Welcome to the eigth issue of the
ANTHRO ARTIST INTERVIEW/FEATURE
This time we speak with *carnival
_{Deviant since 6 years ago, has 3 Daily Deviation features, and 550.000 deviants have viewed her drawings.}



When you first visit *carnival's deviantART page, you easily realize how cheerful his artist is, and so is her art. Happy by nature, casual and honest to bits, she finally agreed to take my interview, and, believe me, better late than never, because it was worth every day we were waiting for her. Even if you could call her "popular" (I deeply hate that word), she never refuses to give, and get, feedback about art, about life, and I have seen her many times mentoring other artists and giving really wise advices. She doesn't mind to use her experience to help others, and I thank her for sharing her art with us here in dA.

Believe me, she has tried her best to answer my questions.




Personal Information:

Good morning from the other side of Planet Earth! Do you want to share with us the real name behind "Carnival"?
Eka Vasos ...is all you get until i know you better~ >|'3 though people have been known to call my by my sign-name.. thats kule too


Well, I must say I use both to name you all the time, hehe. Also, to get to know you better, how old are you?
Currently, 21


Let's see, Eka... In so many years, did you get any formal artistic training?
Hmmmmmm, not really~ in school & college i always took an 'art class', as do all other drawing whelps growing up i think, but i can't say its at all responsible for any styles/techniques or inspirations I use.


Then I guess you evolved your style with your own experiences.... About stereotypes, let's ask you some more: do you feel like a furry, or are you simply an anthro artist?
Anthro artist enthusiast..! :'3

I love that anthro as a creative direction, it's fresh and different without being too far from everyones imagination. And while there are conventions for and many people 'of the furry following' I still find myself having to explain to the everyday person looking through folders of mine 'what anthro is'.

It's just fascinating to me, the potential to create vastly different stories, comics and movies etc, from such a diverse range of options~!


Well, I know the feeling too, when people asks you what is Anthro, believe me. By the way, talking about your art folders, do you have a Web site we could visit, art-related or not?
Haha, no. Too lazy to upkeep one regularly.. is easier to manage a public gallery such as my DeviantART account. Rather be chatting back to people than sorting through decades of HTML


How you can make your job and your art work together in an average day?
Bleeeeeeeh mostly I yam a slave to wurk.. #_#; these days i just ty and fit in artwork where i can.. :'/ I would like to draw more if I could... but I have to fit sleep in where i can aswell..

I've wondered if taking commissions on as a full-time gig would be enough to keep me financially on top of bills, rent and all that other jazz.. but i like the stability of a part-timer :'3 Plus it means i get to reserve drawing as a 'want to' rather than a 'have to' activity..


How your lovelife affect your art?
Hrrrrrrrrm~ I think for all artists, especially anime/anthro types, that drawing each other is an artists form of 'flirting' \|'3 it's a great way to meet people, personalize with them as well as just making good friends..

It's funny how when you actually solidate a relationship, make it all official and live with the person everyday that the art-side of things tends to dwindle..

Now i don't mean the love slips away,.. i still draw doodles here and there and nice things on special occasions, but the drive certainly ((for ~Vamore and myself)) took quite a tone-down... I think it has something to do with not having to strive for the attention as much..


What do you think about mature art?
LOL PR)NS. yeah........ it's different. I dont think it's a lesser form of art, but i understand that there's a time and place for it.. it's not something you would go around show to all and sundry.

It's more like something you can share with friends, flirts and personal others.. But i wouldn't ever showcase it as being 'apart' of my gallery to the underaged, potential job opps, etc.. nor do i sell it. Adult material for me tends to be something special.. not something you shelve for bidding~ its like baring your soul a little... :'3




Your Inspiration:


What is your source of inspiration, Eka? Could you share it with us?
These days? ........I'd have to say everything. Music, other brilliant artists, breakfast this-morning, recent gaming obsessions, friends and things we do together, emotions, inanimate objects, certain images your mind captures whilst walking from A to B...

..I can pull up a picture idea from just about anything.. In fact, so many and so easily so i probably only follow 45% through to completion.. the rest end up as lost ideas, sketches and doodlies. :'3


What artist do you look up to?
Oooo ahhhhh,.. the big questions...

Okay i'll admit it, ~bara-chan and ~fallout161 were two of my major inspirer's back in the day, like pre- and early DA.. they are two i learnt somuch from... Others that I looked upto as real anthro heros include; *JayAxer, Klar, Anya Schwarts, Ratbat, Breakbot and many more from the now-dead website, Yerf..

These days, no one person really stands out,.. i appreciate a wide range of awesome artists here on DA around on FA, love the bits out of all of Yasuhiro Nightow's ((Trigun, and Trigun Maximum)) work..


Well, I hope somebody can again charm you with their art again, Carnival. Now, to change subjects a bit, what do you do when you come across an “art block?”
...Never get it anymore, But i've been there. I used to, reeeeal bad.. this is back a fair few years now, when i would have been first starting out here on DA. Sometimes I'd get so cut up about 'not being good enough' or 'why am I bothering, when so many are so much better already,' etc, that I'd stab and rip up the picture I was part-way through, scrunch it up and throw it across the room.. most other times weren't so violent, thankgawd!

I found that working on commissions and setting aside time to 'ractice the basics' help ease the stress.




