Interview with NikkuWalkanov

Last Saturday a group of us hauled an unsuspecting ATG member into an IRC chat room and interrogated him for a rather lengthy period of time about random things such as art and humanoid ponies. I think it has been reorganized enough that our conversation may actually make sense.

We are going to be trying to do more of these, because they are quite a bit of fun. So keep an eye out!

Check our victim's DA page here!

And for more ATG action, go here!

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fetchbeer: Hey there Niki!

lunarapologist: Howdy!

Niki: hey guys :D

fetchbeer: Did I confuse the timezones too badly?

Argembarger: hello niki!

Niki: Maybe a lil :P

Niki: Hey Argem :D

fetchbeer: Thanks for joining us today Niki!

Niki: My pleasure

Argembarger: We're glad you agreed to be our next contestant

Argembarger: Fabulous prizes may or may not be up for grabs

Arcum: I guess it would also depend on what you consider Fabulous...

Niki: Well you guys did blindfold me...I mean anytime guys :D

Argembarger: So here's a generic first question: how long have you been at the arts?

Niki: How long have I been drawing? Well thats a big embarrassing.Lets see, I've been drawing for around 4-5 years now? I'm not really sure. The first 4 years I was drawing only animeish art (my favorite artist is Hyung-tae Kim, the way that guy draws...it just amazing!) Then I started drawing more cartoony stuff.

Niki: Woah wall of text

Argembarger: we like walls of text

Argembarger: are you totally self-taught, then?

Niki: I've been mostly self-taught, and I get a bit of help from my sister. The art schools in Bulgaria are a bit...lame. The teachers don't even know what photoshop is. The thing they teach actually ruins artists. It's really sad.

Argembarger: whoa, that sounds pretty unfortunate :(

fetchbeer: Wow, no photoshop! That is pretty behind the times...

Argembarger: Glad you haven't been ruined, at least :_:

Niki: I it was pure luck

Arcum: My college art class teachers didnt even know how to turn on a computer so I am not unfamiliar with this

fetchbeer: What's the general state of pony fandom in Bulgaria? Are there many bronies around over there?

Niki: There are a few here and there. I was cosplaying last sunday in one of those con thingies. So I made a big poster with Derpy on it ,ran around a bit with it. Most of the people just smiled and walked away

Argembarger: I guess they just can't handle the awesome :P

Niki: Only two stopped for a lil chat :D

fetchbeer: It's those eyes! They bore into your soul!

Argembarger: How long did it take you to start drawing ponies after you watched the show? And could you link us to your first-ever pony? :D

Niki: Well I am a artsy person, so drawing what I like was only natural, after the first episode I liked ponies (a lot)

Niki: About the first drawing

Niki: Oh boy

Niki: This is one of my first pony drawings

fetchbeer: Is that a sonic flowerboom?

Niki: Something like that

Niki: I have no idea what I was thinking when making that drawing

Niki: It was done for the ATG btw xD

Argembarger: For comparison, what picture would you say you are most proud of?

Niki: Hmm that's a tough one. Each day I make new drawings that I like more than the last. If I have to choose I guess I would pick my ATG week 13 drawing. It kinda set the mood of how i was feeling when making it :D

Argembarger: this one?

Niki: Oh yes, I just love my sketchy drawings

Argembarger: me too! They almost seem to be moving, sometimes

Niki: I love drawing sketches, I make tons a day

Niki: From ponies to humans

Niki: aliens and other animals

Argembarger: Your cleaner stuff is very nice too, very shiny, almost like plastic

Argembarger: in a good way :P

fetchbeer: Was she drawn in muro like so many of your ponies?

Niki: No Fetchbeer, my muro drawings are only for when I leave a comment. Everything else is done in photoshop.

Arcum: Drawing on the muro is hard

Niki: That muro thing was a bit silly but it was good practice for my tablet

fetchbeer: I'm always surprised at the level of quality you can get out of that silly muro program, I can't get anything to look like anything in it.

Arcum: Yeah my drawings look like a 3 year old finger paints with the muro :P

Niki: I try to draw only with my tablet these days

Argembarger: What tablet do you use?

Niki: Lets see I think its Wacom Graphire 3 (saphire, thats a cool name). Don't worry guys, I can't get that silly muro to work right as well

Niki: I totally did not look it up

Argembarger: what do you consider your strengths and weaknesses as an artist to be?

Niki: I always find it hard to make the line art. I can sketch okayish and I can color a bit. When I try to make the line art my hands stop working or something. They just won't listen and I get a really silly line art, that I can't really work with. That is why I started coloring my sketches directly (I still try to give them a nice line art but fail xD)

Argembarger: I think it's a pretty nice style though :)

Arcum: It does bring more of a stylized look to it

Niki: Yeah but I will never make it as a character design/ story board artist with silly sketches xD

Argembarger: Is that your goal?

Niki: Yeah, I love making drawing of silly characters and stories with them.

Niki: When i was little i used to draw weird lil comics

Argembarger: Do you want to join a particular group or project, or start something of your own?

