@JiggsawToons - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: What elements of the work by Mike Mignola & Brahm Revel, do you like? What are the defining characteristics that are interesting to you.

Mike Mignola's ability to place emphasis and drama in his artwork through the use of spotting blacks and heavy shadows in general is something I find deeply appealing. When you see Mignola's work, you can really feel that moodiness. The dramatic shadows paired with his trademark blocky art style is super effective at setting the tone for his narrative.

In the case of Revel's work, I admire how loose he is. Revel doesn't focus on tightening the drawing; instead he chooses to lean more towards expressions and gesture, keeping it loose and dynamic. I feel like most artists (myself included) have a habit of trying to "perfect" their art-- we keep pushing it and tightening it until we feel sated. Brahm Revel made me realize effective art isn't about the detail, its about one's ability to make things feel dynamic and expressive. And while that can be achieved in drawings and artworks that are super tight- its just as effective in art that's super loose as well.

Q: Where does the habit of trying "perfect" art come from?

I can't really say precisely where it comes from. For me personally, I can get pretty fastidious. It's easy for me to get obsessed in the details instead of looking at the bigger picture. Whenever I get "in the zone" while making art, having that discipline can be super difficult, and I've often ended up with overworked lines, causing me to walk away and start over later.

Q: When is art subjective?

Literally always. There is no objective art. Art is for the viewer to interpret and judge; and we are all observers, even the creator. What makes art subjective is that everyone has their own unique take. This may be on the subject matter, whether the viewer feels the piece is effective or ineffective, offensive, appealing, etc.

Q: How did you get interested in art?

I've been drawing ever since I was a toddler. It was and still is something that gives me comfort and allows me to escape. But I first got serious about art when I started taking summer courses at the Joe Kubert School in my teens. I'm so eternally grateful for having that experience, and it's something that changed my life forever.

Q: How would you recommend on going about learning to create art?

Have a good foundation, and be eager and excited to learn and work on your weaknesses. There's so many excellent resources out there for FREE. Anyone who wants to learn foundational skills of drawing, please check out Proko on YouTube. I've seen a bunch of their videos and they have some really solid advice that's easy to digest, even for beginners. Also, comic artist David Finch is an absolute legend with his tutorials as well. If you're interested in animation, I'd have to recommend BAM Animation.

Many beginner artists look at making mistakes as frustrating. The key is to compare yourself, see where you can improve, and look at it as a challenge to do better next time. Look forward to challenging yourself and learning. Try new techniques, experiment, and have fun.

Some other random advice I have is that you should never be afraid of using references. You should also try and mostly use real references, or photo references. If you're referencing your art based on some other guy's drawing, you need to keep in mind that guy's art is his own unique interpretation, and may not be accurate. This is why photo references are always preferable. You decide how to interpret what you see.

Q: How did you discover the NG website? What made you decide to join the community? Do you feel differently about the site now compared to when you first joined?

I first discovered NG when I was probably in grade school! Back in the day I was totally into the flash animations and games both here and over on Albino Blacksheep. It wasn't until recent years though that I decided to join NG as a part of the community. Before joining I've always seen NG as a collective of extremely skilled and knowledgable creatives. And now that I'm here, I gotta say that sentiment hasn't changed much.

When I first joined as a member, I was met with a really warm welcome. I was almost immediately scouted which made me feel so proud and validated at the time. And also, speaking of warm welcomes, I received a few really kind messages early on from other members of the community. You, Aalasteir, were one of the very few. It honestly really touched me- so thank you.

TLDR, Jiggsaw loves NewGrounds- and I'm here to stay. Hopefully I'll be attending the in-person events at some point in the near future.

Q: How did you become interested in supporting local bands?

The short version is that I really dug the sound of this one band, so I made fanart for them! Seeing how happy it made the band made me happy to keep doing it, and to this day I'm still doing fanart for the bands I dig. Art is such a beautiful way to connect with others. It's through this method I've been able to meet some amazingly talented people I can now call my friends.

Q: Why do you find music inspirational? Life and music are both deeply inspiring.



Completely agree! Music allows me to visualize concepts and emotions. They're like audio-paintings. Except you paint what it makes you feel in your mind. Hopefully that doesn't make me sound batshit-crazy.

Q: You are the Gordon Ramsay of spicy instant ramen, what do you enjoy about cooking?

Yup, that's me. Not to boast or anything, but I'm also like the Lidia Bastianich of scrambled eggs.

When it comes to making actual dishes, and not just breakfast food or ramen, I find experimenting and learning different recipes fun! It's just another creative outlet for me. I never understood why people view cooking as a chore, I find the whole process super relaxing.

Q: What are the secrets of making instant ramen that you’d like to share?

Well well well, wouldn't you like to know? First off, Buldak x2 spicy ramen. Make sure you have plenty of protein, a healthy amount of vegetables AND MUSHROOMS. Mushroom haters can take a hike!

Also, a bit of furikake for that little umami kick.

Q: When did your dislike of eggplants begin?

I can't say for sure. And it's not even the flavor or the texture. Even if I enjoy it, just knowing that I ate the eggplant is so unsettling and disturbing to me.

Uaghhh... gives me chills just thinking about it. FCK YOU, EGGPLANT!!!

Q: Why is it that in preschool you had a natural tendency to meow like a cat, but now you don’t meow like a cat anymore?

You've convinced me. I will return to meowing like a cat effective immediately.

- Emo Hair Incident

Here's a weird one that happened a long time ago. Back in high-school, I used to have long, poofy emo hair. I kind of killed it, not even gonna lie. People knew me for those side-swept bangs. Anyways, one time we went out to dinner for my dad's birthday at some chinese restaurant we'd never been to before. As we're being seated, one of the waitresses passing by just stops dead in front of me, and asks if my hair is real. Once I verify that yes, this is the hair growing out of my scalp, the waitress asks if she can PET IT! And now, just who would I be to stop this woman from living her lifelong dream of petting my soft and luscious follicles? So, she pets me like I'm a llama at a zoo, picks up her tray of food and... continues serving people??? She didn't even wash her hands... not that my hair is dirty but still, come on, lady! I could have had brain-eating amoebas living in there!

...

And maybe I do...

Q: What was it like being emo?

Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow. Meow meow meow meow meow.

Meow, meow meow meow.

Meeeeeooooooowwwww.

Q: Do you have brain-eating amoebas? And do they pay tax?

Thankfully, I'm invulnerable to brain eating amoebas on account of their diet consisting of brains.

I guess that means means I'm safe in a zombie apocalypse scenario as well. And lobotomies tickle!

Q: If you were to pick an iconic catchphrase, what would be your catchphrase?

DESCEND INTO MADNESS.