
Sophiya Kloss - F.A.Q
Aim
Clean illustrations, with a minimalist approach.
Motto
Roll with the punches.
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What do you specialise in?
Portraiture, figurative realism, abstract realism, and abstractionism.
What are your influences?
I take my influences from Klein, Leighton, Godward, Burne-Jones, Sprick, Schikaneder, Waterhouse, De Goya, Blimes, and Da Vinci, and the avant-garde, Sturm und Drang, Fluxus, minimalist, nouveau-realist, and realist movements.
What do you enjoy about illustration/art?
I think the choices we make in what we do reflect strongly on us as people. Art is a bit of the same - to me, it embodies a vision and a representation of what I value in the world - directness, quietness, impact, solitude, complexity, precision.
I enjoy that the act of illustrating acts as a visual language for those people, who, like me, aren’t always great at expressing themselves verbally.
I perceive the concept of illustration as something that relies on an external purpose, whereas the production of fine art to rely on guidance from within.
I don’t know if the concept of talent truly exists, but I know that in order to be great at something you need to be passionate about your pursuits.
What do you need to be a good illustrator?
I think valuable characteristics to have (especially as an illustrator) are honesty, directness, an open mind, and the willingness to see things from a different perspective. And the virtues of persistence and patience.
How would you define yourself?
I consider myself quiet, analytical, honest, direct, considerate, temperamental and endlessly curious. I tend to look for radical ingenuity and drive in others, and the ability reassess oneself. I think the capacity to really understand why you're wrong vs. that you're wrong leads to progress.
How would you define your work?
My work is about summarising my perception of something. I want the viewer to focus on the overall narrative of the image without losing information. My goal is to accentuate the subject by merging realism with minimalism. Like with literature, new information can come to light the second and third time you go over it.