Colors Gallery, meet FI0NA
Fueled by nostalgia and fired up y fixations, @FI0NA makes their mark on the art world through the power of not just illustration, but also paper making!
She's beauty, she's grace, and she'll punch you in the face!
But before all that, check out this interview!
You art is not only beautiful but has a lot of style(and great taste) too! It's nostalgic seeing so many beloved characters in your gallery such as the cast from Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Animal Crossing and more! Your influences are no secret, it seems. How did you get into them and what made them appeal to you? In what way did they influence your art journey? And when did you get into art in the first place?
I am fueled by nostalgia. Most of the drawings made in my gallery are from my youth, hence the focus on cartoon characters. Growing up, I dreamed of getting into professional illustration or 2D animation. I never pursued it, but being able to draw characters I admired was always a fun outlet. Colors is also a very approachable platform.
original by FI0NA
I think I was...a pre-teen(?) when I first joined. Colors &
Flipnote were my introduction to digital art as a medium. It's been a very inconsistent journey though.
How'd you develop so much "punch" in your artwork? What led to you developing your current style? What were your goals when trying to achieve it? What's your process when it comes to making art?
"Punch"? Repressed childhood rage, perhaps. In terms of developing style: I don't know. I'm older now and haven't had as much time to devote to creative exploration.
There's never been a set process for me and I do hope to focus more on illustrating in the future.
. by FI0NA
We see that you joined our community during the Colors!3D era! How'd you find us? What kept you coming back after all this time?
As I said, I joined Colors as a kiddo. My first ever gaming console (that I bought for myself) was a Nintendo 3DS and I begged my sibling to buy me the game from the eShop because a friend had told me about it.
The base Colors audience definitely skews younger, so I'm not engaging as much now, but at the time I appreciated getting to be a part of the active artistic community. I've decided not
to continue purchasing next gen Nintendo consoles, so once support for the Switch version of Colors ends I'll probably call it quits.
In the meantime, I do so appreciate that there is no algorithm affecting how you interact with this platform.
So much less stressful than social media!
Don't be shy! Tell us your top 3 favorite paintings in the entire gallery! How do they stand out to you?
Difficult question...Doubly so because I'm rarely active on here. Here are some I found from my old likes:
00 by gorgonzola
The cheeks on Bill Murray make me laugh.
Acnl Elio/Phineas by st5rb0und
I remember this from literally 11 years ago. I loved ACNL so much and this is such a lovely painting of Phineas.
Quest time by Day
Ahh, the old days of art trades. This was a fun surprise from Day. I loved the movie "Enchanted" when I was younger and -- let's be real-- James Marsden still RULES! Have you SEEN the new "Sonic" movies?
Who're your favorite artist on and off Colors Live? What about them inspires you and give you motivation? Is there any skill or talent they have that you might envy or wish you could borrow?
Off of Colors: Rebecca Kirby ( @reweki), Koy Suntichotinun ( @koysun), & Rajiv Surendra ( @rajivsurendra).
I love each of their unique styles and obvious passion for what they do.
Each of them specializes in a different medium. Right now I'm
very fixated on Koy's addictive calligraphy. I'd love to learn calligraphy. Or paper making!
Now about yourself.. Which artworks of yours are you most proud of? In what ways did they push you as an artist or even as a person?
A true favorite artwork of mine is a collection of giant paper mache vegetables I made for harvest season a few years back. Learned a lot in the process, not the least of which was PATIENCE.
Alas, this is not depicted within the bounds of my Colors gallery. If we're talking JUST gallery art? Maybe the recent one I did of Jessie from Pokemon. I worked on that one on and off for like 1.5yrs lol.
MEOWTHH DATS RIGHT by FI0NA
It's nice seeing you more active on Colors Live once more! Now that you're uploading more frequently again is there any cool ideas you had updates or for future iterations of Colors Live? What's a dream feature of yours?
Unfortunately not. I am not on Colors enough to be able to provide a meaningful suggestion. v_v I will speak up if I think of anything!
