Drawn Together: Unedited Interviews
Kristina Collantes
Interviewed by Nicola M. Sebastian
At this very moment, where are you, what are you doing?
I am in a cafe in downtown Riverside, California called Back To The Grind. It is a beautiful Friday and coffee never tasted better.
How did you learn how to draw? Was it always art for you or did you have other plans in mind?
Like a lot of illustrators, I was introduced to art at a young age. It’s always something I wanted to pursue. Most of my first gigs were album cover art work or promotional posters for touring bands. I believe these projects were what made me want to become an illustrator.
How long have you resided in the US?
My family first came to the US in 1997 and we have been living in San Diego ever since. I’ve been wanting to visit the Philippines with my family for a few years now, but of course, it’s hard with everybody’s schedule clashing. I would love to have an art show in the Philippines sometime in the future!
If you had to describe your art to a blind person, what would you say?
I would say that it is whimsical, bold, and pattern-based. I’m not really trying to convey anything specific through my artwork. I use patterns very often in my illustrations on both backgrounds and focal points because I want to give it an identity, to make it recognizably mine.
The imagination needs to be constantly fed with sights, sounds, and ideas—it needs stimulation. Where do you go when you’re hungry for some inspiration?
When I’m feeling uninspired, I like to go to bookstores and browse through everything I can. Going to fabric stores also helps. I love looking through the bi-directional patterns in the Japanese silk section. Jillian Tamaki, my favorite illustrator, has never failed to inspire me. I visit her online portfolio frequently. She’s so incredibly talented at what she does. Looking at her work makes me want to create art.
Aside from art, what other passions occupy your time?
I enjoy playing music. I was in orchestra all throughout middle and high school, so string instruments were and still is a big part of my life. I started as an upright bassist and then switched to the cello. It’s a very therapeutic endeavor.
Could you let us in on your creative process?
I store most ideas/sketches in a small sketchbook that I carry with me everywhere. Most of them don’t see the light of day again, but for the more successful preliminary sketches, I usually scan them and color them in Photoshop. I have illustrations that I have been working on for a year. I like going back to older work and adding new layers to it, either with a new drawing technique I just learned or perhaps a new pattern I just made.
What’s on your bucket list?
I am 22 years old and I have never been to Disneyland.
What does the future look like for you? Any upcoming projects or new directions that we can look forward to?
I was commissioned a while ago by an agency called 160over90 to create art for De’Longhi’s limited edition laser-etched espresso machine line. The machines are going up for bidding on eBay in October, with the proceeds going towards the World Wildlife Fund. You can view the whole project by visiting http://www.delonghiusa.com. In the future, I would like to start my own wallpaper and fabric line.
