Artist Name: Mighty Pegasus Art
What do you consider yourself? Artist, illustrator, painter, designer, other?
I consider myself a Freelance Artist and Illustrator.
What kinds of work do you currently do or what kinds of projects have you done in the past?
I am currently working on creating various fan arts and taking commissions from people in preparation of my next conventions. In November 2018, I worked on my biggest project yet, my “All Smash Bros Characters” collage in which I spent exactly 30 days from early in the morning at 5 AM before work then late night around 9 PM until 1-2 AM. It is my biggest accomplishment as an artist so far, just to challenge myself to this kind of discipline and focus and to try to go beyond my own expectations.
Could you talk about how you got into art or doing what you do today? What’s your story? What made you want to pursue this path? Were there any challenges you had along the way?
I have the typical artist story, I started drawing at a young age with the influence of manga and anime series likes Dragon Ball Z. I never really was much into realistic modern style until I was around 14 years old, while I was in art class, I realized I needed to improve my skills by drawing real people. At 15 years old, I enter an Art School Entry Test for one of the top 3 art school in Paris, France and successfully pass the Entry Test. In the Summer of 2003, I moved to the USA with my family and since then I gave up on art to start a new life in Tampa, FL.
In February 2016, I separated from the U.S. Navy, I was very confused on what I would do next in my life and felt like I wasted part of my life for various reasons.
In 2017, I saw an old friend of mine who still resides in France, and he was doing comics and anime conventions and met wonderful people and artists, I was so amazed and inspired. Ever since then I promised myself, I would draw again, and not only that, but I would also try to expose my art and try to chase after my old dream.
Did you attended art school or majored/minored in Art or Design in college? If so, what were your experiences with it and did you think it helped you become a better artist? If you did not attended college or attended but did not majored in anything art-related, what helped pushed you to pursue art or improve your craft?
No, unfortunately I have never attended any art school and I wished to do so but nowadays with the resources that are available to us I decided not to go to school. It is so easy to learn now, especially with all the free tutorials available to us on so many different platforms as well as all the inspiring artists we can find on Youtube such as Ross Draws, Christopher Cayco, James Raiz and many more. These are the artists that really inspired me to go for it. Back in the days, another person I briefly met had really inspired me to pursue Art but like many others I was scared and never felt ready, her name was Michelle Phan.
All of them remind me every day that if I never try to be the greatest artist, I can be then I would forever live in regret.
How do you balance art with work and life? How do you make time for art?
I have to say that I am very fortunate in that situation, my wife works full-time and half of my day starts with taking care of my daughter then going to work part-time as a French Interpreter at various clinics and hospitals. Depending on the time when I get back home, I start drawing as soon as I can. I can stay up so late at times and go to work early the next day but I would be so into what I’m drawing.
Many times, its more challenging for my family rather than me because I do get lost in my own world and end up spending more times drawing rather than doing chores or work-related things. Even though it seems very flexible, I still feels a great amount of stress and fatigue on my daily basis, so I try to exercise and rest a lot as well. Health is very important for me and I always notice a big difference in the quality of my art when I get a good night rest and exercise often.
Do you make money from your art? If so, how?
Yes, right now I mainly get money for my fan arts. I also get art commissions here and there, but this is more of a passive income at the moment. I started my journey in going to Conventions to showcase my art and better myself at the same time while vlogging my journey on Youtube. I hope to succeed like others have but the most important thing is that I want to be a better artist for myself.
Where do you get your ideas from?
I get my ideas from many things like the superhero movies coming up soon or things I have been thinking about drawing for years but never have.
Recently I have also been getting my ideas from the artists I follow and try to study their style and techniques so that I can add to my style. I’m always trying to improve, I always set myself improvement goals with an art idea.
What kinds of tools do you use to make your work or what is your typical artistic process like?
When I draw traditionally, I like to use just one pencil and sketch out my composition then when I feel like it’s ready, I will ink it with Micron pens. I am a big fan of the .005 Micron and the Brush head Micron; these pens help me a lot for details and I use .03 for outlines. I like to finish up with Chinese ink on my background and drops of white-out to give it a nice space-like effect, inspired by Jim Lee. When I draw digital art, I use my Huion Kamvas 22HD display tablet, which I recommend. For software, I am a big fan of Photoshop but recently I fell in love Clip Studio Paint which is very good for manga and comic artists. For both ways of drawing, I usually spend about 6-12 hours on a piece, the longest part is always the composition and anatomy of my art, if I don’t feel it will come out great, I won’t start on any line art.
Are there any artists you look up to or find inspiring?
Currently, I follow Christopher Cayco who is the one that inspired me to do my All Smash Bros Characters Art. He also makes many vlogs for artists interested in starting in Artist Alleys at conventions. And Ross Draws’ video are always inspiring no matter what the content is, I think his energy and passion just fuel me as well.
Do you have any favorite books, apps, movies, resources, or art tools that you recommend?
Favorite Book: Seras-tu la? By Guillaume Musso French writer
Apps: Final Fantasy BE app Game
Movies: Battle Royale 1, Man of Steel, BvS, Watchmen, Your Name…
Resources: Google
Art tools: Micron pens all sizes, Chinese ink, and copic markers
Is there any advice you would like to give to young artists or people just starting out?
The biggest advice I can give is to start drawing now! The more you wait, the more you will regret. Art is one the few fields that is underestimated and the fear of not succeeding can be stronger than your will to achieve at times, but like everything in life, it only becomes what you make of it.
Who would you like to collaborate/work with or work for, if anybody? Could be a person, another artist, or company.
My dream is to be to work for DC and Marvel or become a Mangaka but now I want to be published in Image Comics. I would love to do a Collab with Ross Tran or Christopher Cayco but really, I would love to work with any artist in general.
What is your ultimate dream project or something you’ll like to accomplish in your lifetime (could be art or non-art related)?
My Ultimate dream is to create my own comic book, writing it, drawing it, and coloring it. I want to be remembered as one of the greatest one with his own original creation.
Are there any current projects that you’re working on or in the near future that you want to tell us about?
I have many!! I’m working on my strictly background project to improve in that skill. I also have a Final Fantasy Dissidia Collage project I want to start soon.
And so many more ideas!! =)
What is the best way to get a hold of you or view or purchase your work?
You can find my online store at https://www.mightypegasusart.com/shop.
And on all my social medias by searching Mighty Pegasus Art, I have Instagram, Twitter, Vero, DevaintArt, Artstation and Youtube!
If you are interested in contacting me for work and commission, you can email me at mightypegasus.deviantart@gmail.com.
DUACHAKA HER 