2 minute read
Nicolas Rao
NICOLAS ROA
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Opposite page: Coloured pencil on paper
NICOLAS ROA
Opposite page: Figure drawing on paper When did you first get into drawing? I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was always leF alone at home with only a bowl of cereal and my drawing materials. I’d spend hours and hours drawing while watching cartoons. Even at school, I’d draw on all my textbooks and even on my desk.
Why did you choose to make fashion part of your inspiration? Fashion has always been a part of my life. My mom was a model back in the day and my great grandmother, who helped raise me had a massive walk in closet filled with fabulous dresses and jewelry. So I guess you can say I was exposed to it my whole life. Merging the two things that I love most, Art and Fashion just came naturally.
What is your particular working day as a creative? These days I just wait for inspiration to hit me and then start creating. I spend most of my day going through fashion archives, Instagram and coffee table books about fashion design until I find something I’m inspired by.
What tools do you use when creating your images? I always start with pencil and paper. As much as I’d like to do everything digitally, I’m just never happy with the end result. After scanning, I colour and edit the illustration with photoshop. My process may take a lot longer, but I find the entire ritual to be very therapeutic and I personally feel that the end result perfectly captures my vision and aesthetic. Who are/what has influenced you over the years as an artist? My influences have always been Laura Laine, James Jean and a liSle bit of Arturo Elena. I am also a huge fan of the works of Hsiao-ron Cheng and Ozabu as well.
What advice do you have for younger artists looking to be part of this industry? I think it’s always important for younger artists to focus more on their work and not the number of likes they get on social media. I’ve learned that these past couple of years, I tend to ignore the likes on my art and engage more to the people who actually reach out on my DMs and express their love for my work. It inspires me to keep creating and gives me more motivation to make each piece better than the last.
What are you drawing today? Music are you listening to? Books that your are reading? Favourite artist/ designer at the moment? I am currently drawing a lot of things at the moment. I want to go back to the roots of my fashion illustration aesthetic where I merge fantasy and surreal elements with fashion. I am and will always be listening to Lana del Rey but currently obsessed with Caroline Polachek and Winona Oak. I read a bit of poetry from Lang Leav. The designers I’m currently in love with are Robert Wun and Miss Sohee.
