Contributor Profile: Irisz Agocs

Irisz's distinctive watercolours are a regular feature on Artful Wisdom. Here she shares with us a bit more about her work.

How and why did you become an artist?

I was born into an artist family. Everybody around me were painting, or teaching art, or working as a decorator. So i had no need to think a lot what i would like to be. To draw was so natural, i've always done it. I had problems in school, when i drew everywhere into my exercise books, on the covers of my books, and on to my desk too. But my teachers weren't too hard with me in this type of conflicts.

When i finished my secondary grammar school i arrived at a turning point, and i tried to escape from this artist orientation. I decided to study cultural anthropology and ethnography.
But next to my uni studies i've never stopped drawing, i made illustrations to my favourite verses, and i had small computer graphics jobs. After my third year i felt that i have to find a job where i can draw. So i left my studies and started to work as an illustrator in a Company which is producting e-learning courses.


What kind of art do you create - and why?

At this moment, i'm making children's book illustrations. I think it is very joyful activity. I love to observe how small children are thinking and doing their small businesses, and that's helped me to paint for them. I like in the children's mentality that you can easily imagine that a small pixie lives under your bed, or other tiny creatures steal your socks, or a shadow or a cloud always looks like something, not just a shadow or a cloud. I borrow this mentality and use it when i'm working.

The other things that i really enjoy in painting, that i can try lots of different ways, is how a paint drop can exude on the paper. I like to try different colours and different supplies too.

How has your style evolved? Have you deliberately tried to develop a personal 'signature' style?

Maybe it sounds funny but as i see my style is my speed, if i can't draw it from one line in three second that's not me. But i didn't work on it. I'm very fast, because i have no patience at all, so i need to do everything in no time, otherwise i leave it and find something else, something more interesting to do. If i need to draw something for a work i start to draw it even three or four times, rather than draw it very slowly till is perfect.

What kind of materials do you use?

From time to time i'm trying different materials. In my official work i'm mostly working on computer. But my favourite medium right now is watercolour. It doesn't require a big place, and is very fast, so i can do it on my desk next to my computer. I hope soon i'll have a bigger studio, and i can paint with oil in bigger size.

Do you have any favourite techniques or working methods for creating your pictures?

I have few different working methods, but mostly just the orders of the steps are changing. I don't use pencil every time, but i always use quill to draw before or/and after on to the watercolour. I use sponge to make the picture a bit noisy. At other times i just paint a background with colours that i really like - it depends on my mood - and i leave it for later.

What inspires you?

Every expression inspire me. I always observe, i like to think over every situations, and the happenings around me. I always give jobs to my imagination. I love to read, and love to visit exhibitions, i'm very open to get know other illustrators' or artists' works. And i love to meet people.

What kind of content do you like to include in your pictures?

I would like to make people to forget the serious thing and difficulty for a moment if they look at my pictures. I hope that i can budge the child inside of everyone. I guess the feelings, and the childish logics on my illustrations are so familiar for everybody, and that brings them very close. I like to make people smile, and to be a bit cheerful.

Who are your heroes - and why?

I have no heroes. There are lots of people whose works i like, and i think they are great, but this is just one part of a personality. Everyone has good and bad attributes in different variations. There is no one who is just good, no way.

Do you have any advice to share with other artists?

Eat lots of chocolate! Visit exhibitions, travel and read a lot! And never stop drawing!

Irisz's website: http://www.artistamuvek.hu
Irisz's blog: http://artistamuvek.blogspot.com