#nablastria

* where most often do you end up making art?

more often than not i am in bed. i should work more at my desk, but it’s frequently cluttered and while it’s still so cold in new york i like the warmth from all my blankets. plus, my cat cries if she can’t sit in my lap when she wants to, which is harder at my desk.

* how often do you warm up before starting a new work?

rarely! i like going right into things with a study, if anything. i usually comprise my references first in a big collection in procreate and then start drawing from there. sometimes if i really want to get something right the first time i’ll make a few thumbnails, but that’s only if i have a vague idea of where to start.

* what are you doing/where are you when you usually get new ideas?

i get them while riding the subway and during frequent downtime at work. sometimes reading or music will prompt them.

* what part of making a new piece gets you the most excited?

i love getting the initial sketch down when it’s seemingly perfectly transferred from my mind to the page. when the rendering is going the right way and there’s more to do, but you feel confident in the way you’re doing things. that feels really good.

* do you have specific rituals/music/candles, etc. that you engage with to get you in the mood to draw or paint?

usually, because my roommates can be kind of loud, i like to listen to music or podcasts while i draw. sometimes if i feel like i’m forcing inspiration or motivation to work on something i will light a candle in my room or put a particularly visually stunning movie on in the background. i like to look at different pictures and things from my camera roll.

* have you done stuff en plein air, or do you prefer to work inside?

i honestly have a really hard time working without a reference and rarely feel confident enough in observations of the settings around me to draw them. i prefer having a picture on my propped up phone or ipad to draw from which can make outside drawing difficult. however, i do love drawing outside after working at the movie theater when it is nice out. if the weather permits i love a good drawing session, i just have to feel comfortable enough in where i am to draw without feeling observed.

* if you were to be restricted to one physical medium for the next two years, what would you pick?

i love my graphite pencil drawings too much to stop using them… though it would probably be better for my art if i were to stick with drawing in pen for all my sketches— just to be more confident in when i put lines down.

* do you keep new work ideas written down somewhere or do you just hope you’ll remember later?

i have a note in my phone that i basically use for drawing ideas, predominantly (seemingly only) boyd drawing ideas, but can you blame me? i love him and it’s a rich territory.

* what do you most want to be working on vs. what do you actually end up working on?

i most want to be working on the aforementioned boyd drawings, but i usually try to force myself for those to only be every other drawing that i do. i like drawing guy pearce’s face and i like drawing snowy scenes even though they’re difficult. i want to work more on expressions and getting likeness down without being completely, perfectly realistic. i’m also curious about a more expressionist style of likeness, but all in due time.

* what’s your favorite piece(s) you’ve ever done?

i really love the boyd drawing of him in the woods with the hand above him. the detail in it and the prevailing message feel very clear to me which feels nice. i do also really love the boyd on the floor drawing lol, same situation where it feels well-detailed and clear in its intent. i wish i had taken my time with other sections of the piece, but i like it overall.

* which part of a new work do you usually find yourself criticizing the most once it’s finished?

i usually take issue with my speed— either it took me too long or i sped through parts that needed more love. i frequently fixate on specific sections and let the rest be whatever, which isn’t great for the overall product, but it does push me to at least finish things.

* have you gotten a piece of feedback about your work that you think about to reinvigorate your process?

i’ve been told by multiple people that they really like the eyes in my drawings, and that they really convey emotion, which does mean a lot.

* describe the next piece(s) you want to finish.

i want to do a big painting (like a thin, person-sized canvas) of boyd at the beginning of ravenous when he’s on his knees in his flashback, but i want to paint all the soldiers and the fire and cannons, horses, etc. kind of blurred and chaotic around him, maybe an ives in the corner? we’ll see.

i also want to do boyd talking to slauson, but with the dead bodies of george, hart, reich, toffler in his lap, thrown over his shoulders, etc. their smeared blood on his clothes and face but otherwise the same scene when slauson is telling him “we have four missing soldiers, captain, and no bodies”

& i want to do some will graham/john boyd hannibal lecter/colonel ives mash ups so them all in one big piece, but also boyd in scenes from hannibal and the other way around, etc. i have ideas for other things, but this is long enough already lol

tagging: @carnalanimals @carjackfairy @kiyomeji @pt90 @birthdaysandwich @bronyya @jirving @pinkantihistamine @asibery @nablastria @verlydub @s0ftest & anyone else interested in answering!

putting the questions without answers beneath for an easier copy / paste :)