Hello everyone! Happy Thursday, it is the last week of March and we have senior Rachel Smith to feature!
1. Tell us about yourself! What’s your name, where are you from?
Well, My name is Rachel Smith. I’m currently living in Blue Springs Missouri and I have lived there for most of my life. I have lived in the Kansas City area for all of my life and I have never lived in another state.
2. Why illustration? What brought you to KCAI?
I was brought to KCAI out of an interest in art in general, and to tell the truth it was the dream school for me. I will honestly say that I was very interested in making a comic when I first transferred into KCAI, though some things have changed a lot since then and I have found the place in my artwork where I belong . . . at least for now. I hope that my work will continue to evolve as time progresses.
3. What medium do you prefer?
I prefer to use dimensional media, such as clay. However, my sculpture style is mixed media in nature. However, I will always love flat media as well, such as: ink, markers, watercolor and colored pencils. Even if they are not my strong suit.
4. Favorite project thus far and why?
Hmmm… there have been so many projects that I have a hard time picking a single one. I did really like the rail project from sophomore year though and the animal mask that we made as well. I’m looking back now and I wonder if even then my mind knew that dimensional work was what I needed to be doing. I wasn’t doing a lot of dimensional work at the time so I think that is why I might have enjoyed them so much. Also, our rail day was on Star Wars day . . . mine was a Y-wing . . .
5. Who and or what is an inspiration for you in art making?
A lot of the time the people around me are my greatest inspirations, my classmates have caused some great conversations between all of us. I also follow Salley Mavor on Instagram and her art is fun and interesting. Chris Sickels is also someone who has inspired me quite a bit and his artwork helped me to find the style that I use now. History and mythology are also inspirations for me as well, though this is for some more recent ideas that are still in the design phase. Also, Youtube.
6. Go to tool for sketching and idea making?
When I am sketching just about anything will do, however, I prefer for my sketchbooks to have thicker paper, as then I can use markers or watercolor easier. Usually I try to use a mixed media level paper at the very least. I have also started to create initial sketches with a lead holder that holds a non-photo blue lead in it and I have one of those sandpaper pad paddle things to keep the led sharp. I’m sorry, I don’t know what they are called exactly. I just know that they are incredibly useful.
7. What is your favorite go to meal?
Hmm . . . anyone that lives with me knows that when I want something fast and don’t want to cook then I will microwave a burrito to eat . . . If I feel okay with cooking (and I have the ingredients) I would go for some mac-n-cheese with sliced up hotdogs and peas mixed in. Tasty! I can also substitute chicken or ham if I don’t have hotdogs.
8. If you were not doing art, what do you think you would be studying or doing instead?
If I were not doing art, which is a lie because I would always be drawing no matter what major I had, I would likely be studying math or science, probably physics which is a great connection between the both.
9. What other types of work interest you?
I love to write. I’ve got a lot of stories in my head that I hope to get out of my head someday and on to “paper.”
I am on instagram and Tumblr (though my Tumblr is dead at the moment). I am @RandomAsymmetry on both. Come to my Instagram for my daily drawings and ramblings.