Artist Spotlight
Kamila
Stankiewicz
Living between fairytale and real life, the art of Kamila Stankiewicz is a window to a realm made of dreams, magical creatures, infinite nature and female figures. Discover the wonders in the world she creates, and dive into her unique vision as an artist.
What inspires you as an artist?
I enjoy creating artworks with a bit of magic in them. Sometimes it’s a fantasy creature from a fairy tale or mythology. A gnome house on the tree, or a surrealistic art style.
My other inspirations are nature, changing seasons, women, emotions, moods, colors, culture, and folklore traditions. I also have a soft spot for the countryside in general.
Are you professionally trained or self-taught? When did you start drawing?
I’m self-taught.
Like most illustrators, I have drawn since I can remember. I was the proud 3 year old author of the portrait of a face with a dash-nose. By preschool, my noses looked quite decent already! I knew who I wanted to be since then.
I did not get into the academy of fine arts (I thought it was the end of my life back then), I graduated from landscape architecture. But I did not find myself in this profession so against all odds I quit my job and tried my hand at my dream job in illustration. Many people knocked their heads, but it was one of my best decisions.
“I suppose half of my head is still somewhere in the world of my childhood fantasies and refuses to grow up.”
Any fun projects you’ve worked on in the past?
A lot of them!
Some were strange, like the animation of a working plane engine in a realistic style. Some were surprising, like a set of illustrations with retro cars, totally out of my interest, but I enjoyed it so much!
Others are very exciting like the poster for the AJR's Broadway concert in 2020, or the background painting for the cover of their newest album.
A set of postcards for my hometown, or creating illustrations for my favorite fairytale "Peter Pan and Wendy" were very special to me. I love projects that give me freedom in creating.
Do you just work digitally or traditionally as well?
I love both ways. My favorite traditional medium is watercolor. I also love using gouaches. Switching from traditional media to digital and vice versa is what I do all the time. I also regularly search for ways to achieve a traditional, painterly look in digital painting.
Marsh Lights
Commissioned Artwork
Stories about disappearing fireflies in swamps appear in many European cultures. They have a rational explanation - they arise from the process of plant decomposition, when the phenomenon of phosphorescence occurs.
But I like the more magical explanation:
Marsh Lights, often shown as deceptive flames which lead wanderers to the marshes. A lot of them never return.
A girl in the water is a Rusałka, a female creature from Slavic mythology. Rusałki (plural form) are often malicious so her nice smile can be a trap.
Slavic
Commissioned Artwork
I hope my love for the Polish countryside is visible here. (I painted) a wise woman harvesting herbs. Such women in medieval times were considered witches. They evoked fear and dislike, but also respect.
I wanted it to be a charming scene at first glance. But the sickle in her hand is a symbol of death. Slavic field demons (midday demons) also appeared on fields with such a tool.
The shape of her hair is arranged in the sign of infinity. The sickle-death , lush vegetation-rebirth, it’s an unbroken circle.
This is my intention, but I'm always happy when the viewer has their own interpretation.
Underwater
Commissioned Artwork
I’ve always loved mermaids. Every reason is a good excuse to paint them. Their floating hairs, fins, scales, and a mysterious underwater world are the perfect objects for a stylized illustration. It was also a great theme for color explorations.
What techniques did you use for these artworks?
Usually in the first stage of painting I have separate layers for a sketch (Multiply mode) and layers with color underneath (a separate one for the background, a separate one for the figure).
I focus on a character, mood, pose, and composition.
I have a thing for curvy lines. I often embrace them and go with stylized styles, like in all three cases. Then I add rough colors to find the right color palette. I let myself go wild with ideas and hues.
Then, I merge the layers and paint on one, but every now and then I duplicate it and keep the previous one to check that I didn't lose the vibrancy and flair of the initial phase in the rendering process, and that's very easy to happen.
All the rest of my process is balancing between adding details, and trying to preserve the energy of the sketch. The final step is to make color adjustments ( I appreciate adjustment layers a lot!). Curves and Gradient Map are my favorite tools for this job.
I’m always very curious about how the illustration would look with different color palettes. Sometimes I create more than one version.
What brushes did you use for the various stages?
My brush for sketching is usually the Proko Pencil. When I have rough lines, or I’m adding bigger areas of color.
In the Marsh Lights, I started with the Marker brushes, which create some transparent layers of color. I also like brushes without a sharp ending tip, like Clay Roller or Loaded Knife. I turn on the texture of the canvas, because I love how it influences the stroke.
Fill Brushes are on my top list - I used Fill Brushes in all cases. I especially like the Grunge Fill. I also created a few custom fill brushes with a grainy texture. I allow myself to test various brushes during the process and check which one works the best.
“My favorite sets are Markers, Paint, Fills and Legacy.”
I use the Liquify tool frequently. It allows me to correct shapes, quick and easy. Working with the navigator window with the grayscale on, and the small sketch preview was very convenient. I appreciate the possibility of having floating references in the app working area, and being able to pick up the color at any time while having control over the composition in a smaller view.
How long did these paintings take?
I spent about 10 hours on every piece. The longest part was painting details and erasing them. It’s easy to lose myself into polishing, but it often kills the lightness and spontaneity of a sketch.
Any tips you want to share with the community?
I would recommend sketches and studies as the fastest way to improve and learn.
It’s good to know your tools. Learning the basics first is always a less frustrating way to be better at a chosen technique. In case of digital painting apps: read the handbooks and manuals. Knowing tools and gesture shortcuts makes the painting process more intuitive and smooth.
Change your favorite tools, technique, brushes, etc from time to time. Try traditional media as well!
Don't let jealousy discourage you and block your creativity. Instead, think about what you like in other people's works and why. Try to make some studies of your favorite works, recreate the process, and incorporate your favorite elements into your own works.
“At the same time, creating is not a race. It's fun to be proud of the result of your work, but I think the process itself is more important. As long as it gives you joy.”
What was your experience with Infinite Painter? What brushes and features did you love the most?
I tried Infinite Painter for the first time in the beginning of 2020, and I was surprised by the amount of useful features which I didn't see in any other app at this time.
At first I couldn't find the flow while working with brushes. I’m used to brushes with a different behavior, and it took me a while to learn how to take advantage of it.
Brushes I couldn't figure out then are my favorites now. (I mean) the whole Paint set. Using them gives me a similar feel to painting with gouache and oils. I love how they are smudging and blending color on the canvas, almost like they have a dimension and thickness.
It is amazing how differently every brush can behave according to the chosen canvas texture, and its settings. The Heavy Bleed Brush from Watercolor set raises interest every time I show its unique behavior (the longer you press, the more color is fading - it looks like watercolor pigment soaking into a paper).
Fill brushes are heroes of speedpainting. Save a lot of time. I find them a perfect cure for overworking as well.
The features for creating seamless patterns are a pattern designer’s heaven. I especially like the pattern canva setting, where I can see not only a tile but also the pattern preview. It simplifies creating the design a lot.
Adjustment layers are very useful, it allows you to check other color combinations without ruining the original piece.
And also Gradients! I love using them!
Thanks, Kamila! :)