Kokoshka

Full art by kokoshka67:

Full art by Kokoshka:

Dema: Was that your primary traditional medium? I'm fascinated by copics, and I am terrified of them. But, I'm primarily an oil painter.

Kokoshka: Copics are the devil.

Dema: I KNEW IT.

Kokoshka: It depends what I'm working on, but my go-to are markers, inks and linocuts. Only paint I use is for my minis and models. (I dread painting.)

Dema: Oh, SO cool. And so outside my own wheelhouse. Do you find that those traditional media techniques have influenced your approach to digital art?

Kokoshka: I mean, most of those skills are somewhat transferable between media if you get a big brain moment. Even outside traditional art, I figured out how to use makeup, cause I knew how to render faces. But yeah, I've noticed that some of my digital tricks got implemented into markers whether I like it or not.

Dema: Oh that's interesting, that it's gone in that direction. I hear that less often, although I have had a similar experience with digital influencing my traditional paintings. Pivoting from art practice to fandom a bit, when did you start making fanart? What was your first piece?

Kokoshka: Hard to tell, depends if we're talking in general or intentionally. Cause, believe me, I still have some Naruto drawings from like 2006. But if we're talking about actually posting fanart, then it's closer to 2013

Dema: What was it?

Kokoshka: Kuroshitsuji

Dema: Why you whisperin?

Kokoshka: I’m trying to forget. But I think the first time I actually participated in some Fandom activity was a DA inktober about a decade ago.

Dema: Was that your first time making art for DA, or your first time posting it?

Kokoshka: First time posting. Before that it was mostly things to stick to my wall and a profile pic here and there. Terrible, terrible memes that never got outside my friend group, that type of thing.

Dema: What prompted you to start sharing it more broadly?

Kokoshka: I’m like a Tinkerbell, I need validation and applause or I'll die.

Dema: LOL. Remember that response for later, I think it will be useful at the end of the interview.

Kokoshka: But more seriously, I don't think there was a thought process behind it. It was the Instagram early days and people were posting whatever from everyday life, so here, there's a Pic of my wall.

Dema: Well, you've obviously come a very long way from that point. I know you take commissions nowadays. How long have you been doing that, and what kinds of commissions do you take?

Kokoshka: There is very little I wouldn't do for money. I've been unsuccessfully offering commissions for about 6 years and somewhat successfully for the past 2 as well.

Dema: It can definitely take a long time to get it rolling!

Kokoshka: Yeah, especially when you're still evolving art wise and every damn site is changing its algorithm every 6 months. I don't need great success and bags of money, I just want to pay my bills on time for once, ye know. So 1-2 commissions every month is just enough to survive. Gotta love late stage capitalism. But yeah, I'll draw practically everything but mecha. (Gods I can't draw mecha.) Let’s be honest, lately it's like 90% Lucanis and I cannot complain.

Dema: Mecha is such a specific skill. I feel like all good mecha artists drew cars constantly as kids. Ok so, Dragon Age questions: have you played all the games? If you had to rank the ones you've played, how would you rank them?

Kokoshka: There’s DA2, then nothing for a long long time, then DAO and DAA, Veilguard (surprisingly). And then DAI. Don't get me wrong, DAI is amazing story-wise, but it's soooooo damn long and unnecessary at times. I'd rather walk DAO deep roads seven times in a row and then do the whole circle quest line twice than go to the goddamn Western approach again. (I have opinions.)

Dema: What do you love about DA2?

Kokoshka: Fenris I think the team. I've never had a bunch of pixels hold me in such a chokehold for so long... I get this game was doomed from the start (thx EA) but it's really a gem. I love the more compact story and there is no uuuuuu the world is ending uuuuuu and most of the conflicts feel personal. And Hawke is just a guy and how tf did he stumble uphill. It's just fun to be there (I can excuse repetitive locations, it's funny to me).

Dema: And what do you love about Fenris?

Kokoshka: It’s always the characters that I don't really vibe with at first that absolutely sucker punch me later. After (geezus how many years?!) all this time it's hard to pinpoint what exactly was the main point of me absolutely going feral about him. But (and I could say that about every da2 companion) it's his journey. The persistence and learned vulnerability. And also a sick ahh sword. Don't forget the sword.

Dema: What didn't you like about him at first? Do you remember?

Kokoshka: I was playing a mage.

Dema: AH. That'll do it! Well friend, in our last couple minutes I have a prompt for you. I invite you to write a Florida-man-style headline for yourself, as an artist. Like…Local Artist Cannot Survive Without Applause.

Kokoshka: Honestly, that one is pure gold already XD

Dema: HAHAHA we can use that if you want to!

Kokoshka: Yessir.

Dema: Ok, you got it! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today!