Do you like reading other people’s stories and backgrounds? I really do and it makes me feel like I know them way better and they feel more, well, familiar. Here is my story how I got into digital art and how it is going being a surface pattern designer and illustrator.
One of those people?
Yep, I am one of those people who loved to draw ever since I were a kid. I did draw a lot until I was about 16 or 17. Just random sketches, I tried to draw portraits (without any knowledge of proportions or anatomy) and then stopped entirely. Other things occupied my mind, including high school stuff, parties, exams, then university where I met my husband. My time was divided then between uni coursework, spending time with my then-boyfriend-now-husband, hanging out with people and watching trashy tv shows.
Adulting happened
Then I started working as a Software Engineer, while writing my master thesis in the meantime and finishing university. Right after that my then-boyfriend-now-husband proposed to me. So we had a wedding to plan! We wed in 2016 and pretty much just enjoyed life. Fast forward until our beautiful daughter was born in 2018. When she was one and I was nearing my 28th brithday when I picked up my Wacom Intuous drawing tablet (which I bought like three years earlier and never used it, I have no idea why). I have not drawn pretty much anything for over 10 years!
Diapers and pencils
While being on maternity leave I had a strong need for a creative outlet. I designed my first digital posters for a blog that no longer exists (it was a beauty blog). I found out that you could actually sell digital posters on Etsy, so here I went! Few months after I created my first listing somebody actually bought something from me! I was over the moon and kept creating. I got really into digital surface pattern design – there are so many applications to them, the possibilities are endless! The beginnings were hard, I had so much to learn – I have used Adobe Illustrator in one class at uni and pretty much had to learn everything. I honestly felt so excited ( and still very much feel this way) to get to work! To learn and create and see what will happen! The more I drew the more ideas kept coming.
Time, time, time to grow
After Etsy there came time to start selling my surface pattern creations on different platforms (Spoonflower, Society6) and licensing them! I also started learning anatomy and character design because being able to draw people has always been a dream of mine. Now I came to a point where I proudly offer portrait commissions. I met so many amazing people along the way who cheered for me and inspired me to keep moving forward. The only obstacle was the amount of time I had (and still have little of!). Being a full time mom does not give you much freedom to work as you wish, but I believe if you love doing something so much that it lights a fire in your soul you will find a way to make it happen.
There it is – my story of how I got into digital art. It was a bumpy road, full of detours, but here I am! For over two years now I have been working late into the night as a surface pattern and character designer. I am so proud of where I am right now and am so excited to see what the future may bring! If you have a dream you have been putting off, there is no better time to start than right now!
Hey, let’s stay in touch!
