Interview with Illustrator Othophi (Sydney Height)
Digital illustrator Sydney Height (Othophi), talks about teaching art classes on Skillshare and offers advice for digital artists.
Othophi (Sydney Height) Bio
A freelance artist creating artwork that strives to engage and generate pieces that everyone can enjoy. I love exploring multiple fields of the art some of which is digital, traditional, design! I’m highly influenced by old illustrators (like J.C Leyendecker), anime, and video games.
Please tell us what you do.
I consider myself a freelance artist that has many avenues I can explore. I’ve created many works with traditional media, digital media and even some occasional jewelry. My current passion is digital illustration which I regularly take commissions on.
What is your illustration background?
I’ve been studying art ever since my sister taught me how to draw anime. From there, I drew every day, watched and read tutorials in order to get to where I am today. I’m pretty much self-taught.
Why did you choose Skillshare over other online
teaching platforms?
Actually the reason I began teaching on Skillshare is because one of the representatives came across my work on a portfolio website. They were looking to build their digital illustration section and they thought I would be a perfect candidate. Even though I’ve been told by my teachers since high school that I could teach, I never thought I would
actually do it. I’m glad I took the opportunity because I learned so much about production and how I create my work. The community and the administrators on the site are extremely friendly and will help you with any problems you have when creating your class. It’s great!
Do you have any advice for illustrators getting
started on Skillshare?
The best advice I can give is to pick a topic that you’re passionate about and run with it. If you are passionate about your topic it becomes so much easier to teach. Don’t worry if there are three other people teaching the same thing. The students on Skillshare like to take several classes on the same subject just to see different perspectives!
Do you have any advice for aspiring digital
illustrators?
Never give up! Even when you see someone’s art that looks supposedly ten times better than yours. Instead of comparing two completely different styles, try deciphering how they painted their work. What is it about their work that you wish you could do? What don’t you like? Once you figure that out, start incorporating those elements into your own pieces. By studying real life and artists that you love, it’s easier to improve when you’re doing something you enjoy.
Othophi (Sydney Height) Links
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