Name: Gael Santana 

Grade: 9

Years of Experience: traditional drawing for 10 years, digital for two

Wingspan: How did you get interested in digital art? 

Santana: “I got interested in digital art because I saw a lot of people on YouTube doing it, and I thought it was an interesting alternative to traditional art.” 

Wingspan: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Santana: “I usually get my inspiration from video games and movie characters.”

Wingspan: How do you stay inspired and motivated in your digital art practice?

Santana: “To stay inspired and motivated, I do my work in little bits at a time so I lose my focus and have time to think about it between chunks.”

Wingspan: What tools or software do you use to create your art? 

Santana: “I use Procreate on an iPad to do most of my work.”

Wingspan: What challenges have you faced in art, and how did you overcome them? 

Santana: “When I start working on something, I usually have a general idea that I like, but when I pull up a canvas, I have trouble putting something down that matches my ideas. I get past this by making a lot of different sketches and renders of a general idea, and then I can start narrowing it down to something I like.”

Wingspan: What advice would you give to someone just starting in digital art?

Santana: “To someone just starting in digital art, I would tell them to really focus on what they like and not to turn it into a chore, just practice as you go to enjoy it more.”

Wingspan: Would you pursue a future in art?

Santana: “I don’t think I’d pursue an art career, but it would be nice to have it as a hobby to relax.”