Chantal is an Illustrator and concept artist living and working in Germany. She attended the Art Academy in Düsseldorf, where she trained to draw and paint traditionally.
She enjoys working on imaginal fantasy-related projects, which she does mostly digital nowadays.
I like to describe my work as having a tendency to being melancholic and withdrawn. I love to paint adorned and graceful creatures often combined with organic and nature related elements.
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Get in touch with Chantal
- Website: chantalhoreis.de
- Instagram: chantalhoreis
- Facebook: chantalhoreis
- Tumblr: chantalhoreis
Key Takeaways
“You always have a unique thing about your art, just search for it and stay true to it”
- Chantal went to school for fine arts, but instead of learning, it was a very free way of doing arts. She missed instructions, tasks that would put her through some things and make her better
- Don’t quit on art! Keep learning. The drive to learn is what makes it fun, you want to get better. Nowadays with internet you can see so much out there and if you have the drive to learn, get better, compare your progress with your art from past years, you can achieve many things
- In the beginning, Chantal was very overwhelmed. It was so much to learn, she thought she can never learn all of that. Later she went more with interest. You need to have a certain idea about the basics, but she is not stuck to be perfect at everything …
- When Chantal does a painting and she discovers a challenge, she goes and studies about it to finish that particular drawing, because otherwise, she would have tons of studies done, but nothing finished, so she takes it more practical … She knows what she needs and she studies that
Resources mentioned
- School where Chantal studied: Arts Academy in Dusseldorf
- Studio where Chantal works as a concept artist: Chasing Carrots
- Art tools
- Online school: Schoolism
- Books:
- Andrew Loomis – Figure drawing
- The Miracle Morning
- David Bayles Art & fear – all the worries you have as an artist and it’s OK – she read it 2x
- Art Spirit – Robert Henri – he was an artist and wrote down all his thoughts around painting – you shouldn’t take all the advice without a bit of reserve – just do your research and make up your own opinion
- Events where you can meet Chantal
- Trojan Horse was an Unicorn (THU)
- Comic Convention in Stuttgart – very good for networking in Europe
- Nadia Mogilev – artist that inspired Chantal
- Tool: Tyme2 – time tracking on her iPad
Special thanks to Chantal for joining me today. See you next time!
All artworks by Chantal Horeis, used with permission
Episode Transcript
Announcer
Creative, artistic, happy! That’s you. There are endless possibilities for living a creative life. So let’s inspire each other. Art Side of Life interviews with Iva.
Iva Mikles
Hello everyone and welcome to the next episode, the Art Side of Life where it’s all about how you can turn your creative passion into a profession. My name is Iva and my guest today is an amazing illustrator and concept artist from Stuttgart, Germany. She attended Art Academy in Dusseldorf where she trained to draw and paint traditionally, she’s now working part time as a concept artist for a gaming company chasing carrots in Stuttgart, and her art was just featured in the image in ethics magazine. She enjoys working on an imaginative fantasy related project, which she does either digitally or with the pencils nowadays, she describes her work as having a tendency to being melancholic and withdrawn. She loves to paint adorn and graceful creatures, often combined with organic and nature related elements. So please welcome Chantal hoorays. And let’s get to the interview. So hello, everyone, and welcome to the next episode of Art Side of Life. And please welcome my guest today, Chantal. Hi. So hello. And I would like to start with your background. And let’s talk about maybe, when was the first time you remember, you drew something, what you kind of enjoyed, or maybe what was the first thing you drew.
Chantal Horeis
I don’t really remember the first thing that I drew, but I still have some drawings from my kindergarten time, so I can look that up. The first things that I still remember is we, of course, Salem was a big influence for me, I always loved it made me draw in the first place, I think. We had a group of kids when I was younger, and we were playing outside role playing like we were witches and wizards and all that kind of stuff. And I was always like, drawing everyone’s character in the evening when I was at home and gave them assets and told oh, you have this and this power. And this, this was the start, I guess. And I love that I always did that. And it was the best part for me. Because the next day I came back, I was like giving the sheets out to people. And here you go, this is your character, you look like that you have red hair or something like that. And yeah. And of course, Disney characters, I love drawing Disney characters and
Iva Mikles
all that. So which were kind of like the biggest decisions you had to do in order to follow your passion.
