Blackwork and Illustration Now

Lucid dreams and psychedelic experiences by artist Aleks Nocny

Thanks Aleks aka @aleks_nocny for taking part in our illustrators’ interview series!

How long have you been drawing?

I’ve been sculpting, painting and drawing probably 13 years now. Sculpting was probably the first thing I’ve done when I was a kid and that how it started. Growing in poor country like Ukraine in late 80’s you don’t have many toys, so you creating them. You have to travel to fantasy world to have fun and enjoy your life and see some colour surrounded by grey and old buildings and sadness of communist country. I was always been interested in art, drawing and creating -out of clay, wood, whatever is playable. Illustrations and tattoo designing also tattooing is my full time job now.

What’s your process?

I usually work and create at night. I can’t focus at daytime, so always waiting for a bit of darkness behind the window. ‘Noc’ in Polish means ‘Night’.:)

Depends what I do, but always starts from green tea or weak coffee and music or podcast. I’m really into a Terrence McKenna podcasts and his voice always calms my mind down and let me open for whatever is coming to my brain:)

Digital vs traditional?

Most of my drawings are digital now, I think if someone create that super tool like Ipad to make artist life easier, why not. I still respect hand drawing and doing it from time to time, but my tattoo design are all done digitally. It’s just easier and quicker. Still love smell of paper or acrylic pain, even unpacking of blank new canvas still give me a smile.

How long does it take to create it?

Depends what and how deep I want to go with it. I love detail, in illustration, tattoo designs, my paintings or sculptures. Every different think I do taking different amount of time. Sometimes I start and finish something month or year after.

Is it a hobby or your career?

My hobby is my career..I love everything I do and I still having fun if I can create an illustration, funky drawing, new print , sculpture or T-shirt design. I feel like very important in my life is to finish what I started,that gives me energy to start creating something new. I like how thing are growing around me, my followers, my customers, sales etc, but also I like to see my stuff around, like paintings or sculptures, like to be surrounded by things I do. It doesn’t mean I like it all, but it reminds me that I accomplish something and didn’t give up.

Why do you draw?

I can’t imagine to do anything different that create art. Art is big part of my life and its something I’m focusing on most of my time.I don’t have kids or wife who will be distract me, I got all time for myself and thats why I do. Life is too short for sitting in front of TV and live other people’s life. My way of joy in life is to create. That’s why I do so many thing because I’m still looking and trying new things.

What inspires you?

I always liked fantasy, mythical creatures and stuff like this. Recently my stronger inspirations are visions from my lucid dreams and psychodelic experiences I had. I’m not ashamed of that than I use ‘drugs’ sometimes, but its all come from nature and if I can connect with nature and experience and see new things that I never seen before, why not.

What is the proudest moment that you have achieved?

Probably my proudest moment was when my mural design won the competition and it was painted on massive wall in the town centre where I lived. My town organised a competition for artists to design mural in memory of one of the popular Polish artist. My design been selected with 2 others and they let the whole town vote. I won..That was the best feeling I had for very long time, still proud of that, even that wasn’t very creative design..:)

What is the biggest obstacle that you have faced?

Probably trying to live and create in Norway. I love the country and I will definitely come back there one day. My language barrier and the way how nobody wants to talk to you seriously because you don’t bark in Norwegian language. That was couple years ago and probably lots of things changed, but I never feel so uncomfortable and useless in my life, so spent time traveling instead:)

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

If I only have one day to spend, I will probably do everything I can and go and see my Mother and spend some time with her. She live in different country and we don’t see each other very often. So that what I will probably do. Riding a full speed on motorcycle, sniffing coke from silicone tits and gambling with unlimited amount of money will do after death or in another life:)

How can people get in contact with you?

My instagram is: @aleks_nocny

My new arty insta page is: @nocne_mary

My little Etsy store is: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/nocnemary

Traditional to Modern

Digital, collage, mixed media… are only few of the ways classic illustration, art and design is transformed from traditional to modern, contemporary artistic vision, with unique perspective and creative mark of each individual artist. The following three British artists have made these transformations singularly stylish and exceptional.

