Let’s imagine for a second. You are a young adult about to move in with your other half. The moment of decorating your new apartment arrives, and you came prepared with 50 posters of your favorite manga, animé, comics, video games etc – your geek nature is something that aging will never destroy -. Unfortunately, not everyone shares your fascination for Akira Toryama ; at least not your Dear and Loving, considering the crisis triggered by your turning the kitchen into a Miyazaki museum. Instead of breaking up (“Are your SERIOUSLY asking me to chose between you and Deadpool ?! Okay, bye. Men are temporary. Wade Wilson is – literally – eternal”), we advise you to invest in one of JYXDI’s pieces: beautiful oil paintings (your boyfriend will enjoy this classical side) using some of the main themes from your geek culture. And they lived happily ever after.
JYXDI is a young Canadian self-taught artist known for her amazing skills and her choices of models. Her technique is impressive, and the fact that she applies it to the avatars of the geek psyche had us instantaneously seduced. Drawing her inspiration from pop culture as much as our main comics/animé heroes (Dragon Ball, Naruto, Marvel, One Piece…), her paintings take them out of their normal format and rejuvenates them in an amazing way. And because a full order book and a growing fan base is not enough (join her 100k Instagram followers to see how her art evolved), JYXDI is also an instructor. We had the chance to ask her a few questions about her work. Talking about inspiration, projects and creative process, she had the kindness to introduce us a bit more to her universe. Spoiler alert: her favorite Naruto character is Itachi. Mic Drop.
How did you learn to paint ?
I’ve been painting ever since I was ten years old. I started drawing when I was a baby.
What’s you « common » creative process ?
I imagine/picture the piece as the final product in my mind and then I start on the piece. This way I have a goal in mind, which is to finish the piece and get the final product I wanted. Oil paintings usually take 6-10 hours depending on the size of the canvas.
Which artists inspire you or helped you to find your own style ?
Van Gogh’s art is beautiful. It inspires me to keep creating and make pieces until I am satisfied.
I read that you were giving classes. Being a self taught artist, is it challenging for you to explain your creative process to others ?
Art has no rules. Different people have different techniques. When I teach I am just introducing the audience to my own style. This way they are learning something new from me.
Lately you painted a lot of scenes from Naruto: did Kishimoto’s drawings play a part in your learning process as a painter ?
Naruto has always been one of my favourites and painting the characters/scenes of it is twice as fun for me. I learn something new every time I paint. So of course, his style of drawings have helped me improve my own skills.
What’s your favorite thing, situation or character to paint ?
Itachi from Naruto. He is one of my favourite characters and I’ve painted him at least five times.
Is it difficult to work on commissions ?
No, I love working on my commissions. Especially because I get to add my own style and touch to each and every piece I do.
What’s next for you ? Any projects you’re working on ?
I am releasing a collaboration video soon with a violinist. Stay tuned!
What advice would you give to someone starting to paint ?
Practice. Keep it consistent. Spend at least an hour a day improving your skills.
Fan question : who’s your favorite Naruto character (whispers**Itachi** 🙂 )?
Itachi!
Go check JYXDI’s amazing work on her Instagram and order a painting on her website !