Chantal Horeis
The first one, I guess, was right after high school, I started to study fine art painting in desert off. And I quit after two years. So I didn’t finish the program, because I think the whole philosophy of the school wasn’t really where I fit in with the stuff or the work that I wanted to do. And the school was more Mary, like, performance art, or that’s wrong. It’s not like they’re only doing performance art at that Academy, but more a very different kind of very free, also, which wasn’t what I wanted to find them because I went there to learn more about drawing and painting like skills really, or tips and tricks, whatever. And it was more like they gave you a space to work in and they said, Okay, go just do something. And maybe once a year, we look at it and see if it’s okay or not. So it was really already like being a fine artist. And having an atelier and stuff. But not really having someone to learn from I mean, you could learn from your colleagues there but I missed instructions or, or tasks or something like that, that really put me through some things and gave me more skills and I didn’t get that there. So I was really depressed by that and I I thought that the things that I love to do, I couldn’t do there and I I did different things and I tried to fit in and they lose. I lost. I lost fun and painting and then I quit. And I thought maybe I’m not an artist or it’s not for me, obviously, I didn’t fit in there. And the school has a really good reputation. So I thought, okay, might be not for me. And I studied cognitive science, something totally different. Okay. Yeah, so I had a big break in with art for two or three years before I made the second decision, to not become a scientific researcher, and to find my way back into ours, and just applied for an internship at a video game company, as a concept artist. And I got the internship, and I still work there, as concept artists now, and I’m very happy with that decision. So
Iva Mikles
yeah, and so how did you put together the portfolio? Or what were the works? You kind of prepare for them? Was it something from the school before? Or are you creating, like new assets? Maybe like you painted there digitally, traditionally, before? So now, this was digital? Or what was your thinking?
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, the portfolio I sent to them was was digital art. I, I think it was after two years of not doing any art that I started to paint digitally. I haven’t done it before. And I had a small space at that time. So I couldn’t put my huge canvas on and put my oils out. And I thought, okay, maybe I could try digital arts. And I was I started to become very fascinated by all the game art stuff and stuff people do for animation and so on. And so I thought, Okay, I have to try that. And I did. And so I practice a lot. And got a small portfolio together. And it was good enough, obviously. It wasn’t very happy about that. To not have to, to do a master’s degree or to just start working in, in science.
Iva Mikles
Yeah, yeah. So in the field, basically, you like more? And so when you were preparing all of these artworks, they were more like, I don’t know, props? Or was it more like character designs? Or was it like locations? Or did you mix everything?
Chantal Horeis
I think it wasn’t props. And they were more finished illustrations than there were really concepts. So it wasn’t it wasn’t a portfolio where you have different versions of characters, for example, or something like that. But it was more paintings that I did with different characters in it, because usually, I do i that have characters in it, even though I enjoy, like, cool landscape concept arts. But I, when I start drawing, there’s a character in it for sure. So yeah, I had a painting with a dragon, for example, or a painting where you have a character in the center of the painting or something and just finished illustration.
Iva Mikles
Yeah. And so what was your tool you use? Was it like, tablet you did like into us, or CNP right away? Or how did you kind of like try the first digital works?
Chantal Horeis
I always had a bamboo Wacom tablet. Even though I haven’t done digital art ever. I tried it once, but I didn’t like it. So I always use the tablet as a mouse. Not changing on a computer just using the tablet as a mouse. So it was really used to having the pen in my hand and using it on the computer. That was not the problem for me. And so I started with a tablet on my table looking at the screen using Photoshop.
Iva Mikles
Yeah, okay. Yeah. Because you were already trained, like, traditionally, so you knew how to use like values and anatomy and all of these things. So it was just to learn basically, how to do within a computer more or less.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, well, I learned a lot more about those things that you just mentioned, as well, because as I said, at the school at the art school that I went to, we didn’t really have it. There was nobody who told you about values or something. So I had what I knew already, but that wasn’t enough. I felt like and so I I searched the internet for every free tutorial in the beginning that I could find later on. I did classes on school ism.
Iva Mikles
And,
Chantal Horeis
yeah, that was really helpful.
Iva Mikles
So Did you do like the character design classes? Or like, What did you study when you were preparing?
Chantal Horeis
You mean for the portfolio for the job?