Katie Scott @katiekatiescott is a well established anatomical and botanical illustrator from London, with a number of published books, including The Story of Life: Evolution, Animalium and Botanicum. Drawing inspiration from traditional medical and botanical illustration, and using science as a springboard for her art, Katie creates brilliant digital spreads of flora and fauna, which The Guardian art gallery featuring her work, aptly calls ‘psychedelic’.

View this post on Instagram

Collage artist, surface pattern designer and illustrator Clover Robin @clover_robin, based in London, England, “delights in nature and all things botanical, inspired by a childhood of woodland walks, countryside rambles and fossil hunting by the sea”. Using acrylic, gouache and colored pencils, Clover creates stunning patterns and textures for her prints and collages, ranging in subjects from flowers and vegetables, through still life and landscapes, to animals, birds and interiors.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8mAX2sletZ/

A dedicated people watcher, Angela Smyth @angela_smyth_artist, is a self-taught professional artist based in West Yorkshire, with a keen ability for abstraction which, paired with her bold use of flat colour, results in strong graphic interpretation of what seems like the very essence of the subject. Angela’s people, animals, ships and towns have an allegorical and emblematic quality. According to the artist herself, Angela’s cityscapes “always have something hidden in them (…) an element to my work that isn’t obvious”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3UZOH3H8y7/

Visit Lana’s Instagram gallery @calico.brush

Nadine Safa’s graceful illustrations

Thanks Nadine aka @vuvie__ for taking part in our illustrators’ interview series!

How long have you been drawing?

I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil. I chose to study Graphic design because I always knew I wanted to pursue a creative career in which I can use my illustrating skills. I worked for a packaging design studio, and I would hand draw whenever I got the opportunity and was lucky enough to illustrate for some major brands!

What is your process?

I sketch loosely until I am happy with the concept and composition. I mix and test my colours and create my colour palette. I then re-draw with clean light lines onto good quality watercolour paper and paint away!

Digital or traditional?

I love and enjoy both, however personally I have more of an appreciation for traditional. I enjoy the challenge, of creating by hand a texture or effect rather than have a digital brush do it for me. It’s a lot harder to fix mistakes and you can’t just tap two fingers to undo! So it definitely gives me more of a sense of achievement or accomplishment. Which is a great feeling and one of the reasons I enjoy painting so much.

I also feel like traditional is a whole experience in itself. Mixing paints, the smells, the textures etc. it’s much more enjoyable and fulfilling to me.

How long does it take to create it?

I like to paint with a lot of detail! so it takes quite some time. I also parent my two kids solo for a few months at a time, due to my husbands work travels. So I’m limited to painting only when they’re asleep as they are still pre-schoolers and need a lot of attention and care.

Is it a hobby or a career?

At the moment it’s a hobby as my priority is my children until they’re in school and I have some more time to commit to it. I’m currently in the process of setting up an online store. The plan is to start selling some high quality art prints and see where that takes me!

Why do you draw?

I always drew because it was something that I loved to do, something I felt good at which made me happy. However, after having children my reason to draw changed and my art evolved and found its purpose.

Motherhood transformed me and nature awakened me and my art became almost like a spiritual practice. I felt excited to translate the way nature made me feel into art, and try and spread that feeling to as many people possible. I also like to paint with the intention of raising awareness to climate change and protecting nature/oceans/wildlife whenever I can, and inspire others to want to make a change.

What is the proudest moment you have achieved?

My proudest moment in my personal life would be having my two daughters, parenting has taught me a lot about my self and my strengths.

My proudest moment in my career would’ve been seeing my illustrations on a whole range of LUX products in Japan, and also on some other major supermarket brands. It was such an incredible feeling seeing my art on supermarket products and store shelves!

What is the biggest obstacle that you have faced?

In terms of my art and skill, I guess my toughest obstacle was to silence my inner critic and believe that my art is good enough and worthy of being shared.

What inspires you?

Nature is my greatest inspiration. I have always been drawn to nature. However, it wasn’t until I noticed how my toddler (at the time) was so curious and fascinated by a flower, or a leaf. That I began to look a lot closely, just as she did. And I started to see all of these incredible details and all of a sudden it was so much more than a flower, it was like a living work of art and I became mesmerised and I really connected with Mother Nature on a spiritual level.

How can people contact you?

People can contact me on my Instagram page @vuvie__ or email me on vuvie.creative@gmail.com.