artist statement

Artist Link

When this project was assigned I had no idea what the meaning behind my work was or how to describe who I  am as an artist. After many drafts and ideas, nothing felt right so I decided to take the opportunity to share my work with the class and hear how they see my work instead. This was an incredibly helpful presentation that later helped me narrow down a concept to write my own artist statement. I have been told by many people that an artist's statement is something that is constantly changing throughout their life. This class has been very helpful as an artist to begin to think about how I want to present myself and my work to move forward in my education and career. 

Artist Statement_ER

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MP-pFZHg5z4qq6oPxPIpb_aXmiXp0rBu7jref7FhikA/edit?usp=sharing

 

Calero Artist Statement

 Keiry Calero is a ceramic artist based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Being torn between the sense of belonging to Ecuadorian and North American culture, Calero finds ways to portray certain areas of her struggles in her ceramic work by exploring the themes of identity, belonging, and the influence of mass media by using both mediums of pottery and sculpture. 

Calero was led astray on multiple occasions throughout her journey in the world of academia. It was not until she stumbled upon the required course of Ceramics when she found her truest passion. This is where she was able to find an area where her passions of psychology, art, and architecture could collide.

Calero’s work combines both play and contemplation, with some material being interactive pieces, allowing the viewer to become a part of the piece. 

Calero also intends on exploring the theme of migration in her later work. Having come from immigrant parents from South America and being surrounded by immigrants from Europe, Africa and South America, this has put her in a perpetual position in which she questions her personal journey and how it is affected by the immigration of the family that precedes her and of the peers she’s surrounded by. 

By using a contrast of both bright and dull color schemes, along with the experimentation in both form and texture Calero strives for her art to invoke the feelings of belonging while questioning the status quo. She also persists in reminding the viewer to be playful and adaptable to the inevitable challenges one faces on a day to day basis.

Artist Statement

Artist Statement

 Link to presentation:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFenxIFQKU/9pYDuXHfCQcxHk1st4HXRw/view?utm_content=DAFenxIFQKU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Artist Statement and Mission

Artist Mission Presentation

As a new practicing artist Abigail Ostorva strives to make work that can clearly communicate to a wide audience and has two personal philosophies when it comes to creating art. The first is that all the disciplines of it are intertwined and this should be encouraged. The second is the idea that art should be for everybody, whether it be for enjoyment or commercial use. The process of finding different elements and seeing what works best to convey a meaning can be euphoric when accomplished. Using graphic design as a tool to problem solve creatively in a way that can convey messages in a fast, easy to digest format is what makes it so exciting.

Her work is primarily focused in graphic design, although she does enjoy working other art practices such as illustration and photography into projects to enhance designs when needed. Most of her work is completed digitally, using expressive typography and colors to convey the feelings of the words written or the idea behind each project. She also enjoys working with different grids, especially with pieces that go together, so that the designs are cohesive in their foundation. She is heavily influenced by not only artists' work that she sees on social media, but also by the art forms often seen within nature.

As an aspiring design artist, she tries to connect her work with the idea of being as inclusive as possible. She wants to create work that a majority of people can look at and understand the message behind it, even if they don’t speak the language. She tries to actualize this idea by carefully considering each project when picking layout, color, type, and imagery. When all of these elements are put together she can find the best solution to convey feelings that can transcend language and social barriers. She is designing her BFA Project DIVE for this reason. She often felt disconnected to the world around her, not really feeling as if she fits in anywhere, until she began meeting people who shared some of the same interests as her. These people introduced her to the world of tabletop role-playing games and opened up a new world for her. She hopes that she can design a game in a way that even those who have never played a game like this before can immerse themselves in a new world and find connections to those around them.

Looking With Intention

I took these photos for a pet shop I'm taking photos for. its so funny how animals have their own little lives this little guy was giving me a story the whole time I was there. and very photogenetic may I add. 

Influential Artists

By: Larry Fink

Larry Fink- 

I'm heavily influence by lighting. I like the way light enhances some features and how it moves your attention away from others. I didn't think I had a targeted audience until I found joy in taking photos of my own dog. Then gradually moved on to others peoples pets not necessarily dogs but reptiles, rodents, bunnies and a lot more.

