Watch this artist!
It has always been important to me to recognize artists who are up-and-coming on DA. The Artist Showcase series focuses on community members who may still be considered undiscovered in an effort to well... help them a bit further on their path to discovery, woo!
This series isn't possible without your involvement! From the beginning, I have sought out and depended upon you to send me suggestions of artists who deserve more recognition for their work. So please continue to send me usernames for the series by sending me a note on DA! And share this episode in your status updates... Help expose these artists to more people!
For this first episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing SilverSugar, who is a newer friend of mine that I met through TsaoShin and his Backseat Drawing community! Since I have gotten to know her, she's shown herself to be a true inspiration to artists new and experienced alike! She is a self-motivator who has a great outlook on her art and the work it takes to get where she wants to be. She's funny and incredibly friendly... Really an all-around great individual with art that deserves your attention and more! So read on and prepare to be delighted.
Who is SilverSugar? Tell us all about yourself!SilverSugar: Hi there~! I'm Risa AKA SilverSugar; I'm a digital artist and streamer from California. Right now I'm in the middle of hunting for a traditional job, so in a way, I guess you could say the art I'm doing in the meantime is work. *laugh* It would certainly be a dream job to make art a career though.
How did you first get started in the art you're doing today? What motivates you to keep going?SilverSugar: I've been drawing for as long as I could hold a crayon. The reason I kept at it was mainly because no one ever told me to stop—or not in any meaningful way which stuck anyway. I think as far as motivation goes it's not something I can really put my finger on. I have a lot of inspirations and little goals that keep me going, but it's not something I can quantify. Right now, I just want to keep going. I feel very motivated right now and it's my hope that I can help others to feel the same.
I've been talking with a lot of new artists lately who are weighed down by doubt, fear, and general negativity towards their craft. I believe for creative-types, those feelings are tragically common. It's something I still struggle with myself. That said, I try to turn those “this piece is terrible” or “I hate this” type feelings into learning experiences. I reach out to other artists who have more experience with what I'm trying to make, I use references, tutorials, and I'm not afraid to start over if something isn't coming out the way I want anymore.
How did you first discover DeviantArt and what keeps you here in the community?SilverSugar: I joined deviantART in March of 2006 while I was still in high school (an older account), but I'd been looking at art from the site since the year before. What finally got me to join was both wanting to share some of my photography at the time as well as desperately needing to access the favorites system so I could support a few of the artists I'd come to admire.
My favorite part of deviantART has got to be the community. My best friends are all people I've met through this site; and it feels like they're a part of my family.
Outside of doing my own art thing, I inherited the contest group the PaperChainProject from sambees. To some deviantART might be just one of the many places where art can be celebrated, but to me it will always be my favorite place to go to challenge myself. So, I was truly honored to be given the chance to keep this group going because of how much the contest helped me to grow as an artist myself. If I can give even a fraction of that feeling to someone else, I'll be very pleased.
I will never be able to put into words just how much the artists of dA changed my life for the better.
What are your "tools of the trade"? What type of materials/equipment/software do you use?
SilverSugar: I started off drawing with whatever I could as a kid, markers usually, but once I started 'seriously' trying to draw, it was all pencil. I still have a great fondness for pencil sketching, but I don't do it as much at the moment. It wasn't until I discovered dA and learning more about digital art from the people I chose to Watch that I Right now I do my line-work in Clip Studio Paint (it is a very new program to me) and all painting or color with Photoshop Elements. My tablet is a Wacom Intuos [PTZ-431W] which has been with me around nine years now and is still going strong.
What inspires your artwork?
SilverSugar: Can I just leave a list of dA members? (Outside of that does being a fan of CLAMP count? *laugh*) They're not in any particular order, although the first is why I joined, and the last is why I am so particularly driven lately.
sambees deerlordhunter chutkat BananAdopt ShadeofShinon Cospigeon painted-bees Sooper-Deviant TsaoShin
I'd like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of the people I Watch—I truly love and am inspired by all of you, even if I can't list you properly here.
sambees deerlordhunter chutkat BananAdopt ShadeofShinon Cospigeon painted-bees Sooper-Deviant TsaoShin
I'd like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of the people I Watch—I truly love and am inspired by all of you, even if I can't list you properly here.
Could you tell us a little about what went into creating this piece?
SilverSugar: Aha, well, this piece was entirely an experiment start to finish. Just to see if I could paint a landscape, channel my inner Bob Ross as it were. I painted this during one of my live-streams towards the end of the night, on very little sleep (I've noticed it's a pattern with me). I wish I had the video still, but from what I recall it took anywhere from two-to-four hours. There's a link in the description to the photograph I used as a reference, I chose it specifically for the feeling of calm it gave me, I really liked the lily pads in particular because they just don't seem to exist in my neck of the woods. It was a beautiful scene...which I really enjoyed turning into a gag at the end...
As long as you do not give up with art—you will inherently improve. Just don't force it or you'll get burnt out. Create every day you're able and take critiques with an open mind. In art, as in life, there is no room to be defensive, depressed over perceived failures, or in general to be overly harsh to ourselves. Negativity breeds negativity and I encourage everyone to do their best to curb those inner doubts and fears. You will never grow as better person, let alone artist, if you fall into that trap.
We all need to strive to do our best; if you just do your best you cannot fail.
What is something you know now that you wish you had known when first starting out?SilverSugar: I think it's very important for everyone to remember we all started learning our various crafts from the same blank state; and we all have much to learn even now. It's okay to have a difference of opinion with art, but it is not okay to feel discouraged or want to give up after hearing that you have something to improve on or by comparing your work against another person's.
As long as you do not give up with art—you will inherently improve. Just don't force it or you'll get burnt out. Create every day you're able and take critiques with an open mind. In art, as in life, there is no room to be defensive, depressed over perceived failures, or in general to be overly harsh to ourselves. Negativity breeds negativity and I encourage everyone to do their best to curb those inner doubts and fears. You will never grow as better person, let alone artist, if you fall into that trap.
We all need to strive to do our best; if you just do your best you cannot fail.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, SilverSugar! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT LIES AHEAD IN YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY!
By ClearStyle
