#oriada

- Today, we'll take a look at an amazing person. Her fantasy has no limits - she creates her own worlds, inhabited by absolutely fantastic beings.

- Good day! My name is Katya. Fully it sounds like Yerguniova Yekaterina. I am 21 and I'm from Tajikistan, Chkalovsk city. But I still live in the Russian Federation, in the city Rzhev.

- As far as I was able to understand - you have no artistic education and your studies are not related to the painting. You study at the specialized medical school, don’t you?

- That's right. I am self-taught. I don't have any artistic education, and yes, my study's not associated with the creativity. Although, it depends upon the approach. Medical study is also creativity in some sense. Only now, there's human instead of a canvas. I study at Rzhev Medical College. Now, I've reached the home stretch - the fifth year.

- When did you start drawing?

- Well, when I was three, I sketched down my mother's working note-book. She said, I was natural-born artist and "vandal". Probably, that was when the drawing desire started to take roots in me. But in General, I became most eager at the age of 6-7.

- Let's speak about your creatures. Those are neither dragons, nor mammals, some kind of furry dragons. Have you got a proper name for them?

- The matter is, I have a passion for the dragons since my childhood and I always loved to make new images for them. Basically, what dragons you can find on my DA-account (Deviant art - the largest international social network for creative people), those are all order works. Beside of the red Fluffy ( img06.deviantart.net/9d43/i/20…d939vip.png ).  And this one doesn't have a title, but maybe in future I will continue inventing such creatures.

- There's a certain story standing behind each of your characters and they have their own names, right? Tell us about your favorite.

- Oh yes. I have lots of characters and everyone has though-little-but-story of his own. Which one's to talk about? Well... maybe I can tell about Jeyah. She's a representative of species invented by me, called Nespherios. Those are lower dragon-beings, which used to be servants of the highest dragon caste. Though, when their masters began to disappear (die), Nespherios followed. Still, whithout so-called "guide" or "owner", the creature started to lose its mind and became wild. Jeyah's just one of such individuals, who is yet sane and she doesn't lose hope to find a master for her-self; now, as a human, though.

- There are another  couple of guys who caught my eye –

img09.deviantart.net/5dc8/i/20….

That’s a terrific idea, to combine different animals in one character and you’ve reached such a harmony! Does it mean that you get inspired by animals?

- I made out these cuties while thinking of lambs. The image and approximate color flashed in my hed immediately. Well yeah, I’ve been always inspired by our smaller brethren.

- May it be that there’s some kind of a “live reference” living in your house (reference – in this case, image from which the artists make notes of anatomy / pose, etc.), by which you can study the anatomy?

- Now I have a home to an arrogant and utterly lazy Scottish Fold. He has never been a “live reference” though.

- Where did you learn so much about the animal anatomy, by the way?

- I don’t even know the right answer. The fact is that I’ve never been taught by any books or teachers. Just looking at an animal from the distance or on the TV I memorized its image.

- I saw your notice about the difficulties in understanding of the human anatomy. You wrote, that it’s pretty hard. Would you wish to learn how to draw people and maybe involve them as some partners or companions to your unusual creatures?

- It’s not quite I can’t understand it. It seems easy but I am just not that experienced in this, since been drawing only animals all my life. Drawing women is easy to me, but when it comes to drawing man, my hands become just like broken. Do I want? Yes, I do. Maybe, some day I’ll start work hard on learning how to draw them. It’s another long story yet.

- There’s some “price list” in your VK society. What is this? Usually, people order portraits of their close relatives for their Birthday or some other meaningful holiday. Are your creatures so popular? What do your customers do with them?

- There are prices for my work and some short tips about which things I draw and which not. Usually they order their own characters. There are also orders for my creatures. People are free to use them as they will: create their original stories, give ‘em names, develop or give as a gifts.

- What is the secret of such popularity, how do you think?

- Well, it’s a hard question. I never reflected, why people like my creative work. Some say, it’s the original style they like most, for others the main thing is intense coloring. That’s the matter of taste. All the same, it’s a pleasure when your work finds its fans. It gives strength to go further.

- There are also some line-sketches on your site. It’s like everyone can become a part of your creative process and paint your work, right? That’s, in fact, a training material for beginners.

- I often draw line-arts for public use. I want others train in drawing. In some way, it’s a wish to make something pleasant. It also helps me to learn, how to draw more straight. So there’s some use for both, me and others.

- Haven’t you thought to make special lessons or at least some step-by-step process of creation, so that the beginner-artists could learn from you? Or maybe you already practice?

- I’m not really good in teaching, but sometimes I help my friends in the animal anatomy construction. What about public study materials, I think, it’s too early for me yet. My knowledge is still oh-so-far from perfect. Once, I used to make GIF-s by the drawing stages: a sketch, line-art, fill and shading. It was just revelation of the process, though. I also made some “streams” (live drawing sessions).

- So what’s next? What would you expect to improve in your creative work? Maybe you should work as an illustrator?

- Now I’ve got the only purpose, to finish my studies. After that… well, I have not decided yet. I have whole life to live yet and plenty of time to decide.

 I would like to continue developing my cartoon drawing style, if we can call it so and slowly move to the realism. I would also learn some of animation and 4D. What about an illustrator job – why not?

 - Now’s time for the final speech. What would you tell others? Maybe some parting wishes for the beginner-artists or couple of words for all the artists of the world?

- All I got to say: everyone has some creative makings within. The main things are desire and perseverance and soon new ways of progress will open before you. Never say: “I can’t”, “I’m not able”, “He/she’s better than me” or “He/she says that I have no makings”. That’s all nonsense. Everyone is apt for the progress and for the creativity of his own. Everyone has his/her internal world and his/her own vision of the world outside. Just don’t be shy to burst it all out. There’s not much required: take a pencil and a paper sheet and give will to your fantasy. Listen only to those who give constructive criticism and who pushes you to creation. But not those who wants to mess you with the dirt. The decision depends not upon them but on you. That’s you building your future. Not those, wanting to destroy it.

 Good luck everyone! Go on, comrades!