I don't have many inspirations known by name because I'm constantly changing my likes and dislikes towards photography. But one photographer that I've been mentioning a lot as of recent is Larry Fink. I think his work really inspires my black and white editing. I've never been a fan until I realized one day that a certain photo I had was too color crowded. You guys have seen the work for my BFA show for some time now and I think you can see where I get my black and white editing choices from.

"Kindered Spirits" By: Larry Fink

***

Sorelle Amore- 

"Advanced Selfies." By: Sorelle Amore

While I mostly enjoy photographing portraits, I started with portraits of myself. To understand how to elevate my photos I got my first camera and looked up how to get good lighting and got help with different poses. I found Sorelle Amore and she really taught me all those things and even helped me to make use of stuff around you and showed me that there's always a way to turn any room into a photo worthy space with a little bit of creativity. Till this day I use the information she used to help those starting out. 

Artist Statement Presentation - Sarah Ferreira

Artist Statement

Original Character (Digital)

    Finding confidence and footing in a world of constant competition is what every artist face to their day to day life, I am no different. My work is personal and transverse as the embodiment of self-identity oozes through my characters and their designs. As a digital character designer, my goal is to showcase the entire history of a character only through the means of their design as well as showcase a story through visual development. My main subjects tend to reflect on my deepest insecurities, morphing these fictional characters into different pieces of my subconscious and personality to reflect onto others; a persona that splits. I focus heavily on confidence, style, pleasure, and beauty in the design aspect of these characters creating these multilayered individuals. I want these beings to seep into our own reality, forming a connection to escape further into the world of fiction. 

My mission is peace within myself and my work. I suffer heavily with severe anxiety and depression and using my work as a form of escapism has always been the core of what I enjoy as an illustrator, I just wish to feel comfortable with what I create and hope that it has an impact on others that struggle and feel similarly. Framing the world as a world filled with learning opportunities and seeing how there is always a way to improve further, not only as a student, but as an artist, has elevated the anxieties that have plagued my mind throughout my life. 

Mission & Artist Statement Presentation Link

My work/ Artist statment

https://livenjcu-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/lsloginski_njcu_edu/EY7aL_NePc1Oh3Qf7KK3BO8BLBLdN_gEvECRoDU2y5cgzA?e=BPmUdt

my Mission frank fermin

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15ihcztw0a3bbUn1ntfF_NbPTvFfWCHSyrwTarEoKO9A/edit?usp=drivesdk

Artist statement

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1Qcj2o-siEyH6NPhkipgL3hrQGwwNtHJ-/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=mspresentation

As an artist with a passion for graphic design, illustration, and photography, my work is a reflection of my multifaceted interests and inspirations. My ultimate goal is to create digital art that fully encompasses who I am, both as an artist and as a person.




To achieve this, I strive to break free from creative boxes and pay tribute to the things that inspire me most - movies, video games, and the horror genre. I’m drawn to the dramatic colors and the unsettling aesthetics of horror, as they evoke a strong emotional response that I seek to capture in my work. Even if my creations do not always fit into the horror genre, I want to infuse them with the same kind of gravitating emotion that draws people to book covers and movie posters. I believe that typography and illustration are powerful tools in communicating emotions and ideas. I seek to use them in innovative ways, experimenting with unconventional layouts and unexpected pairings of fonts and designs to create striking visual statements.




Ultimately, I want my work to be a true reflection of everything that makes me who I am as a person and an artist. My creations draw inspiration from a wide range of sources and cannot be defined by any one style or approach. By blending illustration, photography, and graphic design in unique and unexpected ways, I strive to create art that is original and deeply personal.

