Sit Down With Our April '22 Featured Artist
Cecilia Anchustegui
Instagram / @ceci_art_studio
Featured Artist / April '22 ScrawlrBox
My name is Cecilia Anchustegui and I was born in Mexico City. I am 21 years old and I’m an animation student in Guadalajara, Mexico at the UAD (Universidad de Artes Digitales). Since I was kid I wanted to work on something related to art because of my love of drawing. In the future I want to work in an animation studio in the United States and also continue improving my art skills.
Have you always been creative? When did you start actively pursuing art?
I think I’ve always been a creative person, since I was little I’ve always loved to draw and create things with my own hands, I also find it easy to get new ideas for my drawings and to solve problems.
When did you start actively pursuing art?
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember but when I was 12 years old, a friend gifted me my first sketchbook and I started drawing more elaborated things with pencils and ever since I’ve been filling out a lot of books with drawings, ideas, characters, etc. and I started sharing my drawings on the internet when I was 17 years old
What is the best advice someone has ever given you?
I used to have a lot of problems comparing my work with others and one day my mother told me that everyone has their own progress and their own time to improve and grow. Now I see others’ work as an inspiration and as an opportunity to be a better artist and I always try to focus on my own work progress and how I’ve been getting better with time and practice
Is there something that you know now, that you wish you had known when you were younger?
Something important to know is that practice and passion are the keys to get better at anything, you can get better with practice but if you aren’t doing what you love, you will never get that far as if you were doing something you’re passionate about. Find what you love to do in life and nothing will be able to stop you
Do you have any specific goals that you would like to achieve in the future?
Right now I’m studying animation and I really love this career, when I finish college I would like to take a diplomat in the United states for animation or character design, these are my favourite things that I would like to work in the animation industry and I will also never stop drawing with my colour pencils, I love drawing traditionally and I would also love to work in illustrating children books.Do you have a favourite artist? If so, who and what do you like most about them?I have a lot of favourite artists but there are some of them that make me say: “I want to be like them someday” and these
How do you stay motivated and inspired?
Something I love to do for me to stay motivated to draw is having a list on my phone where I write all of the ideas that I want to draw so I never run out of ideas! These ideas come during any time of the day, for example when I’m driving, taking a shower, cooking, eating or looking at other people’s drawings!! Also seeing my favourite artist’s work is always very inspiring.
How long does a project usually take you to complete?
It depends on the size of the drawing but I usually spend like 5 or 6 hours on one of my drawings.
What is the one art supply that you couldn’t live without?
My colouring pencils are my favourite art supply, drawing with them is so fun and relaxing!
Do you have a favourite artist? If so who and what do you like most about them?
I have a lot of favourite artists but there are some of them that make me say: “I want to be like them someday” and these are: devinellekurtz, loish, lotusbubble and purepeanutty. Their work is beautiful, the way they use colour and lights is outstanding! I love every piece of their work.
What does your ideal Sunday look like?
My ideal Sunday would be a free day where all I have is time to work on my personal projects and drawings, a big blanket and a refreshing red fruit tea.
How would you describe your art style?
I would describe it as colourful and vibrant, I love to use and experiment with many colours in one single drawing. The things that I draw most are animals, fantastic creatures (like dragons and griffins) and also character design.
Do you think your style has changed over the years?
Of course, the practice and experimenting of new things like digital art has helped me improve and change the way I used to draw. Of course there will always be some things that never change which make my work recognisable, but my drawings and art skills are always improving and evolving for the better. A good thing to do is to always look at your previous work and compare it to what you do now and you will be able to feel proud of the progress you have made.
Is there anything (perhaps a medium, art style or technique) that you have not yet tried in your artwork but would be interested in trying in the future?
I think I’ve tried every art medium I know of, but one that I want to continue learning about is engraved art. I think it’s beautiful and is not very well-known by many people. When I tried it, it was very relaxing and entertaining to do because you have to “sculpt” the drawing on rubber plates and then you ink the plate and you obtain a beautiful inked drawing.
