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Evannave's whimsical art is full of pastel colors and fanciful images that we just love looking at. We caught up with her to talk about making art, making stickers and how many pairs of sunglasses are required for Instagram photo shoots.



When did you first start making art?
I started experimenting with art when I was really young. As people grow up, they're generally discouraged from continuing with that childlike creativity but I kept going. I went from fashion to design to pictures and illustrations. Now I'm an illustrator and draw pictures for a living.


What did you draw first?
When I was young I loved books, and I would draw the things I read about. There were too many too count to pick a favorite, but I was really into fantasy books.


Did you study art, or are you self-taught?
I studied illustration in college. It was a new learning curve. It was a new environment. Whereas in high school I was just one kid who liked art and design and drawing, in college I was around people who all had the same interests as me, and the same ambitions, but just different styles.

I learned a lot about computers. I went in with a handful of felt tips and came out with Adobe Creative Suite. I had never been encouraged to create digitally before. At the time, the challenge with digital is that you couldn't draw on the screen, but now you can which is great.




What kind of art do you create in addition to stickers?
I create everything from logos to painted murals. I try not to pigeonhole myself. I've done a few murals for bakeries who wanted to make things a bit more exciting, and bookshops around town. It's coming full circle, my love of books inspiring my art and now my art in bookshops.

 


When did you first start making stickers?
I first started creating stickers in 2013. The first one I created was The Grand Budapest Hotel. It was very intricate, it took a day and a half to draw. I like drawing buildings, I love the symmetry, and adding a bit of imagination to it. It was around the same time that the film came out. People
really liked the sticker, and it got pretty popular.


Your art is full of color and whimsical images. What about this aesthetic appeals to you?
I think that people can shy away from childlike things, like bright colors and fanciful images. They're told as they grow up that they're for kids, that adult things are the opposite. The idea of growing up is getting rid of childish things. But I don't think that's true.

For a long time I was drawing objects and buildings but wanted to try some typography. I thought “What do I want to see?” So I began thinking of positive messages that I could try out, and started looking around to see what others have done. I thought “I can do that!” and started experimenting.


You are the model in a lot of your Instagram photos. Do you do them yourself?
Photography is a hobby, but it's also a necessity for work. And it's free if I do it myself! I have a photo studio set up in my house. I don't mind taking 100 photos to get a good one. Half my house is taken up with work areas but its worth it.




And you often wear sunglasses.
The sunglasses are cool and fun, they make me a bit more anonymous, and people can focus on the product. I have over 30 pairs. Whenever I want to buy a new pair, I have to stop myself and ask if anyone other than me will notice the difference but that doesn't always stop me.

Any advice for aspiring artists?
It takes a long time to build enough of a portfolio to shop around to places. It's not an instant thing. You won't know what people will like and what they won't so try to figure out what you like and go from there.

As for pricing, everyone is different. It depends on how you work. You can price for time as well as by the piece. People forget that it takes years of training and experience to make your art. If you don't think something is worth your time or adds to your portfolio, don't do it. Exposure doesn't pay the bills or buy food so if it's not worth it for you, it's okay to turn something down if it isn't right.

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StickerYou blog posts are written and published by members of the StickerYou team at our headquarters, located in the beautiful city of Toronto, Canada.