Artist Statement Presentation

With a family who are all with a creative or an artistic background , Madeline would follow in her family’s footsteps and have an eye for creativity and have a love for the arts. She began with illustrations of mainstream cartoon characters , practicing portraits, and life figure drawings with books that were given to her by her family. She used the internet to enhance her knowledge of art and to gain inspiration as to what she wanted to do in the future. Already knowing she wanted to be an artist at a young age throughout all her years of early education, as well as her earlier years of college, she would experiment with various styles of art. The style which attracted her the most is Digital art. A style that she noticed that she was attracted to was a minimalistic design incorporating typography in a way that was simple but creates a message. With an appreciation for modern designs and logos, Madeline starts her journey of Graphic Design. Now as a designer, Madeline started off with Photoshop and Illustrator. Her favorite mediums currently are Indesign and XD. Her style consists of combining different Adobe programs and adding a modern look using InDesign. She implements her own sketches in her projects to emphasize the originality. She's constantly learning different design elements that she can incorporate into her work.

Her mission is to immerse herself in the graphic design industry. Learning what the modern day design is and how she can include herself and her style.   

In the future, Madeline hopes to work in a field for  company logo designs, or possibly magazine design companies. She sees herself working in the editorial design field for publication companies. Specifically gearing towards the fashion and design Industry. She would also like to delv in the advertising industry with designing logos for companies, whether it  be a local business or known corporate business.

Artists Statement

 

Goals of Ambition (Mission Statement)

 Faith and Strength

Artist Statement

Artist Statement

Merlee Vergara- Mission Artist Statement

Artist Statement

    Creating immersive worlds infused with personality is something Merlee Vergara wishes to do with her illustrations. A sort of world and universe that transcends the work, where viewers will feel and relate to the characters that inhabit them; those were the thoughts she feels when thinking about her future plans for her career. Throughout her life, she has been fascinated by the fantastic storytelling created by many creative minds, such as Walt Disney, Don Bluth, and Genndy Tartakovsky. Memorable tales that are told through classical 2D animation, utilizing the elements of art to bring life to these stories and appeal to the viewers that watch them no matter the age group. Their use of color theory, compositions, and character expressions to construct iconic scenes has always attracted her. Something that cannot be captured by realism, but is familiar enough that we can relate to it in some capacity. 

She has come to this point where she wishes to commit to her own stories and explore conceptual work. The beginnings of an animated piece, and the blueprint of everything that embodies these fantasy worlds. Basically, to assemble her own artistic puzzle to eventually deliver a wonderful tailored masterpiece of whimsy and fun, reflecting the true her. The her who wants to delve into the imagination of many others through her own. How she wishes to portray her conceptual artwork was a journey on its own. From experiencing her favorite movies and the work they used for world-building, her explorations led her to discover that color is one common aspect that she’s drawn to. Colors are a universal way to communicate emotions, conveying and setting the tone of certain scenes, something utilized greatly in animated works. Upon this realization, she wanted to explore this within her own artwork.

This exhibition will incorporate several different story ideas she has developed while exploring different palettes of color through a digital medium. The significant number of tools that we can utilize leaves us with a lot of freedom to creatively explore and experiment, which is why she prefers this medium. These visual works will include key elements such as concept art, character designs, and possibly more. She and possibly others will be able to gain a better understanding of how critical illustrating conceptual art is to visualize the final result by utilizing all these creative assets.

Link to Presentation

Kassandra’s Artist Statement

TRAVELERS OF THE SUN

Into the Forest 2023

Cave Discovery 2023

Artist Statement

     Travelers of the Sun is a series of concept art and illustrations depicting a group of adventurers from all shapes and walks of life coming together to defeat the undead army that threatens to take over the world. The work is an epic high-fantasy set in medieval earth where magic, strange creatures, and adventure awaits. This is based on a Dungeons and Dragons game Kassandra played with her friends, wanting to bring the story to life for everyone to see. 

    Kassandra wants to explore different concepts and avenues of art as a Visual Development Artist. Her creative works consists of digital illustrations, concept art, and character design. Kassandra always loved watching cartoons as a child and that hasn’t changed. Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli films, Disney, Pixar, fantasy films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, and Japanese animations have been a large part of shaping her style and direction of story-telling. An important moment for her was when she first watched Finding Nemo, and how potent the story-telling was that brought her to tears before the opening credits. 

