How did you get your Artist name?: I keep it a secret.

How did you get into creating?: I started painting in early childhood. This was the beginning of my journey into the art world.

How has creating changed your life?: Creativity takes up a huge part of my life and later became my job.

Where are you from?: Saint Petersburg, Russia

How did growing up in your neighborhood/city affect you?: I grew up in an ordinary residential area in the south-west of St. Petersburg. In my area there are no delicacies of architecture, but there are many parks. My area looks much better in the summer, but it gets dull and gloomy in the fall or winter. On dull days in the evenings, I would sit at home, listen to music and draw my illustrations on paper, come up with plots and create my own worlds. It was a very difficult time. The Soviet Union collapsed, it was not clear what awaited us all. My family was not rich, but my hobby did not need a lot of money. My parents contributed to my hobby. My father and I went to the zoo and zoological museum. Thanks to my mother, I began to attend art school. At home I drew on any paper and used any pencils and pens. Leningrad (as St. Petersburg was called before) has always been a city of creative people. And by the way, it is my city that is a great source of inspiration. And I am happy that I was born here and met my wife here .

What did you do to advance your skills/knowledge?: Practice and analysis. It is important for illustrators to draw a lot on paper and sketch. Analyze the things you paint. Unfortunately, the most common question I get on Instagram is which drawing application do you use? I'm tired of repeating that it doesn't matter at all. But for some reason, many people think that this will help them learn to draw.
Take a sketchbook and a pencil, sit on a bench in the park and draw everything you see: people, birds, houses, trees, branches, trash cans. Try to get into proportions and learn composition. I think drawing on a computer can be harmful to aspiring artists because they miss the basics of artistic composition.

What does your current setup look like?: Wacom Intous L. I have two computers, one for design and painting, the other for making music. Glasses with pencils and sketchbooks are always at hand. I also have a small studio with several synthesizers, a midi keyboard, a Motu 828 mk3 hybrid sound card and a pair of Genelec speakers. I do not only drawing and design, but also music, but that's a completely different story.

Who inspires you? Why do they inspire you?: My family, music, my city, travel and so on.
I was lucky because my wife is a wonderful artist and sometimes she not only inspires, but also helps a lot. I often paint while listening to music. I really love the Russian band KINO and the British duo Pet Shop Boys. These groups have had the greatest influence on me. Pet Shop Boys have a great design on their records, so I really enjoy not only their music, but also the artwork of their CDs. Wildlife also inspires me. After a trip to Ecuador, I created a series of illustrations to draw attention to the problems of Yasuni National Park. Sometimes travel makes you not only take a break from the routine, but also look at the world in a new way.

What is your goal when you create? : I am concerned about environmental problems on our planet, so I have a lot of illustrations on this topic. Now there is an era of consumption in the world and many people do not even think about where the garbage goes, how our planet is changing. I want to show the beauty and fragility of nature. People are concerned about social injustice, but nature does not have a say at all. No one asks the trees when they are cut down, no one asks the elephants if they want to give up their tusks at the cost of their lives.

Why do you create?: This is my self-expression. This is my job. I like it, I can do it, and I feel the need for it.

What's your go-to song right now and why is it important to you?: The forgotten child by Pet Shop Boys. It's a beautiful song, I love the message and the instrumental part. This song is very relevant right now.

What is your dream as an artist and what steps are you taking to reach your dream?: At the moment, I don't want to talk about a dream.
You need to work on yourself. There is a good saying in Russia - Do everything in your power, otherwise rely on fate. So you just have to work.

What is the best advice you would give someone? : There are many good tips. It's hard to call something the best.
But I would advise artists to draw less on the computer and draw more on paper, make sketches. Progress will come faster. Force yourself to draw what you do not really like, you need to do it sometimes. I draw glasses and spoons, although I don't really like to do it.)))

Tell us about your most recent release: I am delighted to work with IllustrationX agency.
I did the illustration for the book "Childfood - Recipes for Young Coolinary Explorers". I illustrated the story of how Alexander the Great met the Indian king Porus. It was Aleskander who brought bananas to Europe. It was a very good experience.

Photos taken by Natalia Senina

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