Colors Gallery, meet secondhandtricks
Your local hobby artist and a highschool freshmen, @secondhandtricks keeps things cozy with warm colored, cartoony drawings. They grew up around an art loving family and also watching classic Disney films like 101 Dalmations( one of my childhood favorites too!) and that love and warmth definitely shows in their Colors Live Gallery! Let's bask more in this warmth by learing their story!
Alright @secondhandtricks let's not wait a second longer! It's time for you to tell us about yourself! Who're you? Care to tell us about your humble beginnings?
Well, I'm Jasper! Just your local drawing hobbyist and a rising freshman! I grew up in a Portuguese speaking household with my family, who all had a love for art, photography and painting took up a large part of my childhood.
Mta bc my old one is cringy by secondhandtricks
Your art has such a warm, cozy vibe! There's a lot of use of warm colors that reminds me of a sitting in a field on the early summer morning. Is this intentional? How did your style initially develop? What were your biggest influences?
I always try to play with colors whenever I can but I do have a fondness for orange tones! I started of drawing many dogs, and when I say many I probably mean hundreds of doodles. When Bluey started streaming I started using some attributes in the show's art style in my drawings, especially my dog ears and tails. I also loved watching older Disney movies like Lady and the Tramp and 101 Dalmatians which definitely sparked my interest in drawing!
Bluey! by secondhandtricks
So how'd you end up discovering and joining our humble community? Did you find out about Colors Live on your own or did someone else introduce you to it?
Well it's quite a funny story how I actually got my hands on Colors Live, my sister's friend had given her Colors Live for her birthday about 3 years ago. She didn't use it too much; it ended up being unknown to me that we even had the game until a bit more than a year ago, only a few days before my 13th birthday. I was scouring a box of junk for, I think, card stock paper when I came across the dusty Colors Live game card. And that's pretty much it!
What defines your art about your artistic process? How does Colors Live come into play? Do you use any other mediums or software?
Whenever I have an idea for something to draw I always try to have the finished product laid out in my mind to have a good idea of lighting and shadows as I draw. I typically don't sketch well digitally so when I use platforms like Colors Live or Adobe Fresco I draw out my idea on paper first and keep the sketch as a reference. As I mentioned, I use Adobe Fresco a bit when I want to draw something more sophisticated or detailed!
What's your Colors Live dream feature? With a Colors Live 2 or Colors Live Switch 2 edition being in our plans, what would you like to see implemented feature-wise?
Make a ruler tool and I would ascend to the heavens from joy... I'm using the edges of a book to create straight lines. A advanced lasso tool would also be really neat, like something to stretch out or squeeze what you selected but only from one side unlike the lasso tool Colors has at the moment.
What's your latest hyperfixation? Is there anything that you're into lately that you believe deserves more attention? What can you tell us about it?
Well currently I'm researching more on Japanese samurai, specifically a samurai called Minamoto Yoshitsune. I don't see much talk about all the rules samurai would take upon themselves to maintain their honor which in Japanese history; had been more important than their own lives. I personally recommend reading Samurai Rising by Pamela S. Turner!
Top 3 favorite Colors Live artworks?
I personally love this person's art style, not to mention it's truly amazing when people create great art without the need for shading!
peaches by akamaru
I love the colors in this piece of artwork
Dock by Acchan
I have absolutely nothing else to say other than seeing Sanji from One Piece with large hoop earrings was a blessing to my eyes
sanji!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by doggiecakes
More on favorites, who're your favorite artist on and off Colors Live? What makes them stand out to you?
Off Colors Live, my favorite artists would be @redbeanp13 on Instagram and @winduutom on Twitter. On Colors it's hard to select a few from a large bunch but I definitely love seeing art from people who I've recognized ever since I created my account like @doggiecakes and @-TheGremlinDen-_ and newer artists with great styles like @Micerainy and @Aerorat!
Last on favorites, which artworks of yours would you consider your best works? Which ones are your favorites? What makes you proud of them? How did they challenge you?
Well I really like when my art has colors that compliment one another well like these three I've selected!
Lady by secondhandtricks
Looey :P by secondhandtricks
Rusty is pointing at an amazing person by secondhandtricks
You mention having social anxiety on your alt account @chillidoggo. What's your way of dealing with it? When faced with a situation that causes you anxiety what would you say is your way of dealing with it? What helps calm your nerves?
I'll definitely say having a sort of "on the spot" calming down mechanism definitely can help me get through some situations. I personally wear a elastic bracelet to pull on and release for it to snap on my wrist which helps me focus better and think more rationally. But if this is a more at-home scenario or those grueling flashbacks of awkward moments I always play music on my headphones and drink any tea with chamomile in it.
Ooo pretty sky sketch thing by secondhandtricks
With the art world changing so fast thanks to AI, what would you say is necessary for up and coming artist to adapt to it? What's your opinion on AI generated images overall?
I feel AI truly is one of the most helpful tools a artist could have. A new artist should know that AI respectfully should be used to better ourselves and styles by helping generate color palettes or pose ideas for example, but it shouldn't be used to do art for you. While AI is advancing quickly, it takes information and functions off of other people and their works; it won't replace a artist but it sure can assist and guide one. Overall, AI images are really cool and useful if you can use it to improve art you make yourself.
Goals and plans for 2025 and beyond? How has 2025 been treating you so far?
I don't know about what goals I have for the next couple of years, I just want to enjoy myself and pursue something I'm passionate about!
Who is this diva by secondhandtricks
Advice for artist or just life advice in general? Is there an important life lesson that you take to heart that's gotten you through your most difficult moments?
For advice I suppose it's always great to know that you shouldn't force yourself to do anything but you should always try if it's something good for you!
What do you do when you are feeling burnt out or lacking in drive? How do you get yourself back in the correct mindset to keep producing art whenever you're in a rut?
Don't force yourself to draw, just wait and do other things that interest you until you find inspiration or drive to do so again! Though if you must draw something I definitely recommend doing doodles of objects in the space you're in.
Doggy by secondhandtricks
Got any shout-outs? Who should get a spotlight next?
I'd like to shout out my family!
That wraps up our interview with @secondhandtricks! The Colors Team would like to thank you for your time! Everyone take a second and go check them out!
Check out all of our previous interviews here:
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 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.
They say that looking into the crystal ball of a "Fortune Teller" will reveal your future! When I looked into one it revealed that #wc619 was going to have some amazing art!
Stay creative!
Zyik & The Colors Team
