Raising Hell

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: ANDREEA DUMUTA

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Pinhead never looked so pretty. How did you decide on this compassionate palette? Do you have a soft spot for Pinhead that made you give this one a soft pastel touch?

He’s certainly iconic, isn’t he? I love his design a lot. With that being said, my passion project, “The Movie Villains,” is still in its early stages, with only five entries so far. I am still looking to elevate and perfect the style I am creating these illustrations in. It just happened that my Pinhead illustration was a step forward in the development of this aesthetic. So expect a lot more exploration in the future of different color palettes and funky patterns.

You don’t take this same approach with all of the baddies in your villain series. What prompted you to create a villain series specifically?

I don’t take sides, haha! Like I said previously, the project is still in its very early stages. I love these characters equally and with the same passion. The reason I’ve started this series is because of two main reasons:

1. I am a gigantic movie nerd, so I do this with all my heart, and my biggest dream is to work on art that is film-related, and someone told me to draw like I already have that job, which is what I am trying to do.

2. My portfolio seriously lacked character work, as I was always a bit scared of drawing people. So, fanart has kind of eased that issue for me. And I’ve chosen villains because—come on—look at them. The designs of these characters are beyond iconic. And it allows me so much room to play with these illustrations.

Aside from villainy, what are some of your other inspirations?

I spend time every day just browsing art, old and new. And more often than not, it sparks a lot of creativity in me. I also take inspiration from nature, aesthetic photography, and anything retro or vintage. And music!

Was there a turning point in your artistic career where you felt something “click” and your personal style came into focus?

Yes. It happened maybe three years ago when I came across this website that was selling brushes for Procreate that allowed users to give a traditional, old-school vibe to their digital illustrations. And it just clicked with me. I loved creating these illustrations that felt traditional and didn’t have that synthetic digital energy. But I am still exploring and evolving. I don’t like to stick to a formula for a long time. I feel like I am currently in a phase where I am finessing my art skills, so I am definitely very excited for the new year.

Why do you have a career in the arts? What happened to bring you here? This is a tough industry, and you’re making it. What’s your “secret”?

To be honest, my art career was a roller-coaster from the beginning. I was supposed to go to university to learn programming, but I felt I wasn’t really passionate about that. I developed a drawing hobby in high school, and in 12th grade I randomly decided to go to art school, and ever since then I’ve had a lot of ups and downs dealing with the uncertainty of the profession, art-blocks, burnout, and all kinds of obstacles. I am very flattered by the fact that you said I made it! It is definitely difficult to put your foot in the door of this industry. My secret is hard work and using social media to your advantage. With all its downsides, social media is a lifesaver for artists nowadays. You have to put yourself out there all the time. You never know what opportunities you might get. It certainly can be amazing, but you have to be patient and work hard.