Interview

Written By Editorial Team

Sonya Chelombieva

Sonya is a Los Angeles-based multimedia story artist with a background in comics and illustration. Her work ranges from storyboarding for film and creating real-time cinematics in Unreal Engine to designing billboard key art for a major video game release in Hollywood.

 

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. Starting at the age of five, I attended art classes and art history lectures while visiting museums across Europe. In my teenage years, I trained in classic animation and concept art, which fueled my passion to work for the entertainment industry. I later received my bachelor’s degree as a 3D generalist, gaining valuable technical and creative skills with industry-level technologies. Today, I work professionally as a storyboard and cinematics artist, combining my love for narrative and visual design. Beyond my digital work I create paintings and graphic works, embracing my artistic roots through working with traditional materials.”

What inspires you?

“Witnessing the world around me lays the main groundwork for my art. Watching people, their emotions, gestures, and the way they interact gives life to the characters I depict. Just as with the people around me, I am inspired by those who came before: artists, historical figures, performers, and visionaries. Each of them helped to shape the world as we see it today. The idea that every person leaves their mark is what inspires me to keep creating and bringing life into the little stories that make up the human experience.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I want the feelings and emotions of the characters to be the guides of the events unraveling around them. The meaning behind each work emerges gradually through the process of making it, with the core intent free to shift in its own organic direction.”

How would you describe your work?

“My artwork is like a thread of thought. It is very line-focused, always favoring deliberate gesture over extensive searching. Clarity, intention, and emotion come first, with just enough detail to tell the story while leaving enough space for the viewer’s interpretation. My use of color is minimal and increasingly monochromatic, influenced by my experience working with storyboards.”

Which artists influence you most?

“The works of Egon Schiele, Albrecht Dürer, Aubrey Beardsley, Valentin Serov, and Hieronymus Bosch have always been a huge source of inspiration. Beginning a professional art career led me to discover modern-day masters, with favorites including Matt Rhodes, Sean Murphy, and Roxie Vizcarra.”

“My artwork is like a thread of thought. It is very line-focused, always favoring deliberate gesture over extensive searching.”

What is your creative process like?

“My creative process often begins as an impulse: a fleeting image or a feeling that I see behind my eyes, and I cannot rest until I visualize it. I always start with faces: once I understand what my characters feel, I can depict the world around them as if seen through their eyes. I put trust into the gestural energy of my lines as much as into anatomy and perspective. More often than not, my sketch is not a starting point but a solid foundation of the image I create.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“Artists were always at the heart of any society, be that ancient Rome or modern America. Whether they are at the center of attention or hidden in the shadows, artists apply their skills to every facet of creation: architecture, education, toys, fashion, technology. I remain hopeful that people with passion and vision will always have the opportunity to contribute their art to our common future.”

Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?

“My art has been featured in Comic Book Art; Medieval Cat Zine; The Rookie Awards. And more exhibitions to come at the LAAA ‘Leitmotif’ and ‘Greatest Radiant’ exhibitions at Gallery 825 in Los Angeles!”

 
Editorial Team
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