Q. Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m unower_s, a freelance illustrator and concept artist. I enjoy drawing a lot of anime-styled characters and historical outfits.
Q. What’s your work process like?
Horrible. I usually start around noon and won’t move from my computer until I consider it finished at some awful hour of the night. This, of course, usually means I have to be dragged away to do basic things like eating or sleeping, but I mean—when I get focused, it’s hard for me to stop.
Q. When did you start drawing?
I started to draw the minute I was able to hold any form of writing utensil, so pretty young. I loved watching anime, so I think that had a huge influence on my style growing up, but as I grew older, I expanded outward and drew from a variety of places. I can’t exactly narrow it down, as it honestly differs piece by piece, but I think I often look for inspiration in pieces that feel very emotional or focus on expressions.
Q. What do you like to do outside of drawing?
Honestly not that much. If I’m not sleeping, I mostly play games on my computer or read. A lot of my drawings are inspired by bits from books I enjoy. In fact, my username is derived from the name pun in one of my favorite books, Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
Q. What's the most fulfilling part of your work?
Probably seeing people’s reactions to it. I love interacting with the people who comment on my stuff, and I’ve made a few friends through this method. To me, nothing feels better than seeing someone else excited about your work and wanting to see more of it. It’s a huge motivator and part of the reason why I continue to draw to this day.
Q. What's your favorite piece in the exhibit
I think my favorite piece of work that I've made is Echo Chamber. It just combines all of my favorite things to draw, and of course, the cherry on top is the pun in the title. The piece features a character that surrounds himself with things he wants to believe in, while he assumes a role similar to Echo in the Narcissus myth, only being able to repeat what the person he idolizes did... I think the title is a good fit!
Q. Any tip for aspiring artists.
If I had to give a word of advice to anyone starting to draw, I think it has to be that it's okay to let things look bad. Art takes practice, you can't walk in expecting to be able to paint the next Mona Lisa day one. No one starts being able to create beautiful pieces, it takes time, and if you're willing to stick with it, one day you'll turn around and see that it paid off
Visit www.meetarts/beyondthepanels for the virtual exhibition.