The joy that brought Kassandra as a child as she watched the cast laugh, cry, work together, and succeed in their journeys have motivated her to want the same in her narrative. Through her art, she wants to present that joy and imagination to the viewers and continue to perpetuate that magic in an otherwise dull life. As a undergraduate, the experiences that she learned, the instances in her development in how she sees her craft going towards her goal of working in the cartoon and movie industry. 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-3Q6mu694l6siOEmMMgH8DEDbZWnZry0QxGiyXqCa1M/edit?usp=sharing

Mission Artist Statement

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/111280Kv-1nHPaVMmpazkgt_sviyqluoi_c33PSZ-wGs/edit

I find myself constantly fascinated by the theme of companionship and the bond that forms between animals. Through my body of work, I try to explore the relationship between an older dog and a puppy, and how they both help each other to learn and grow.

Dogs are usually the side characters in photo narratives. Photographing them gives them an opportunity to tell their story…. There are photos of them where you see Bentley running and trying to reach Ollie’s energy but since he’s much older there’s a limit to how much he can do, which shows how their relationship works and how it communicates through the narrative.

Showcasing a young and an older dog in a photograph can hopefully promote the importance of adopting senior dogs and or puppies that need a home. It can also bring light on the different stages of a dog's life and show their unique personalities that come with each stage.

Bentley represents wisdom and experience, having lived longer. Ollie, on the other hand, shows youthfulness and the desire to explore the world around him. Together, they form a beautiful relationship where each one learns from the other.

I aim to capture the sense of wonder that exists in these types of relationships. I want to show how animals have the ability to connect with each other on a deeper level and how they can help each other in ways that humans sometimes can't.

Renee's Artist Statement

 

Artist Statement

Renee’s visual development portfolio combines traditional fantasy art and science fiction aesthetics. Her diverse approach to character design and narrative illustration broadens the scope of her audience, inviting them to enjoy the classic of the hero’s journey with the subtleties of self-reflection and philosophy. There is an overarching story that drives the illustrations that Renee creates. Still, the story is based solely on the individual experience, exploring the inner machinations of one’s mind and the challenges one must overcome to reach their final destination. A collection of science fiction, speculative biology, and classic Tolkien fantasy inspires the narratives of Renee’s work. In addition, she bases her more profound philosophy on religion, the human condition, sacrifice, and the Paradox of The Ship of Theseus. From those inspirations, she continues to create work that follows the conventions of the hero’s journey and introspection. Above all, her work is rooted in the importance of friendship and personal growth through adversity.     The Paradox of Theseus challenges its characters from a desolate science fiction universe by placing them in the middle of a Tolkien fantasy setting. Mike Mignola’s narratives inspired the theme of Renee’s portfolio, along with BlindSight by Peter Watts and Humanity Lost by Callum Diggle. In addition, her aesthetic inspirations are based on the likeness of Even Amundson and Jesper Ejsing, artists that continue to inspire the artist’s technique as she progresses her portfolio. By studying the industry of fantasy artists, Renee creates work that appeals to a broader audience that invites fantasy and science fiction fans to explore the worlds she cultivates in her illustrations and think about all the elements incorporated to create the story of the series.     This portfolio begins my ever-growing story that will continue into Renee’s career as an illustrator. In the future, she aspires to join a creative team that aids in developing more extraordinary projects for publication and media. She plans to broaden her portfolio into a world-building project that could branch into intricate storylines yet to be explored. In the meantime, her work aims to invoke emotion in her viewers by exploring the stylistically rendered world of her narratives and the underlying philosophies behind each character she creates. The portfolio accomplishes to show the exponential growth of the artists throughout its development. Her work captivates viewers with bold colors and invites them to read the story and think about the connections of technology, the human condition, and personal reflection. PRESENTATION

Artist Statement Presentation

 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dRUpDJPqsCQgT0Hf8Jze3SW9MwS6aNdyF7SXJm64AHE/edit?usp=sharing

Looking with intention

 

(other objects "rocks" currently under fire"

For this assignment, I was "looking with intention" at scrap pieces of clay in the different stages of the process of throwing. While watching a friend throw a vessel I grabbed a few chunks of clay that they took off to play with. I smushed it between my fingers and tossed it on the table becoming more intrigued with the shapes and angles it was taking on and stopped, slowly detailed, and sponged it until each piece looked like river rocks that had been washed over for years.

