Featured Artist - Andrewc691

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Hello Everypony!

Sorry for this post going up a bit later than usual, but this week we're featuring Xasthurr




Featured Artist - :iconxasthurr:Xasthurr


We strike at dawn! by Xasthurr Pegasi by Xasthurr Round 2 by Xasthurr Profile Picture by Xasthurr Rainbow Dash by Xasthurr


1) For starters, please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hey, my name is Andrew. I'm 19 years old, Canadian, and obsessed with art, music, and extraterrestrial lifeforms.

2)  How long have you been drawing? What got you started in art?

I legitimately got started in art around a year ago, I used to draw when I was a kid but I was more focused on music at the time and I never really took my visual art studies seriously. It wasn't until recently that I started to learn about perspective, form and depth. I signed up for deviantart about a year ago and I think what really motivated me to start studying visual art was the amount of talent I saw on this site. I became inspired and I started out by doing still life drawings and copying from various manga and anime. Nowadays I'm drawing ponies, why? Because I've developed a love and respect for the creative side of this fandom.

3)  What is your primary motivation for drawing? What is/are the reasons you draw?

The desire to get better was one of the main reasons I drew, but it was also the main reason why I started to feel depressed about my own artwork. I started to become extremely frustrated with my lack of skill; I began to feel like I wasn't improving and that everything I was doing was pointless. So after dealing with a series of aggravating art blocks, I came to the conclusion that above everything else, art should be about having fun because doing something out of frustration IS pointless. So nowadays, I only draw for the hell of it.

4) How did you enter the My Little Pony fandom?

I believe I first got into the fandom around halfway through season 2. It's funny, I would see evidence of mlp all over the internet but I never really understood where the reference came from. It wasn't until I started noticing all the fan art on deviantart did I start take notice of the show. In all honesty, I thought the idea of a fanbase revolving around mlp to be weird at first, but I ended up watching a few episodes to see what all the fuss was about and I guess I just sort of got it.

5)  Who is your favorite pony, and why?

Probably Fluttershy, because of reasons kawaii. Derpy and Luna among my favorites as well.

6)  What about your favorite episode?

"Lesson Zero" is my favourite episode. It's probably the most memorable episode for me as well. I'm not completely sure why I liked that episode so much, it's probably because I enjoyed the humor of Twilight having a nervous breakdown XD.

7)  What is your favorite thing about/aspect of My Little Pony?

I'm mostly drawn to the creative aspect of the fanbase. MLP has sort of become a hub of creativity and I find it amazing how much fan art, animations and music this fanbase pumps out everyday. I like the show as well, obviously, but the fan art community is the main reason why I'm a part of the fandom.

8) Describe your artistic process - how do you turn your ideas into completed images?

Paint tool sai is my main workhorse program; I pretty much use it for everything from sketching to inking to colouring. I also use photoshop sometimes for touchups and colour editing. As for my artistic process, I envision in my mind the pose/scene I want to draw. Whether it's human or pony, I try to use as many reference images as possible and I start off by sketching a skeleton; getting the proportions right. The most time consuming part of drawing for me is the sketching phase. Once the sketch is complete, It's just a matter of inking, coloring and shading.

9) Who are some of your favorite artists, and do you have any inspirations or role models for your art?

My favorite artist of all time is Hayao Miyazaki, in no way am I comparing my own art to his own XD, but his movies are a huge source of inspiration to me. Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro are among my favorite Studio Ghibli movies. I generally find anything that's surreal to be inspirational.

10) Do you have any tips or suggestions you would like to share?

I'm far from an amazing artist but if anyone is walking the same path as me and is having a hard time staying motivated, then my main suggestion is to have fun and don't let yourself become discouraged or frustrated. Don't worry about whether or not your art is good or bad, because if you keep practicing, you WILL get better. Art and music, like any other creative skill takes years to master but as long as you are passionate about your craft and keep at it, then you WILL go far. Don't focus on being extremely amazing right away, it takes time, learn to appreciate the journey instead. Oh yeah, and try inverting/flipping your sketches (either with a mirror or a digital art program), it may help you spot your mistakes.

11)  Anything else you would like to add?

Hey, thanks for the feature and interview!




See you all next week!

Cheers!
Joey

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Comments9
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Fakskis's avatar
"I started to become extremely frustrated with my lack of skill; I began to feel like I wasn't improving and that everything I was doing was pointless."

That's exactly how I feel... :(