Iva Mikles
Or even now, like what is the kind of go to, you know, like classes or whether you like focus on learning.
Chantal Horeis
Right now I study, do you know, the books from Andrew Loomis is his name. And he has, I have two of his books. And right now I studied the figure drawing book just to get better at that. Because if I might serve, usually, when I draw for fun, I always do like, faces, maybe hands, and then it stops. And I always have to force myself to, to go in into the parts that I am not so used to. And that helps a lot just to just to copy from the book or just to get in that mindset that he has. And it’s always a cool thing to have if you read a book, and you really can see how that artist thinks when he draws not just seeing the artwork. But knowing what goes behind that. I always find it very fascinating and helpful. Yeah, books right now. But um, hopefully I’m doing an online course, in the near future again, because I think that’s very helpful.
Iva Mikles
Yeah, that was maybe like the best advice you kind of like stuck with you.
Chantal Horeis
The best advice? I think, first of all, not to be not to be discouraged very fast, because obviously, as an artist, you often are not satisfied with what you do. And I think yeah, in the beginning, that was one of the best advices I know that now. And I know when I don’t feel good about my art that is going to go away. Probably it’s because I’m learning something right now. And I’m not good at it yet. Yeah, that’s very helpful. So you don’t quit on art? Yeah.
Iva Mikles
But your drawings are already like, they’re amazing. So it’s like, Thank you. You know, he’s learning and they look at it, like, Oh, my God, but this is super cool. So it’s good to see that, you know, people are still like learning basically, all the time. Yeah.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, I think that’s a, that’s one of the parts that make it even better and more fun, too. Because you have a drive to learn all the time, at least, that’s for me. I’m sure that’s for most artists that you want to get better. Because even nowadays, where you have the internet and can see so many other artists, and you always think they’re so much better than you and they can do so many cool stuff. You always have the drive to learn more and to be better. At least that’s how I feel. And it’s, it’s fun to learn more and to see your progress and compare what you did last year, what you did this year and feel Yeah, you got better. And yeah, yeah. Because
Iva Mikles
I saw also Lisa, you know, posts on Instagram. And when people are posting like, Oh, this is how I do like I had a few years back. And this is where am I now. So it’s always super cool to see the your own progress. Like how Yes,
Chantal Horeis
yeah, I have never done a post like this. But I always enjoy that scene with other people. I recently got through all my old sketchbooks, and then was super fun. Because not only do you see your progress, but you can see what elements you already had a few years ago that you still keep, like maybe certain gestures that you do or something like that. And I found it very interesting to see that that I had that two years ago already or three years. And then obviously there’s something that’s unique about my style, maybe that I that I keep. Although I’m learning from so many different people, there’s still something that I had in there in the beginning that I still see in there.
Iva Mikles
Yeah. Yeah. So how do you maybe approach learning because if you imagine someone just starting out, and there are so many things you need to learn like light and values, and autonomy and blah, blah, blah. So there’s so many things so how would you kind of set your goals for learning or how do you do it?
Chantal Horeis
I remember that in the beginning, I was very overwhelmed with all the things that I could or should learn, like you said, and I didn’t know where to begin and I made plans and schedules and everything but it was like I can never learn all of that. I I don’t know. By time i I’m more when with interest. I guess, of course, you have to have a certain idea about lightning and values and anatomy. But I think for me, it’s better to not get get stuck to the idea that I have to master everything. And I’m only doing studies and not do anything else anymore, because I’m not perfect at that yet. So that would keep me from drawing I guess. So I, I tried to have like the book that I read right now about the figure drawing, I have that. And it’s fine that I that it takes me a few weeks to go through it and to learn it all. And other than that, I think I go by the idea that I when I do a painting, and I come to a problem at a certain point that I then go in and study to get better at that certain thing that I that I need to finish that painting because otherwise I will have hundreds of studies in the end and not really finished anything. And so I tried to find out what I need, and then study that.
Iva Mikles
Yeah, that’s perfect. Yeah. Because it’s nice to kind of see were like, Okay, maybe now I focus on a figure drawing, then maybe I focus on like hands, then I can try color. And, you know, just like pick his device, then because then you might go crazy.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah. And then you would maybe would spend half a year or something on color or a year on color, and lighting and you won’t get better at the other things. So maybe in the end, you have good lighting skills, but your anatomy is still weird. Because you never tried to apply to everything to anything Awesome. Yeah, yeah. And
Iva Mikles
so like, when you’re creating your artworks, what is your main inspiration? Do you go to nature? Or do you maybe collect some references online? Or how do you do it?