Niki: I know I still have a lot to learn till I can go pro (work as a artist in a studio) so for now the plan would be to get as much experience as I can. I am even making my portfolio for a local game firm. They are looking for artists at the moment (I know I won't get called for a interview but I guy can dream!) So I am working hard to get in there. It the start of my master plan :P

Argembarger: Good luck! Sounds exciting :D

Niki: Thanks!

fetchbeer: You never know, thy might just call you up :)

Arcum: Is there anything or anyone that really inspires you?

Niki: Well everyone at the ATG inspire me. There are so many young and good artists in that group. Its really such a joy to look at all the drawing they make. I also get my inspiration from cartoons/animes, comics/ mangas and just about anything that has drawings in them. I just love to look at good art :D

fetchbeer: We're just happy to give everyone a theme to do each week! We so enjoy seeing everyones take on it ourselves.

fetchbeer: I find myself inspired every time I flip through what we've received.

Niki: Yeah, each time I take a look at all the drawing I just grab my tablet and start drawing

Niki: So many wonderful ideas

Niki: and so many different styles

fetchbeer: Do you have a favorite pony to draw?

Niki: To draw? I guess that would be Pinkie Pie. Her hair is so much fun to draw and you can make all sorts of funny drawings with her.

fetchbeer: Oh, so you just draw Pinkie Pie then, she does lend herself to silliness quite well, Is another pony your actual favorite?

Niki: I do draw too many Pinkies but my favorite will always be Twilight Sparkle. Right from the first three episodes I kinda could feel the connection between the two of us (silly I know!) I was kinda the same as her, only I was drawing a lot, not reading, also I use sarcasm (maybe a bit too much but who doesn't) and we all know sarcastic Twilight is awesome.

Niki: Plus I sleep with my Twilight toy next to me in bed. Did I just type that?

Niki: You guys will delete that last part from the interview right?

Argembarger: nope

Argembarger: dot a-v-i

fetchbeer: :)

fetchbeer: we think it's adorable to sleep with little twilight :)

Argembarger: Is it hard for you to come up with ideas? Do you usually have a good idea in your head when you go to start drawing, or do you sort of form it as you sketch?

Niki: Well that depends on what I'm drawing and for who. That’s the best part of the ATG, the ideas come to you. Almost every time i see the week's theme I get an idea of what I will draw. Then that idea goes through a lot of changes. If I'm drawing for myself I just doodle till I get an idea of what I will draw, usually takes a few sketches to get there. Most of the fun stuff comes when I do my morning warm up drawings (you know like a warm up before exercise).

Argembarger: warm up drawings... haha, good idea, time to steal it :P

Niki: I usually get some interesting results then, when my brain is still asleep xD

fetchbeer: sleep drawing would provide interesting results I would think.

Niki: I make more mistakes than I would like but I can show you one of those if you guys want

fetchbeer: please do

Argembarger: sure!

Arcum: That would be interesting

Niki: Wish I had time to fix it up a bit but here goes.

The more I look at it the more mistakes i find.

Niki: Discord Twilight, all broken up

Niki: Because her friends left her

Argembarger: I kinda like it :D

Argembarger: but it's always good to be your own critic

Arcum: I like it

fetchbeer: that is a pretty awesome sketch.

Niki: I guess for a warm up its okay.

fetchbeer: Do you have a favorite piece you'd like to show off with the interview?

Niki: I still can't believe I made that Cheerilee drawing all those years ago May 2011 xD

fetchbeer: he he

Arcum: lol

Niki: Favorite no, but I made a antro (is that how you spell it) sketch of twilight yesterday for you guys and i never got the chance to show it xD

fetchbeer: show us then!

Arcum: We have time

Niki: But maybe thats a good thing as I see I messed up on the hands a bit.Oopsie

Niki: this is actually my first time drawing a human with my tablet

fetchbeer: we all confuse anatomy here

Niki: not just anatomy, I messed up the pose, legs head, neck...did I get anything right? xD

Arcum: Its all better than what I can do :P

Niki: Sometimes i miss my animeish drawing days

Argembarger: you got the horn right

Niki: awww yeah

fetchbeer: she looks pretty good to me :) I wouldn't mind seeing her finished.

Niki: I really should

Niki: But that means I have to redo the whole thing xD

fetchbeer: :p

fetchbeer: It's about time that we wrap this up, so that you can get back to your Saturday night, but we have one more question.

fetchbeer: Do you have any advice that you would give to other aspiring artists?

Niki: I think I'll keep it simple.

Niki: Guys don't be afraid to fall, falling is part of the learning process. ;)

fetchbeer: That it is, and being afraid of failure makes you afraid to progress :)

Niki: Indeed

fetchbeer: Thanks for coming by to chat with us Niki!

Argembarger: yeah, thanks a lot! hope it went well for you :D

Niki: It was fun! (and a bit embarrassing :P)

fetchbeer: I hope not to embarrassing :)

Niki: Not really but I wish I could have shown you guys some of my better stuff lol

Arcum: I enjoyed what you showed