it take to create it?

Largely depends, anywhere from 5 to 60 hours. Depends on the level of detail.

Is it a hobby or your career?

Full time I work as a graphic designer, so dotting is more of a hobby now. We will see what the future holds.

Why do you draw?

I can’t help it, it’s a compulsion. I want to do it all the time, it hovers in between a meditative obsession or an obsessive meditation.

What inspires you?

Stories. Struggles. Interesting dilemmas and questions. Human psychology.

What is the proudest moment that you have achieved?

I don’t think I have a specific event. I differentiate between personal achievements and professional ones. Professional ones are some of the galleries I’ve been featured in and some of the commissions I got.
Personally I’m proud of some of the traits I’ve worked on and developed: being patient, hardworking, observant etc.

What is the biggest obstacle that you have faced?

Myself. If I let myself go I would be ridiculously lazy, over-thinking, indecisive and scared. Fighting that has been the most consuming battle I have faced.

You have one day to live, how do you spend it?

In the morning, coffee with parents. Afterwards lunch with them, in between some hours of drawing. Afternoon would be spent writing to those who I can’t reach physically, followed by playing the guitar. In the evening I would gather everyone I love and cherish and spent the last hours with them.

Fer Ramirez’s blooming illustrations

Really proud today having here Fer aka @fernanda_watercolor as one of our favorite watecolor illustrators! Fer is kindly answering few questions, let’s start!

Fer Ramirez, her workstation and her fave sneakers!

How long have you been drawing Fer?

I like to draw and paint since I was a little girl, then I studied architecture and the drawing continues in my life, but it was in March 2019 when I discovered watercolor and since that day I have not stopped painting, it makes me so happy!!!

What’s your process?

My process begins with inspiration. As soon as I have an idea I start drawing, ideas came to me in everyday things, from looking at colors in simple things, some pattern in someone’s clothes or even in the supermarket. After doing the sketch, I choose my color palette and prepare them, with all that ready I start painting and the magic begins! I really like the final details after using watercolor, for those details I often use posca markers, gouache or gel pen. I think that those details give the illustration something more, I really enjoy that part.

Digital vs traditional?

TRADITIONAL!!! Feel the paint, smell it, touch the brushes is quite satisfactory for me, especially in watercolor, see how the colors mix and do their own work is amazing, and then waiting for the paint to dry and see how the result surprises you. I really love that.

How long does it take to create it?

An illustration usually takes me 3 to 5 hours of work.

Is it a hobby or your career?

It is currently my hobby, I would like it to become my job, I know it is not easy but working hard I will achieve it!

Why do you draw?

I draw because it is a time just for me, it is a time to connect with myself and it gives me a lot of peace.

What inspires you?

As I said before, I am inspired by everything and at any time, everyday things, color palettes that I find in common objects, from other artists, patterns in fabrics, etc. Inspiration suddenly surprises me and I start drawing, if at that moment I don’t have a paper to draw, I take a picture to remember it.

What is the proudest moment that you have achieved?

The proudest moment of my life was when I finished my architectural course of study at the university gaining the fifth place and receiving an award for that. I felt that with effort one can achieve whatever is proposed.

What is the biggest obstacle that you have faced?

The biggest obstacle I have faced was at the age of 28, after giving birth to my first child I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, those were very difficult moments, but after surgery and treatments I got over it. That changed my life completely and made me a different person.

You have one day to live, how do you spend it?

I would definitely spend it with my family, with my husband and my 3 children, maybe in the field doing what we like the most.

Nature inspired illustrations by Kaari Selven

Today Kaari aka @artbykaari, one of our favorite black and white illustrators, is here and she will aswer some questions! So exciting!

What is your process? / Digital or traditional?

I started out dedicated to traditional pen and ink but more recently, I’ve been drawn to the world of digital art. Most of my recent work is on an iPad using an Apple Pencil and the app Procreate. As a perfectionist, traditional pen & ink created anxiety that often paralyzed me and stopped me from finishing a piece or experimenting with new subject matter. Creating art has always given me a sense of peace and purpose so having the ability to continually perfect a drawing is especially valuable and artistically freeing i.e. erasing mistakes, zooming in, adding layers and trying out new pens & brushes. I expect to return to traditional art in the future but for now, I am drawn to the flexibility and the crazy amount of tools I get to experiment with while digitally drawing.

What is your proudest moment? / What is the biggest obstacle that you have faced?

I currently am working through a recent cancer diagnosis and treatment for it. I am on the tail end of it all but its been the biggest challenge I’ve had to face thus far. The emotional tolls continue to be overwhelming and a challenge to navigate but I feel lucky to have my art as a medium to self-express as I feel my creativity is intrinsically connected to my personal life experiences. I am especially proud of myself for having worked through this while juggling all the craziness that comes with being a self-employed artist. This experience will most definitely serve as strong inspiration in the future art I’ll create.

You have one day to live, how do you spend it?

I would spend it outside – hiking, swimming, exploring nature with my fiancé. The day would include a cheese & charcuterie plate and good beer.

To view Kaari’s body of work and to purchase fine art prints/vinyl stickers: you can link to her website kaariselven.com

Kaari at the top of a mountain, a landscape photo of Alaska (one of her favorite places in the world), a photo of her dog Louie, a photo of a mural she did last year and her favorite flower from her garden last year, also one photo of a vinyl sticker available on her online shop!