Who are you?
My name is Dasha Pliska, and I am an illustrator from Odessa, Ukraine.
How did you get interested in art?
I happened to be interested in art from a young age. I always loved to draw, and when I was 8, I went to my first art school. Since then I never stopped learning. That’s probably where my way as an artist was defined.
How would you describe your style?
I’ve never thought about how to define my work, and this is still a difficult question for me :) I can't say that I try to keep my work consistent, this pretty much comes naturally. I'd much rather show than tell. I mean this in the sense that it’s better if people attribute their own meanings, their own words, and concepts to my art. The alternative would be me saying that it's something that they may not see in it. I usually just draw and don’t really think about how it would be described. People who contact me about my work usually describe it as “dark” or something close to
that.
What are your sources of inspiration?
There isn't something specific that I rely on to draw inspiration from. I generally try to keep an open mind and be receptive to ideas - that way anything can be inspiring. I think it would be much easier to have some reliable sources of inspiration outside of my own interpretation of whatever I interact with. It’s good practice to keep all your ideas written so as not to lose any of them. I always try to write down new ideas so that when I begin working and have nothing on my mind, I can open my notebook and choose something.
How is the creation process for you?
I always start a new project by searching for references and other materials, to gather as much as I can on the subject matter. Afterwards, I use them to create a collage. This part can take a very long time. The collage can be edited and modified for days and days before every detail in it meets my expectations. Finally, when all these steps are complete I can start drawing.
What are your favorite materials to work with?
My absolute favorite material is graphite or a simple pencil. It is a very adaptable and “obedient” material which allows the creation of strong contrasts, from the lightest to the darkest spots. It can simultaneously be very soft - light as air, or very rough, allowing for the portrayal of practically all possible textures. I even love its color :)
Who are your favourite artist?
Definitely Mikhail Vrubel. His art is very deep and mysterious. In his work, the realistic meets the symbolic, and from this comes a duality in his images. In his works, the symbol is something with an infinite amount of interpretations. This way he creates multifaceted images which can evoke any number of associations. All his characters contain multiple symbolic images and meaning.
What do you do besides being an artist?
My art is really a full-time job which leaves very little time for anything else. When things get difficult with large projects and tight deadlines, it always comforts me that this is absolutely my occupation of choice, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
What are the best advice given to you as an artist?
“If you want to achieve something - hard work is your best friend”. Of course, I still have a long way to go, and it sometimes seems like no amount of practice is enough. Despite this, I believe that the most important thing is to keep going and progress if you want to improve your skills in anything.
