Colors Gallery, meet bonnie9597
@bonnie9597 is back and motivated to continue creating the amazing realism artworks that they are known for! They are currently educating themselves in university so why not read this interver and educate ourselves about them!
Introduce yourself! What should we know about @bonnie9597 ?
"There's not that much to say: I'm 26 years old (soon to be 27) and love art, books, my family and pets more than anything! In my early days here, my sister and I shared this account, but I was allowed to take it over completely after a while. And Bonnie was actually the name of our canary!"
Mountains by bonnie9597
Your realism is fantastic! How did you get so good? What were your motivations and inspirations? What initially made you pick up the brush/stylus?
"Thank you so much! I actually don't really know myself, but I think all the repainting and my little love of detail helped."
"Painting and drawing were so much fun for me as a child, whether it was just doodling or
painting by numbers. The joy of it was actually my greatest motivation. And I've always been
excited and inspired by the possible variety in art. About how you can let your imagination run
wild, what you can depict and how you can do it. And I still am today. I quickly developed a
preference for realistic depictions. Especially for portraits (even if this has only become
apparent on Colors recently)."
Angels by bonnie9597
How did you discover our humble community? We see that your first piece was back in 2013 so what made you decide to stick around after all this time? What is it that you enjoy most about Colors Live?
"My sister and I didn't have an iPad or graphics tablet. But we did have a Nintendo 3DS. We
discovered Colors by chance and were both immediately enthusiastic about the idea. I'd been
interested in digital art for a while at that point, but just didn't have the means. The accessibility convinced me at the time."
"I stayed because I liked the ease of use and clarity. Colors was even one of the reasons why I
wanted a Switch in the first place. In my opinion, the comparatively few brushes stimulate th
imagination, you just have to find a way to get what you want o nto the canvas."
"And I like the fact that people here are so happy to communicate openly with the users of the
app. I find this exchange very special! A big thank you to the Colors team for that!"
Do you have other mediums or apps you use to paint? How does Colors Live fit into your workflow? If you could have any feature(s) in Colors Live what would you add?
"I tried other apps, but I simply liked Colors the best. However, I started painting with traditional art. Paper, canvases, charcoal, acrylic paints, oil paints, colored pencils, etc. Unfortunately, I don't use these media anymore (even though I really should do it again). As I only have limited space at home and tidines s is extremely important to me, I always have to prepare my art space first."
"Colors is of course incredibly practical... I just sit down on the sofa or at a table and have all my brushes and colors with me. So if I have a spontaneous impulse, I don't have to prepare my workspace first, I can start straight away."
"I actually quite like the selection of features, as I've already mentioned, I think it somehow
stimulates the imagination. And I think I paint too rarely to be able to make any real demands."
Your artworks are so surreal! What's your process? Can you tell us your thought pattern that allows you to turn an empty canvas into a window to another world?
"I don't actually have a real "thought pattern". In the past, I often used templates for landscapes and then simply tried to create a picture in a similar style. I usually just started painting and saw how the picture developed. I also use templates for por traits and I usually try to get as close tothe original as possible."
"For me, art is actually about switching off. Concentrating on a picture, on details and colors, helps me to simply block out my everyday life and other worries. So while I'm painting, my head usually feels even emptier than usual. I'm really pleased tha t the result can act like a window into another world for others."
Dolphin by bonnie9597
What Colors art of yours are you most fond of and why?
I think at the moment it's probably "L Ange déchu ". The description is not a lie. I actually didn't really paint at all, digitally or traditionally, for a few years (I think 4 5) before this painting. It makes me feel good because it made me want to get closer to art again, no matter how long it takes. And I was really surprised myself that it turned out so well.
Top 3 favorite Colors artworks from other artist?
“Sleep" by Superhero. I think his portraits are just incredibly strong!
"Colour/ light study" by M O.S AI D. Actually, all of his works are impressive. But this one has stayed with me for a long time.
"121" by Atarute. I love the color scheme and the style!
Favorite artist on and off Colors Live?
"That's incredibly difficult. There are so many talented artists on Colors, I can't name them all!"
"Outside of Colors I like Laura H. Rubin, Aykut Aydoğdu, Jono Dry and Casey Baugh (all on
Instagram). Their creativity always inspires me."
You've done amazing portraits, landscapes, and animal paintings! What's your favorite type of painting? Is there anything you want to try that you haven't before?
"A few years ago I probably would have had a few things on this list, because whenever I see something I like, I want to be able to do it. I still have that feeling, but now I know what I can do best and what I enjoy the most. And that's portraits and landscapes. But I would like to vary a bit more with portraits in the future, let's see what I come up with and how it develops."
Joy's sweetest dream by bonnie9597
What's the most important advice you can give to an up and coming artist?
"There are several: Don't worry about using references, they don't make your pictures any less
artistic. Don't compare yourself with others too often, it will only lead to frustration. Everyone develops in their own way. And feel free to try things out!"
How is university going? If you don't mind sharing, what is it that you study?
"I completed my Bachelor's degree in Literature and Cultural Studies . I really loved it . They are both such incredibly exciting fields, both of which have something to do with fantasy and art in their own way. And Cultural Studies also teaches you an incredible amount about your own life and that of others. I believe that both subjects have changed my perspective on the world, in a positive way of course.
What are your biggest goals and ambitions for the future?
"Artistically, I hope that I can strengthen my skills even further and maybe finally realize a few ideas that I've had for a long time."
"Apart from that, I just want to be happy!"
Discord question from @DEMONIC-SCARE: How did you develop your artstyle? Did you receive criticism (negative, positive, or constructive) or get discouraged from drawing? And I saw on your colors account that you live in Germany. Does that make things harder?
"First of all, thanks for the questions! And don't worry about the number, I am very happy to answer them. I don't think I have a particular style. Since I often work with references, my goal is always to get as close to them as possible. Especially as I like to paint realistically, or at least try to. As I've had quite a long break from painting, I'm trying to strengthen my skills first. I think I'm on the right track and I might even develop a more personal style in the future. But I'm not going to worry about that, having fun with art and learning are my top priorities right now."
"As I've never had any painting or drawing lessons, I'm afraid I haven't received any constructive criticism (but I'm always happy to receive such criticism, as I really like to listen to other people's experiences and learn something new... so keep it coming in the comments ;)). My family has always supported my hobby, so I've only received positive feedback from them. In a way, I've always been my biggest critic, and not just when it comes to art. I've actually discouraged myself the most with my self-criticism because mistakes have always scared me so much. In recent years, however, I've realized that this is part of learning and I now deal with it differently. I now accept that I make "mistakes" when I paint, especially as this can be very subjective."
"Does living in Germany makes things harder? A very interesting question! I've actually never really thought about the influence my place of residence has on my hobby. But I think life in Germany has actually had a positive influence on my art. Art is even part of the school curriculum from an early age. The infrastructure here makes it possible to engage with it at an early age, whether at school, in museums or as a hobby in courses. You can also get hold of painting materials quite easily here. So I can't complain!"
Anyone you want to shout-out?
"My sister with whom I started th is journey ! Love you!"
That wraps up our interview with @bonnie9597 ! We at The Colors Team would like to thank you for your time! Keep them in your thoughts and check them out!
Check out our interview with our previous artist of the week @__Cinnabunn__
http://colorslive.com/page/Meet-__Cinnabunn__
For those who may need a reminder
The Artist of the week will be posted every Friday 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 eariler 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 on my gallery or by posting with the #heyzyik tag.
"Thank you Colors!3D" for creating a way for so many artist to get into digital art! Join #wc549 to show your appreciation!
Stay creative!
Zyik & The Colors Team