Concerning Your Persona:


Who is your persona or most popular character?
Carnival it'd be..



Hehehe, not a big surprise , How long have you had Carnival?
Since abouuuuuut~ uh, abround 2000-2001 ish i think #~#; been a while now~!


How did you develop your character?
It was actually *heartofglitter who prodded me to make a 'fursona' anthro character and whilst my first one fell through, (( a tiger anthro called 'Tigura',.. THANK GAWD THAT DIED IN THE BUD.. @___@ )) She came about from crocs being my fave animal, but still wanting fluffeh ears..... thus Cass suggested a hybrid and she really has just stuck ever since.. she had a few minor changes in the beginning ((check out my first side7 gallery to see 5 pages worth early Carni artz)) but overall has stayed pretty constant.. :'3

Hybrid-er-rizing is the best formular for making original characters, to people who ask, i tell to take a fuzzy thing they like, a scalie thing they like and 'make happen' :'B always comes out awesome~!


Well, for sure it came out great with you! Do you role-play with her?
..I have in the past, not really ever anymore..
..Was a bi-yatch making up a history for her species >_<;


What else would you like to share about her?
She's angry, dont get too close she'll take a chunk d00d..




About Media:


What media do you most enjoy, Eka?
Markers, pencils, felt-tip and ballpoint pens,.. and I still CG colour with Paint Shop Pro7 or Open Canvas 1.0.... #_#; bad habit i know~~


You have nooooo idea of how much I love to hear I'm not the only one working with PSP7 in a world ruled by Photoshop Still, which media do you like the least?
Large canvas painting and watercolour paints.. I'm just not very good at them.. :'/ Would lorv to learn both though~!

As for something i greatly dislike.... not sure, I'd try anthing once :'3

..NO WAIT- Digital inking~! >_< eeeeeeewwww takes so looooong~~!


Agreed! xD;;; Lol, now, please share with us your favorite piece from your gallery. Explain why you favor it.
.................Blehhhh~ <____>; That iz a haaaard question.. :'/ cant say i really have a 'favorite'.......... Neither my technical best nor my more sentimental...


Because fruits can be anthro too~! \|'D lol?


I love unusual anthros, so I give you my seal of approval, heh. And talking about unusual, let's say I challenge you to try something new. If you have the time, what might you try?
Hokay, what did you have in mind for me then? :'3
Mmmmmm I guess I will send you my challenge by note, let's see what do you do with it, hehehe




DeviantART as a Community:


How has DeviantART aided you in developing your artistic talent, my dear Eka?
ALOT.

I find 'compitition' to be an exxxxxxxxcellent drive to become better myself. For example.. the reason i started drawing was because my Dad set a time-challenge between me and my 6 years older sister to draw a fish,.. hers was better than mine, and completed first, THE RACE WAS ON..! >|'3

And ever since it's been a similar story.. only since discovering the internets and becoming a part of a community gallery....... \|'D I'll neeeeeever have a lack of inspiration~!


Then, what do you enjoy most about being a member here?
The networking I must say. The system is just SO easy to use and being free to join up, i encourage all i know that draws, takes fotos or is any way artists TO join.

Plus green/grey iz nummy :'3


And, to end this section of the interview, what would you like to see changed in order to improve the anthro community, Miss Vasos?
Ooooooooo ahhhh~ not quite sure on specifics.. I think treatment of the anthro memebers and galleries has heavily improved in the year n a bit i think.. :'3 you n' `cooley have done so much for us~! thankyou~~ :'3
Oh, my.... Thanks, hon We just tried our best, and even if `cooley got a break, I bet she thanks you too. Feedback like this keep us alive, hehehe




Last Thoughts:


In your experience, have you any advice on building a better portfolio?
ACTUALLY NO~~~ #_#;

I have never really built one myself.. I mean, I have all my folders with art stuff in them, but as far a putting together a full portfolio for job opps, can't say i really know too much about it..
Although everyone seems to say 'diversity' is the key, which makes sense,..

SEARCH GOOGLE ON 'HOW TO'~! that's my advice X'S


You know this interview will get a lot of exposure: What other wisdom would you like to impart to our readers? -PLEASE KEEP DRAWING~! never ever, EVER give up~!

On a blank page, you have the potential to make the greatest masterpeice anyone has ever seen, turn it into what you want to see~

..And friends, rivals and erasers will be there along the way to help you~

-ART CRITIQUING MAKES YOU STRONGER~! Trust me, it's there to help~ :'D ((bwahahaha, *highfives =ArbokCobra*))


Ahahaha, I hope she will read that, she would 100% agree. And, since you promote constructive critiques so much, what do you think about the annoying boy interviewing you?
AH LOOOOOOORF HIM WITH MUCH. >|'D so ha.

I also think he's a hopeless romantic, a total furry and a really good friend to have about \|'3 I would recomend


*speechless* x3;; Errrr... uh.... *coughs* Well, before we end this interview, do you have any other comments you would like to share?
..Aussie furs ((and anyone else coming to Aus!)) get yaself to
MiDFurX~!
Australia's first Anthro Con! ^________^

bwaaaaaaaa, and thankyou for reading.. \|'D sorry for all the text faces, bad gramma and silly-ness... I really can't help it, iz how it comes out :'S
Nah, we love you the way you are

~

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