I had thrown this cup a few weeks ago and made the grave mistake of over-trimming the bottom and the sides so it caved in on itself. Instead of tossing it to be recycled again, I took a hunk of wet clay and began playing with the huge hole I accidentally made in my mug. I stretched it out, brought it back in, squeezed it, and refined every curve like I did with the rocks. It was interesting to use the rigidity of the fully leather hard clay of the original vessel with the very malleable wet clay, something you're not supposed to do in ceramics because clay that is not of the same damp consistency connecting to one another will not stick together once dried/fired because moisture is escaping at different rates.  It turned out to be a pretty decent left-handed mug and gave me the inspiration to experiment with functional ware with more gestural sculptural aspects. 

Artist statement - Kevin Persaud

artist statement

Artist Statement - Lucero Torres

Patch Screens

Patch Brochure

As a graphic designer, Lucero Torres enjoys the challenges that come with working in the creative field. She is constantly finding new ways of being inspired to think creatively and design with unique approaches that are visually meaningful and innovative. She designs by observing her surroundings, understanding her target audience, taking note of everyday details, and acknowledging what other established designers have done to solve design problems.
    In the design field, she can make a difference with her work which is why for her BFA project, she created a healthcare app called Patch, which is aimed at helping patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) have a better experience at the doctor's office. LEP patients can use Patch to find doctors whose offices have experience in accommodating LEP patients; assist patients in describing why they are visiting the doctor; and finally, provide a summary of the doctor's visit.
    Healthcare and design are two fields that have a direct impact on human lives. When brought together, they have the potential to foster wellness and improve lives. The goal of her project is to further improve healthcare for LEP patients. Strong communication in healthcare can help save lives and help people live longer, which is why it's an important topic she addresses with her BFA project.

Artist Statement Slideshow

Artist Statement

Artist Statement Presentation

Artist Statement: Mike's Mission

 Michael Pantaleon

This Google Slides Presentation represents my artist statement broken up into three separate parts. 

Below is the passage in its entirety:

As a product of his environment, Michael Pantaleon grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, a diverse hometown exuding inspiration. The exposure of urban culture sparked personal interest in Pantaleon and his desire for freedom of expression. It was through these fascinations that revealed himself as an artistic individual. His earliest memories as a child had always involved creating; falling into this line of work was already established at a young age. 

Although graphic design is his primary focus, Pantaleon finds comfort in all forms of technical practices. Maneuvering through the ever-changing definition of fine art seems to come naturally, where composition and color initiate the foundational integrity of his portfolio. Through the many years of experimenting with the Adobe Creative Suite, it’s imperative that he utilizes the knowledge of all programs in every project imaginable. The constant curiosity and obsession to learn and adapt motivates Pantaleon to become a better version of himself today than he was yesterday.

With aspirations of branching out to various directions in the creative world, the passionate attitude that Pantaleon carries allows himself to keep dreaming, be free, and encourage individuality. He believes that in order to be comfortable in your own skin, you must experience life for what it is and find healthy ways to express the complexity of it all. Creating by virtue of emotion became a process of familiarity applied throughout his work. To live is to feel. Understand that emotions come and go. Openly choosing to embrace them upfront nourishes a thriving empowerment within oneself, and with art as an outlet, Pantaleon's creativity is limitless.

Mission Artist Statment - Heber Diaz

Mission Artist Statement - Heber Diaz

Artist Statement Presentation

Tionna Nyasia Watson is a black designer and visual artist based in the New Jersey, New York area, and one thing that she stresses about her work is that it does not and never will categorize into a style because she explores all angles of artistry, design, and creativity; takes it and tries to create something different and new. 

 

As a visual artist, Watson introduces the viewer to a few different themes in her work, such as displaying the beautiful qualities of women of color through hair, diverse skin, sisterhood, motherhood, empowerment, and the undenied beauty women share. Other themes behind her art are the intersections between blackness and womanhood, and the merging of nature, wildlife, and muliebrity. Her love for art was heavily influenced by her family, who inspired her to use detail as a weapon of affirmation for women and artistic identity, not just as an element of creativity. Watson applies her extensive knowledge of texture and detail to her digital and traditional illustrations, and her lack of referential use results in unique renderings of women of color. Watson’s preferred mediums are the drawing application Procreate, oil paint, acrylic, and gouache. For her abstract illustrations, the artist uses acrylic paint to display the beauty of equality through shades of skin. In these works, she creates a unique perspective of what society has marked as unrepresentative of our civilization, slicing into racial equality, and piecing it back together, displaying the diversity, but selfsameness of our skin.