If you got to create an indie cartoon, what would be the main plot, story, and theme? What stort of show would you want to create and who would the main audience be? Also if you could have any artist or directors work on it with you, who would you choose?
I have thought a lot about this. I actually have a drafted show idea I made with my best friend...but I am hesitant to detail it here. This age of AI/LLM scraping and art theft prevents me from posting much information online these days.
Are there any points in any of the shows you like that you wish could be rewritten? How would you change them?
I am old and do not watch many shows anymore...okay, wait...I just rewatched Twin Peaks and if I could rewrite anything it would be the season 2 storyline where James randomly "befriends" the sad, lonely blonde lady.
What on earth is that about? Cut it out! Cut the whole plotline! (RIP David Lynch)
When feeling the burn of burnout or the uncertainty of anxiety, how do you cope? What helps you reign in those negative emotions?
I wish I had a good answer. History has shown that compartmentalizing and repression are NOT the healthiest of responses....and yet...I persist.
In all seriousness, if there is a youngin' reading this: DEEP BREATHES! Give yourself the space to process your emotions. Boundaries are important! Know your limits!
ms bell by FI0NA
Share a nugget of your wisdom! Is there any important life lesson that you hold dear that helped define who you are as a person?
The first thing that comes to mind is career advice. This one is for the youngin's again: It's okay to not know what job you want!
BUT, if you do not know, you need to pick something reliable. Learn a trade! Whatever you do, it doesn't have to be a passion.
It just needs to be stable enough that you can pursue your hobby on the side. Oh, also: HOBBIES SHOULD NOT BE MONETIZED!
Unless you are expressly looking to pursue that career, keep your hobby enjoyable!! Hobbies are for YOU!
Not for capitalism!
winter in moominvalley by FI0NA
How does one stand out from the crowd? What's a crucial undertaking every artist must go through as they progress through the art world?
Definitely not the right person for this question. I opt to blend in when possible, but that's just my choice. There are endless artists out there that expertly showcase their skills while standing out.
tamagotchi fever by FI0NA
If you had to choose.... Nature or nurture?
Nature.
besties by FI0NA
Artist peeves or pet peeves in general?
A pet peeve of mine would be coming across new art online only to discover it's AI generated.
ugh!! by FI0NA
Do you use any other software or mediums? How does Colors Live fit your process?
I prefer traditional art (pencils, markers, paints). This screen oriented society
drives me up the wall.
I have to work on a computer for a living, so traditional is
an escape from the day-to-day. Since the death of Colors!3D (RIP) and 3DS online support, I've been using Colors on my Switch.
I don't reach for my Switch much these days, but it's certainly a nice change of pace when I do use it.
Parvis (or parvi) by FI0NA
Shout-out time! Anyone who you think deserves a little extra attention?
Uhhhh @gorgonzola has really cool art!
00 by gorgonzola
Thanks for interviewing me!
That wraps up our interview with @FI0NA! The Colors Team would like to thank you for your time! Find some time to fixate on their wonderful works!
Check out all of our previous interviews here:
For those who may need a reminder
The Artist of the week will be posted Friday or on weekends so be sure to tune in!
Prior to that, the artist may be contacted via email or other means at least a week or more in advance so be sure to check your emails( and spam) so you don’t miss out on a chance to be featured.
If you don’t reply within 48 hours another artist may be chosen to be featured for that week instead and you will be in a future artist of the week update.
The announcement of who is the upcoming featured artist will be announced at least 2-3 days in advance or earlier so look out for that too!
If you would like for any of your questions or comments to be featured in an upcoming interview please check out colorslive.com/discord and visit the official artist of the week channel to submit questions/commentary for a chance for those to be answered before Friday.
Suggest a new artist for artist of the week on the forum post in my gallery or by posting with the #heyzyik tag.
That "Dastardly Duo" is at it again! We need more recruits to join #wc633 if we hope to catch them in the act before they strike!
Stay creative!
Zyik & The Colors Team
