Some time ago we had a little conversation with an Illustrator from Bandung @elfandiary. How he draws, where inspirations for his illustration ideas come from, and how he responds to his life experiences through illustrations.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am Elfandiary, I work as a full-time illustrator who graduated from visual communication and design.
How long are you already became Illustrator and why?
After graduating from college, I decided to become a full-time Illustrator. Since childhood, I loved to draw and I love the process while drawing. So after my academic studies, my drawing hobby became my profession.
What style do you use?
There are no specific styles, every work I make has its own story, I don’t think we need to put a label on it. What I want to do is convey a story through visual storytelling.
So far, what has been stated in your work, is there any anxiety or concern that is poured in it?
Sure there is, but a lot of my work is about everything. I illustrate what is fun, yes, also moods of sadness, depression or anxiety, but sometimes what I drew is not just about what I feel but sometimes also based on what I see or hear, such us music and film.
What inspired your choice of colour?
It depends on what I want to tell through my drawing, like what kind of atmosphere or mood do I want to convey. Every colour represents a different meaning.
When working piece, when do you know a work is done?
As long as my goal on every project is already achieved, I can stop there. The key is I just need to stick to the story and concept idea that I want to convey through my drawing in the first place, this method helps to minimize overworking a piece.
Is there any artist that inspire your work?
Akira Toriyama manga artist that made Dragon Ball and Fuji F Fujio the author of Doraemon.
Is there any future project you already working on?
Right now, I’m preparing the materials for the next exhibition, and making a postcard book, maybe in the future I would like to make an art book that has a collection of homemade works with certain themes that I am working on.
What are your favorite works?
Because I really do love every process of making an illustration, almost all of my work I take it personally so every piece has a different meaning to me. That’s why I love all my work.
What’s your main medium to work with?
For now, I’d like to experiment with various mediums, as long as the process is fun. I don’t mind using various media and not just focusing on one media.
Are there any challenging mediums that you already use?
Watercolour, because of the unpredictable nature of the watercolor how it is applied to all kinds of paper and how the watercolor responds to our hand. It really challenges my creative sense.
Your opinion about creative spaces
Creative spaces can make it easier because they support all creative activities. As long as it can support speakers and those who want to learn, I think it’s good, why not. Its existence can help anyone who wants to develop or make something by meeting various kinds of individuals.
Advice for friends who are just starting to become illustrators
Try everything, experiment with all media, don’t be afraid to fail and also try to publish your works either online or join a group showcase or maybe have your own showcase. In essence, we can have feedback that can help us to improve.
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