 

My Treasures, 2022, Procreate digital painting.        

When it comes to designing, she implicates both typography and imagery whether there is more or less of the other. As a graphic designer, she strives for simplicity while trying to still be innovative and different. But simplicity is not the way to go all the time. Sometimes it isn’t enough which is why Watson never sticks to a certain style or way of designing. She feels creativity has no limit so why should hers? The nonexistence of an organized structure, but still visual uniformity is displayed in her works quite often. Her current interests in graphic design are packaging, editorial, and WEB design, in which she uses Adobe Creative Cloud software and Procreate to create her designs. After graduating, Tionna hopes to be a designer who creates graphic design work strictly with illustrations she created for a company/client because it combines her design and artistry skills. This is portrayed in one of her recent works, BLACKNESS, an art, and art tutorial book Watson wrote, designed, and illustrated for a BFA Exhibit. This book displays her skills in editorial design, using Adobe InDesign, and digital painting in Procreate. 

Artist Statement

Influential artist

Sam Dameshek

My goal with photography is to create editorial/ campaigns work for magazines, clothing, or other brands.  Sam Dameshek is a major influence to why I want to pursue this career. I really enjoy how Sam is able to take amazing portraits. His subject always looks comfortable, his color grading is amazing, and his overall composition is something else. Besides all technical aspects of Sam’s work, he is just an overall beast. Sam and I are almost the same age, and he accomplished so much at just 23. I’ve learned a lot through this guy.

Andy Warhol

A second inspiration of mine is the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Andy Warhol himself. To be specific, I’m a big fan of his polaroids. I even purchased the same polaroid he used, “The Big Shot.” Warhol’s polaroids are pretty simple, straightforward, and funny.  I use polaroids in both my work and my personal stuff. I like the instant gratification feeling I get when shooting polaroids. I also like the colors of Fujifilm Instax wide.

William Eggelston

William Eggleston is one of my favorite photographers. His work consists of photos of what he would see when going out. My favorite part of Eggleston's work is his color tones. I’ve tried to recreate it on my own, but I just can’t land it. I see William Eggleston's work as the perfect example of “work with what you have.”

Influences + Work

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Z5hZrR74sKOTSS5CRX0hidyemhFobuhwKOVwOD_P2tM/edit?usp=sharing

Spring 2022

Summer 2022

    To list all of my favorite artists and how they inspire me would take forever, but I did change up the list a bit from the original five artists assignment. Most of the artists shown here work digitally, with the exception of the first artist (who sketches and inks her pages).

Q Hayashida is a manga artist known for her works on Maken X Another, Dorohedoro, and Dai Dark. My first introduction to her work was Dorohedoro, and I adored her grungy style and unique character design. Her work tends to be dark but humorous in tone, and involves drawing a lot of action - usually fairly gory- scenes. I can’t draw intimidating muscled characters as well as her (yet), but I sure hope to. If anyone ever enjoyed Chainsaw Man, I highly recommend this series.

Trevor Henderson is another artist who specializes in horror, and especially creature designs. He created the notorious Siren Head, and the podcast Mayfair Watchers Society is about various other monsters of his creation. His works vary from photos (either ones he finds, is given, or takes himself) where he realistically illustrates the monster into the scene, to original illustrations. 

Madison Schubert is an illustrator and designer who specializes in horror, punk subculture, and music. My favorite parts of her artwork are her use of vibrant and solid colors, her lineart and use of thicker outlines. She’s made promotional posters for the band Pinkshift before, and sticker designs both original and based on the works of the podcast The Magnus Archives. along with posters based on albums by the Band Ghost, My Chemical Romance, Halsey, and even artwork for web comics like that of Covenant. Which leads us to our next artist.

