Evelyn Ware
Q: Who inspires most of your professional work, if anyone, and when / how did you come across them?
A: Caitlin Hackett is a big part of my inspiration when it comes to my more professional artworks. My art teacher from highschool actually introduced me to her works when I took my IB class. I’m very grateful that she did because she knew exactly what I liked, as many of Hacketts artworks have piqued my interests.
Q: Can you explain more about your creative process? How you begin, work through your material, as well as how you finish?
A: Usually when drawing with pencil I start off with a circle for the head and work my way from there. Sometimes I’ll have a concept in mind, most of the time I make stuff up as I go. When it comes to more serious works I always start with a concept. I like to have meaningful concepts, and I usually portray them using animals, mythical creatures, and nature. I also take into consideration the medium that I’ll be using since I know it’ll have a drastic effect on how my work will turn out.
Q: What would you say is your best piece, and how did you create it?
A: Trying to pick the best piece out of all my artworks is hard since I don’t really consider any of my works able to meet my own standards. Perhaps I’m just too harsh on myself, but if I had to pick one it would be an artwork of a Teostra, a monster from one of my favorite video games, that I made digitally. The only reason why it’s my favorite is because I actually liked how it turned out, and was proud to call it my own art for once.
Q: What kind of mindset do you most often find yourself in when deep in a work? Does it tend to change?
A: My mindset changes depending on how serious the work is. When casually sketching, I usually have several concepts spiralling in my head. Sometimes this is distracting and overwhelming since It gives me the impulse to draw each and every one of them out in detail. In the end I tend to ask myself what I like about my sketch, what was successful, and what was weak. When working on more serious art pieces I tend to unintentionally put myself in a rather negative mindset. I don’t exactly have a lot of confidence in myself when it comes to any form of coloring, so when I work with watercolors and such I tend to be very strict and careful with myself.
Q: What is your favorite subject matter/material to draw? Why?
A: I’m most comfortable drawing in pen/pencil and paper, but I don’t exactly know if it’s my favorite medium just because I’m the most familiar with it. I suppose it is since it’s the only medium that I’m good at. While I’m quite fond of watercolors, I’m not very good at using them.
Q: If you had any tips/strong words to share with someone who were interested in starting any form of artwork, or specifically drawing, what would you share?
A: Although it may seem obvious, start with a goal in mind that you plan to keep. My goal as an artist is to create good concept art, and I am constantly trying to learn new techniques in order to achieve this. It gives me motivation to draw and learn, and it’s been working quite well so far.
Q: Are there any specific reasons you pursue art? Please elaborate.
A: I started drawing at a really young age, my mother claims that I started when I was 3 years old. Ever since, I’ve had a passion for art and would try to get better over the years. As I went through highschool, I realized that I wanted to turn my hobby as an artist into a career. Some of my favorite games that I take inspiration from, such as Pokemon and Monster Hunter, also encouraged me to take this path.
Q: What do you find most troubling in pursuing art? Are there any roadblocks that get in your way when you’re in the middle of a piece?
A: In my opinion, the most troubling part in pursuing art is comparing yourself to artists that have more experience than you. While it’s good to have artists that inspire you, comparing yourself over someone who has spent more time and dedication into a subject is unreasonable. Another thing that tends to get in my way while working on art projects is asking myself “Why am I still not good enough to do this decently”. Deep down I know it’s just because I haven’t spent enough time learning whatever it is I’m trying to do, but sometimes it gets to me.
Q: What is the best time you’ve had in your art career, and subsequently, the worst?
A: If I’m being honest, nothing has ever stood out in my art journey over the years, yet. Perhaps it’s because I’m still young and have yet to explore the art industry. On the other hand, I have plenty of bad experiences with art. I believe the worst time I've had with art is in my IB Art class. I didn’t mess up anything or fail the class, but it was rigorous as hell and I simply wasn’t used to the sheer amount of work needed. I pulled through though, but not without a lot of sleepless nights and regrets wondering if the pain was worth it.