Intervista su Il Mondo di NERd
Nuova intervista dall'interessante blog de Il Mondo di NERd. È una grande emozione raccontare del mio lavoro in casa Italia, non posso che ringraziare di cuore Nero per il caloroso invito alla sua rubrica dedicata all'arte ed illustrazione!
Buona lettura!
Buona lettura!
English version, please continue here below for the translation!
Intervista a Illusorya - Illustratrice e pittrice
Nella tua assidua frequentazione delle fiere de fumetto hai incontrato personaggi straordinari, fuori da ogni schema, con abilità e capacità artistiche tali da affascinarti.
Hai avuto modo di conoscere anni fa la carissima Stefania - nome d'arte: Illusorya- che ha dato vita ad illustrazioni dallo stile tetro e oscuro, ma romantico e sensuale.
Oggi siamo qui per intervistarla e sviscerare qualcosa in più su di lei.
ENGLISH VERSION
Interview with Illusorya - Illustrator and painter
In your assiduous attendance at comic fairs you have met extraordinary characters, out of every scheme, with skills and artistic abilities such as to fascinate you.
Years ago you got to know dear Stefania - stage name: Illusory - who gave life to illustrations with a gloomy and dark, but romantic and sensual style. Today we are here to interview her and discuss a little more about her.
Are you ready? Let's go!
Here we are, first of all thank you for accepting the invitation, your illustrations are very beautiful and artistically inspired.
1. How did you start taking your first steps in the world of illustrations?
What was the spring that triggered the desire to put that on paper
what were you feeling?
I remember that as a child I used to draw fashion sketches in notebooks, and this has me then led to study as a fashion designer.
Obviously, completely failed, since it was not what I wanted to "do when I grow up"! But this helped me a lot to learn the basics of drawing, and then study as a self taught.
I started out as a “Fairy Artist”, illustrating pure fantasy and fairy creatures, but that world was literally strangling my artistic inspiration. As and when I progressed in the technique, a part of me still struggled to grasp the difference of this that I really wanted to print on paper and have to please others. Until the moment I closed the doors of Fantasy behind me and opened those of Dark Art.
I have always drawn as a hobby, while working as an antique furniture restorer and other degrading temporary jobs; then, the first sales came e commissions, and subsequently gallery exhibitions and events.
A few years ago, I therefore decided to abandon everything and become a professional artist, what I dreamed of all my life.
Years ago you got to know dear Stefania - stage name: Illusory - who gave life to illustrations with a gloomy and dark, but romantic and sensual style. Today we are here to interview her and discuss a little more about her.
Are you ready? Let's go!
Here we are, first of all thank you for accepting the invitation, your illustrations are very beautiful and artistically inspired.
1. How did you start taking your first steps in the world of illustrations?
What was the spring that triggered the desire to put that on paper
what were you feeling?
I remember that as a child I used to draw fashion sketches in notebooks, and this has me then led to study as a fashion designer.
Obviously, completely failed, since it was not what I wanted to "do when I grow up"! But this helped me a lot to learn the basics of drawing, and then study as a self taught.
I started out as a “Fairy Artist”, illustrating pure fantasy and fairy creatures, but that world was literally strangling my artistic inspiration. As and when I progressed in the technique, a part of me still struggled to grasp the difference of this that I really wanted to print on paper and have to please others. Until the moment I closed the doors of Fantasy behind me and opened those of Dark Art.
I have always drawn as a hobby, while working as an antique furniture restorer and other degrading temporary jobs; then, the first sales came e commissions, and subsequently gallery exhibitions and events.
A few years ago, I therefore decided to abandon everything and become a professional artist, what I dreamed of all my life.
2. Are there any artists in particular that you appreciate and have particularly inspired you? And if so, what is your favorite and why?
The greatest teacher was Luis Royo. I've always loved his technique, so full of fine details of light and his sensual brushstrokes. At a glance, the faces immediately attract attention, so expressive.
But one thing remained in my heart: in one of his artbooks, I remember that he wrote a little notion about learning to draw creatures, which more or less sounded like this "Take a pencil and let it scroll up
paper. Don't worry about the anatomy, monsters are not and don't have to be perfect ". Perfection in imperfection has always been my life motto.
Besides Royo, another artist is in the luggage of my favorites: Gerald Brom, and his creatures so perfect. His colors, the atmospheres of his illustrations have always attracted my aesthetic sense. I met his art from the cover book of Elric of Melniboné: The Daughter of the Dream Thief by Michael Moorcock, a series that will remain in my heart ... Another great source of artistic inspiration, tragic and dramatic, which deserved a mention!
Currently, I really appreciate Michael Hussar who often falls victim to portraits of him, in drawing inspiration. Emotionally speaking, he is my favorite, since he practically represents my artistic vision in contrasting bright colors, bizarre and charismatic creatures, from which emotions so strong as to create almost perplexity.
The greatest teacher was Luis Royo. I've always loved his technique, so full of fine details of light and his sensual brushstrokes. At a glance, the faces immediately attract attention, so expressive.
But one thing remained in my heart: in one of his artbooks, I remember that he wrote a little notion about learning to draw creatures, which more or less sounded like this "Take a pencil and let it scroll up
paper. Don't worry about the anatomy, monsters are not and don't have to be perfect ". Perfection in imperfection has always been my life motto.
Besides Royo, another artist is in the luggage of my favorites: Gerald Brom, and his creatures so perfect. His colors, the atmospheres of his illustrations have always attracted my aesthetic sense. I met his art from the cover book of Elric of Melniboné: The Daughter of the Dream Thief by Michael Moorcock, a series that will remain in my heart ... Another great source of artistic inspiration, tragic and dramatic, which deserved a mention!