Lineart from Summer 2022

 

Lysandra Vuong is the author and artist of the webcomic Covenant. Their style shifts between their comic work, full-fledged illustrations, and merchandise. Their comic involves a lot of action scenes, character designs (the tattoos on their central characters are all designs they made themselves, and saved as assets for future and easier use for drawing panel-to-panel). Their illustrations have more detail and realistic rendering applied to them, and some of them have a beautiful painterly quality to them. I admire the range of their work, and how they’re very transparent about the process of drawing Covenant.

Miwashiba/Miwasiba is an older influence, primarily their horror game Alicemare (other notable games of theirs being the LiEat trilogy, 1bit Heart, and The Faceless Double, but I had played Alicemare while I was still in middle school). The gothic designs of the main protagonists, and designs of the demon antagonists remained a subconscious influence on how characters were designed in my story.

The last artist I want to bring up is Mari Merino. He is another horror artist, who actually released his novel Midnight over the summer. I enjoy his use of color in their illustrations, character design, and their writing fills me with a sense of dread that I hope to instill in future audiences. 

Done in three hours after midnight, 2021

Incomplete character sprite, 2023

Alternate incomplete character sprite, 2023

Influential artists

 David Lynch:

David lynch has been my favorite director since I was 15. I've also wanted to be a photographer since I was 15. I fell in love with how each and every still frame in his work is composed so well as an image of its own. Surrealism is near and dear to me and that is also a large par to my enjoyment of his films as well as his paintings. 

Abelardo Morell:

I am very interested in the camera obscura. I have not done much with it but do have some large ideas and plans. Abelardo Morell is arguably the most prolific, creative, and successful camera obscura photographer out there. His work gets me very inspired.

John R. Dilworth:

John Dilworth is best known for his work on courage the cowardly dog. He is the creator and lead animator. His work is my earliest introduction to Surrealism. I remember looking and his other short animations outside of courage at 13 and learning so much about art from them. His work is near and dear to my heart to this day.

Sluto:

Sluto is one of my favorite graffiti artists. I discovered his work exploring about 6 years ago and it stood out to me as so very unique. I like graffiti but something has to be special to really catch me. I also love the mosaics that he does more recently. I haven't encountered one in real life yet but hope to soon.

Aneko:

I discovered Aneko the same day I discovered Sluto in the same place on the same walk. They seem to be good friends and tag near eachother often. I love anekos use of characters in her art.

Both artists have strong Surrealist themes throughout their bodies of work

My Influences / My Work

 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1j29RxWgQG57ZnfdrGgb5YSlwPe8hR38EU0ADR1KxLjE/edit?usp=sharing

To say the horror genre is an interest of mine would be an understatement. For as long as I could remember, I've always been drawn to darker stories and visuals. I grew up reading Goosebumps in elementary school, and watching horror movies. I say all this because it's not just a genre or an aesthetic to me, it's such a huge part of who I am and how I see the world, which is why it has such a heavy influence on my work. A huge reason I'm particularly interested in horror when it comes to artwork and storytelling is the emotion it evokes. Fear and dread are some of the strongest emotions someone can experience, and seeing a piece of art that's able to bring that out of someone is really inspirational to me. This is why most of the artists I have listed in my presentation pertain to horror in some type of way, though that's not the only reason I find them inspiring. Horror mangaka Junji Ito puts so much care into every single panel he works on, with such minor details that come together to create some of the most unsettling illustrations. 

Another one of my biggest inspirations is director Guillermo del Toro, who's best known for Pan's Labyrinth, and his most recent adaptation of Pinocchio. Like Junji Ito, del Toro also puts a lot of details into his movies, mostly regarding color and costume/set design choices. His characters are multidimensional, and every subtle detail connects back to them. Something I find really inspirational about him though, is how he creates what he wants to, despite it usually not as well received by the general public, often due to false advertising and his movies falling into a specific niche. It reminds me to create for myself, since thats where I get the most satisfaction when it comes to my work.

It feels somewhat disingenuous to place my work side by side with these artists, even if there's clear inspirations being drawn directly (for example the painterly techniques of Masanori Sato), since they, alongside many other creators I have unlisted, play a part in my artistic journey, and motivate me to create and break my own boundaries.