Welcome to the fifth issue of the
ANTHRO ARTIST INTERVIEW/FEATURE
This time we speak with ~kittiara
_{Deviant since 5 years ago, has more than 500 deviations, was viewed over than 100.000 times, and got featured with a Daily Deviation.}



When I planned these interviews, I didn't pretend to bring only kick-ass popular artists, with zillions of pageviews and hordes of rabid fans watching them. I know those are the exception, and not the average deviant. Because of that, I wanted to add some other artists to my list: Artists also talented enough, great deviantART members and community supporters, even if they are still unnoticed or not too popular. Because, I bet you agree with me, popularity has nothing to do with talent or skills most of the time

That's why I asked ~kittiara if she could be so nice, kind and friendly to let me interview her for this set of articles: I feel proud to say we have been friend for a long time, even before any of us joined deviantART and met here again, and I can tell you how amazed I am at her artistic talent, and how much she has evolved it and improved it in barely a few years. I think she's the best example for the phrase "If I want to do it, I can do it", also known as "Impossible is nothing", and somebody I truly admire, both as an artist and as a person.

So, don't expect professional hints and tips here, neither awesomely long, reassoned answers, but a lot of true personal experiences, honest advices, and other thoughts coming from one of the deviants I love the most. Enjoy!




Personal Information:

So, tell us, to start with, what's your name?
China Blue Rockett.


Nice! Also, what is your age, China?
17


OK, now I feel officially jealous at you, hehe. Well, let's get to know you better as an artist: Do you possess any formal artistic training?
I've been drawing just by looking around since I could hold a pencil, but I've had some classes in and out of highschool. I also went to a summer program at RISD that taught me a lot, but I have yet to hit college!


Tell us, China.... do you feel like a furry, or are you simply an anthro artist?
It’s hard to say. I like drawing a variety of subjects, though I enjoy anthros most just because they're a lot of fun. I go through periods where I draw more anthros than humanoids, and vice versa. Most of my humanoid work is unscanned, actually.


Do you have a Web site we could visit?
Not yet... though I have the domain booked for later. XD



Your Inspiration:


What is your source of inspiration? Could you share it with us?
Besides the amazing artists and worlds around me, it’s the ambition to draw the images in my head. It's difficult to translate something directly from my head when I haven't yet learned the skills, so... I always want to keep improving so I can do justice to my subjects.


What artist do you look up to?
There are too many artists to list... I guess a few would be JayAxer, wakkawa, Tracy J. Butler, various concept artists… I will say I'm a total fangirl of figures like Da Vinci, Duhrer, et cetera, though. I'm a sucker for classical art with the idealization of the human form, too.


Indeed: how to not love the classics? Also, last time I checked, you had more than 500 deviations in your gallery: Being so prolific, what do you do when you come across an “art block?”
Doodle. The worst thing I can do is NOT draw, so I always press forward. So in that sense, an art block doesn’t block me, even if I create crap for a while.



Concerning Your Persona:


Who is your persona or most popular character?
My persona, or "fursona," is Kittiara, a black and white "cat devil".



How long have you had said character?
Since 6th or 7th grade, before she had any demon wings or horns.


I think I remember her when I first met you, now that you mention that. How did you develop her?
I have always loved cats (CATS was my favorite musical as a kid too), and I loved drawing animals. Then I found out through the Internet that people had personas! So I created a cat one. I don't roleplay her, since she's always been like me, developed like me, etc.


What else would you like to share about her?
I'd like to make a version of her that is more of a character. By that I mean she has her own past and, while similar to me, stands on her own. I'll keep Kittiara the fursona version, but at this point she needs development on her own.



About Media:


What media do you most enjoy, China?
Digital! Or just pencil. They come naturally.


Then, which media do you like the least?
Watercolor. I'm atrocious with it, despite my attempts. Give me acrylic or oils, please.


Now, my friend, please share with us your favorite piece from your gallery. Explain why you favor it.



This marks a milestone for me. I wanted a portfolio piece that was digital, and challenged myself to make an image where the background played a large role and wasn’t just filler. It took me a long time, because I’m still an amateur when it comes to backgrounds and such things, but I had fun, and I want to surpass this.


Evil as I am, I challenge you to try something new. If you have the time, what might you try?
This summer I want to try a lot of new things... I guess off the bat, I'll say that I want to try to create images that don't focus on characters. Landscapes, study of objects, etcetera. I have primarily been a character illustrator, but I need to build skill elsewhere.



DeviantART as a Community:


How has DeviantART aided you in developing your artistic talent?
Well, it’s provided a lot of artists for me to look up to… through my years, as I’ve developed my skills, those artists have changed, but there are still those here who inspire me. DevArt in itself has been an artist-stalking tool more than anything.


Not bad, even when you have such a huge gallery! What do you enjoy most about being a member here?
I guess… the fact that I’ve been exposed to many different artists. I never post on the forums or anything (I’m sorry to say that I’ve always been on the reclusive side of all that), but I like being able to post my art and receive feedback and I also enjoy interacting with other artists.


What would you like to see changed in order to improve the anthro community?
Hm, I don’t know… I read the news posts, but as I said before, I’m not involved to much extent. However, I like the activities that are planned, because those are fun and bring people together. It would be interesting to do some collaborations or something—even ones that transcend categories! It could be fun and informative for everybody involved.
Well, it's good to know somebody reads the articles ^cooley and I publish, lol.




Last Thoughts:


In your experience, have you any advice on building a better portfolio?
Diversify your artwork. Medium, subject matter, the size of the pieces, all of those are important. If you’re applying to an art college, they sometimes have required pieces (landscape, portrait, etc), but no matter what, you’ll want to study subjects other than just anthro in order to avoid pigeon-holing yourself (even if anthro is what you enjoy most).


You know this interview will get a lot of exposure: What other wisdom would you like to impart to our readers?
Ah… uh… XD Find new sources to draw inspiration from—it’s fun! A show or performance can throw you into a new world that ends up inspiring you: like Cirque du Soleil. A place, like a beautiful garden or a somber cemetery, can give you strong emotions that make for a good mood setting for a piece. Get your friends to let you listen to their music and have speed painting sessions, a pic per song. That sort of thing. I love all those things… hope some of you do too!

I guess I realize that’s not anthro community-specific, but no matter what type of artist you are; you’re an artist after all. Same for art-lovers. ^^ I would encourage everybody not to confine themselves to enjoying just one type of art. I have met people who say "I don’t like anthro art" or "anime art" or whatever… but everything has its merits, so although I and we all probably have our personal preferences, a change now and then is refreshing.


Well said. Now, before we end this kind and friendly interview I hope you have enjoyed as much as I did, do you have any other comments you would like to share?
Comments can be very useful to artists, and I know I really appreciate them, whether they’re crits or just one word exclamations. So don't ever feel like you can't comment because somebody's already said it or it won't be useful!


~

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