Currently, I really appreciate Michael Hussar who often falls victim to portraits of him, in drawing inspiration. Emotionally speaking, he is my favorite, since he practically represents my artistic vision in contrasting bright colors, bizarre and charismatic creatures, from which emotions so strong as to create almost perplexity.
3. What tools do you use to bring your creations to life? Brushes? Graphics tablet? China?
I am a traditional artist, experimenting with various tools depending on the inspiration and type of work. I love this for the smells of pigments, thinners and varnishes, getting my hands dirty, it's a feeling that makes me "alive".
I practically use oil, watercolor, ink and colored pencils. Sometimes just graphite and charcoal. Still my favorite tool is watercolor and its anarchic shades, although with oil my style becomes more realistic. This does not mean that I renounce the digital technique, I simply do not think it fits my style at the moment, especially when it comes to the desire for people to adopt more original works, rather than “serial” prints (or the new wave of NFTs). But I admit that I am attracted to it, maybe in the future I will decide to buy that graphic table!
I am a traditional artist, experimenting with various tools depending on the inspiration and type of work. I love this for the smells of pigments, thinners and varnishes, getting my hands dirty, it's a feeling that makes me "alive".
I practically use oil, watercolor, ink and colored pencils. Sometimes just graphite and charcoal. Still my favorite tool is watercolor and its anarchic shades, although with oil my style becomes more realistic. This does not mean that I renounce the digital technique, I simply do not think it fits my style at the moment, especially when it comes to the desire for people to adopt more original works, rather than “serial” prints (or the new wave of NFTs). But I admit that I am attracted to it, maybe in the future I will decide to buy that graphic table!
4. I noticed that your drawings deal with particularly macabre or romantic themes, recalling dark culture. Why exactly that style and this representation? Do you listen to music of that movement?
One of the things I love about the art world is that there are no rules, despite the efforts of many academics. I have always loved hiding particular details, sometimes grotesque, among the bright colors and well-made up and dressed girls. Often, people who look at my works notice one or the other element, it depends on their mood; bringing with them a state of disillusionment with what they had seen. And this inspired me to delve even further into creating an illusion for the viewer, inserting symbols or details that, despite the simplicity of the illustration itself, are not noticed at first sight.
Vampires and bizarre creatures, falsely dark atmospheres are part of a very different aesthetic from what the Dark wants to represent. Dark is realistic in a surreal world, it is human malaise and derision in bright colors and smiles, it is pure emotion - whether benevolent or malevolent, it is culture and religion in apparently confident faces, it is disgust and grotesque amazement in a sexual key.
All that humanity tends to hide and make taboo. This is why I took this path and use the name Illusorya. In the field of music there are many examples. I prefer metal music, it depends a lot on my mood. I am not going to list my favorite artists and related motifs otherwise it gets too long, but as a great inspiration (since adolescence) I owe it to the industrial and its raw and mechanical notes, especially to Rammstein and their lyrics, which they represent my illusory vision of humor - black - sexuality and frankness, in a simple key, without too many frills.
One of the things I love about the art world is that there are no rules, despite the efforts of many academics. I have always loved hiding particular details, sometimes grotesque, among the bright colors and well-made up and dressed girls. Often, people who look at my works notice one or the other element, it depends on their mood; bringing with them a state of disillusionment with what they had seen. And this inspired me to delve even further into creating an illusion for the viewer, inserting symbols or details that, despite the simplicity of the illustration itself, are not noticed at first sight.
Vampires and bizarre creatures, falsely dark atmospheres are part of a very different aesthetic from what the Dark wants to represent. Dark is realistic in a surreal world, it is human malaise and derision in bright colors and smiles, it is pure emotion - whether benevolent or malevolent, it is culture and religion in apparently confident faces, it is disgust and grotesque amazement in a sexual key.
All that humanity tends to hide and make taboo. This is why I took this path and use the name Illusorya. In the field of music there are many examples. I prefer metal music, it depends a lot on my mood. I am not going to list my favorite artists and related motifs otherwise it gets too long, but as a great inspiration (since adolescence) I owe it to the industrial and its raw and mechanical notes, especially to Rammstein and their lyrics, which they represent my illusory vision of humor - black - sexuality and frankness, in a simple key, without too many frills.
5. Given today's situation, what are you doing now?
By working more through comic fairs and local events, this global emergency has obviously knocked out. In addition to creations for the online shop, I currently work on private commissions and collaborations with international publishers, especially in the field of Tarot. In 2022, two collaborative decks with other artists will be released, 78 Tarot and Braiiinz! Publishing, containing some of my unpublished illustrations. My dream is to create my own dedicated deck, that is to say, never be what the future holds! In this period I therefore concentrated on organizing my online shop, with new illustrations and merchandising inherent to my art. I put aside projects with galleries and some collaborations to focus as an indie artist and be more free to express myself.
By working more through comic fairs and local events, this global emergency has obviously knocked out. In addition to creations for the online shop, I currently work on private commissions and collaborations with international publishers, especially in the field of Tarot. In 2022, two collaborative decks with other artists will be released, 78 Tarot and Braiiinz! Publishing, containing some of my unpublished illustrations. My dream is to create my own dedicated deck, that is to say, never be what the future holds! In this period I therefore concentrated on organizing my online shop, with new illustrations and merchandising inherent to my art. I put aside projects with galleries and some collaborations to focus as an indie artist and be more free to express myself.
At the bottom, thank Stefania again for her courtesy and we refer you to her Web pages:
• Website & Shop: www.illusorya.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/illusorya
• Facebook (profilo pubblico): www.facebook.com/stefaniarussoart
• Instagram: @illusorya
• Website & Shop: www.illusorya.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/illusorya
• Facebook (profilo pubblico): www.facebook.com/stefaniarussoart
• Instagram: @illusorya