Interview
Natasa Pap
Natasa is an artist from Serbia, who currently lives and works in Austria. She started drawing when she was 3 years old and hasn’t stopped since then.
Over time, she discovered manga and anime, and this greatly influenced her art style.
Natasa enjoys drawing as it makes her feel calm and fulfilled, and drawing uplifting stories gives her life purpose.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Just like any child, I've always loved animated movies, and I still do. I first started drawing when I was 3 years old as a way of escapism. I always had difficulties in connecting with other children and I had bullies to deal with. Drawing started out as a an activity that I used as an emotional shield, but once I started, I found so much joy in it and I knew even back then that drawing will always be a part of me. At the age of 12, I started taking drawing more seriously and started telling stories in forms of comic and manga. My mother realized that drawing was not just a phase I was going through, so once I turned 15, she sent me to a private drawing school in Belgrade.
After that I went from one drawing school or course to another, until I found the one I am currently attending here in Austria. I am currently attending a manga drawing course. This is where I really discovered my artistic self. I learned so much about manga drawing, about the human figure and the process of creating a story perspective. I still have so much to learn about manga art but I am enjoying every class and am looking forward to every new lesson.”
“What inspires me the most are ordinary people who decide to take risks and work to overcome obstacles and other difficulties in their lives in order to achieve their goals, learn valuable life lessons and better themselves along the way.”
What inspires you most?
“I can find inspiration in pretty much anything — mostly in movies, either animated or live action. I also find inspiration in music lyrics and books. One sentence from a book I’ve read, newspaper articles and also people can give me an idea for a story.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I usually pursue themes of love, friendship, family, acceptance, finding yourself and becoming a better, stronger person. I usually enjoy stories that are a slice of life, romance, coming of age, but I also enjoy mystery, suspense, and some fantasy/paranormal. Those are the kind of stories I like to create. I decided a long time ago, that I would create the kind of stories that I myself would enjoy. I want the readers of my stories to know that it may be difficult to achieve your goals, but it is not impossible. It’s better to try and risk failing then to spend the rest of your life wondering what could have been. That is the messages I want my stories to carry.”
How would you describe your work?
“My artworks are expressive and emotional. I enjoy drawing emotions and different facial expressions.”
“Some people are late bloomers and that is okay because ‘The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.’”
-Mulan”
Which artists influence you most?
“Artists that influence me the most are Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai and Jane Ann Krenz. Movies of studio Ghibli as well as Makoto Shinkai are a feast for the eyes. The animation is beautiful, smooth and top quality and their movies are also full of positive and impactful messages. The movie Princess Mononoke by Studio Ghibli shows us that even though the world can sometimes be an awful violent place, life is still worth living and beauty can be found in the most unlikely places. Movies like Whisper of the Heart also by Studio Ghibli, is a perfect movie for aspiring artists as it is all about finding your purpose as an artist, while movies like Your Name by Makoto Shinkai show that love is an incredibly strong force that can sometimes transcend time and space.
Books written by Jane Ann Krenz are the ones I read before I go to sleep. I especially enjoy her historical romance novels that she writes under her pen name Amanda Quick. Her stories never fail to motivate me and make me feel like I can do anything. Some people look down on those kind of stories and call them repetitive, but the joke is on them because romance outsells all other genres by a landslide.”
What is your creative process like?
“Once I find my inspiration, I start to write some notes for my story, and I make some sketches of the main characters. Once I’ve written all the notes, I organize them in chronological order and I draw all the characters I want to use for my story. I then sketch out the story as small thumbnails while following the story scenario I wrote. After the thumbnails sketches are done, I draw the story in the form of a manga comic and I draw it traditionally. I then finish it digitally. I scan the drawings and open them in Photoshop where I write the dialogue for the story, I redraw the images of the story digitally then I add pattern, color and shadow to the images.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Every artist has to discover why they create the kind of art they do. This process may take some time, but some people need more time then others.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“Exhibitions, no. But I can recommend some great animated movies like Sword of the Stranger, Whisper of the Heart, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, From up on Poppy Hill, Your Name, Weathering with You. Anyone who admires the art of animation will enjoy these master pieces.”
Instagram: @natashas_artworks
