Let’s Meet Local Artist Suzy Almblade

A graduate of the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Suzy has collaborated with photographers, worked as concept artist on the Steampunk web series Mantecoza and has been featured at local galleries. This year her “Steampunk Village” print was an exclusive at Phoenix Comic Con (though a small number of this limited print are still available!) and coming up she will be judging Desert Rose Theatre’s Alice Art Contest.

Let’s meet this busy local artist!

How long have you been drawing and what made you decide you wanted a career out of it?
I started really drawing when I was in 1st grade. I noticed that I drew my stick figures with fingers while everyone else had sticks. Then there is my twin sister, Roxy. She has always been my artistic competition. When she would learn something new I would always ask her to teach me and vice versa. There is no way I would be as good at art right now if I didn’t have her to compete with.
When I was little I thought I might be something else, like a firefighter or gymnast. But art was the only thing I was truly passionate about. While everyone else my age besides my twin was figuring out what they wanted to be I was already driving down the road with classes under my belt in art school.

Who inspired you the most?
I used to say that Michaelangelo was the one that inspired me the most.
But I only said that because teachers wanted an answer. I think what it is now is that the ones who inspire me the most are the ones who have taught me the most. The ones I learned the most from. So with that, the ones who ‘inspire’ me the most would be my college professors: David Christiana, Andy and Kathy Polk. David taught me about color and the human figure. Andy and Kathy taught me about watercolor.  I guess another inspiration comes from Hayao Miazaki. For some reason whenever I’m in an artistic rut, watching a Studio Ghibli film gets me giddy to do art again.

I have to ask then which is your favorite Studio Ghibli movie?
It’s a tie between Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service.

What would you say is your favorite medium to work with?
Watercolor. But the pencil is the one I fall back on the most. Followed by pen work and digital. If it isn’t pencil, then it has to be in color otherwise I get bored. Color is interesting, there is always something playful and challenging about it.

Your art is very whimsical and full of fun.
Guess you can say that some of my voice is put into it.

Do you prefer things light and fantastical than a darker grimmer approach?
Yah. I tend to look on the bright side of things. “rose colored lenses” someone once said.

So what would you say your ultimate goal for your art is right now? Do you want to be a conceptual artist or a gallery artist?
Concept Artist. Conceptual art is full of abstract things and weird shapes.

For those who don’t know can you define what a concept artists job is for movies and games?
Concept Art is like designing characters, creatures, landscapes and vehicles for movies and games etc.
It is a form of illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design, idea, and/or mood for use in films, video games, animation, or comic books before it is put into the final product. Concept art is also referred to as visual development and/or concept design. *as found in Wikipedia.*
Ah, Wikipedia, what would I do without it?

Besides judging Desert Rose Theatre’s Steampunk Alice Art Contest what are you doing right now and what is coming up next for you?
I’ve done commissions and am going to do a cover for Jason Zareki’s Band Shattered Kennys.

To find out more information about Suzy, or to order a commission from her, visit her official website:
www.suzyalmblade.com