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, both of the things you said, basically. So for first, I have a Pinterest folder. That’s just called Inspiration, where I put all the images in there when I go, when I search through Pinterest, which I do sometimes. It works for me, it really does. It’s really nice to have a page where you have all the images collected that you felt something about when you saw them the first time. And that’s a little bit like the sketchbook thing I was talking about if you see similarities between different stages in in your art skills, and you also see similarities in the things that you have in that inspiration folder, at least for me, and that helps me to find out what, what, what are the things that I’m into. Because I often get a little bit confused by all the artwork that I can find online and everywhere in the world. And to keep me from wanting to do it all. This inspiration folder is perfect because it motivates me first. And second. It keeps me a little bit on track of what I really like and what what’s really important to me. And the other thing is Yeah, going outside. And even though I mostly do characters, it’s super inspiring to me just to go on a walk and see little patterns in like stones that are lying around or like brick on trees and everything just just textures sometimes that I think is super inspiring to me.
Iva Mikles
Yeah. And then you can apply these maybe to like outfit or or like a layout or something like that.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, for example. Oh, cool. Maybe find a weird composition in them that I could maybe try or something. I don’t know. But it really it’s it’s always it motivates me to just go home and start drawing or get on my sketchbook and draw there if I have it with me.
Iva Mikles
Yeah. So you always take your sketchbook with you when you go so it’s not that you take a picture.
Chantal Horeis
Sometimes I take a picture, if I don’t have the time to get my sketchbook out and try to bring it everywhere I go. Said so you have
Iva Mikles
like a small one or what do you carry? This size, okay. That’s like that’s moleskin right? Yeah.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, that’s moldy skin right? Yeah, I like it the best. I tried a few but this is a I like the paper and the size and it fits in every bag.
Iva Mikles
Yeah. So what would you kind of recommend people to try? Like first maybe like, favorite sketchbook or a pencil, which you like some maybe brand if they want to try one pencil?
Chantal Horeis
You mean if they already decided they want to go with pencils first on paper?
Iva Mikles
Yeah, for example, what are your favorite tools,
Chantal Horeis
I usually use those pencils from fabric I still can use. And I use different softness. Yeah, the softness of them are different, I have very hard ones and very soft ones. And in between different stages, because I usually start my drawings by taking the hardest pencil which will be the lightest on on my paper. So I can draw the basic composition first. And the basic elements that I want my drawing to have without, without having to be very certain about every line that I make, because it’s so so, so light on the paper that I can either erase it, or even if I go, if I leave it there, as soon as I take my four B pencil on my AP pencil, the other one won’t be visible anymore, because the contrast is so high with the other ones. And yeah, then I go up and get more and more certain with my drawing and find out where my darkest parts are. And then I go really in with the soft pencils and make it as dark as I can because I like to have a very large value range in the drawing. Yeah.
Iva Mikles
And so this process or this, is this how you use pencils? Did you get inspired by someone online? Or some of your friends kind of advise you to this to try or did you kind of like try it yourself? And he’s like, Okay, this is I like this.
Chantal Horeis
Actually, I started drawing like that. Almost a year ago. Before that, I always used only a three B pencil or something like that and just did it with one pencil only. But I visited a workshop last year in September. It’s important. This Trojan horse was a unicorn. I don’t know if you have heard of it. It’s a it’s a artists workshop. And they have like, many really, really cool artists there and I get to meet a few that I knew from podcasts and artists interviews and there was one artists Her name is Natasha or Nadia Mogilev I think it’s her full name and she’s a concept artist and a fine artist. And she does beautiful pencil drawings. And she encouraged me to because she does that as well being really dark in her drawings and using like everything that the pencil can do. She does I think and that was very inspiring. So that started me to to think to think about more how I can make use of a pencil and not just yeah, just use it without really thinking about it. I’m not not really going into the medium, but really try and what can I do with that and yeah, then was very inspiring for me.
Iva Mikles
Yeah, so like a full potential of the pencil.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, exactly. And I think you can do more than than just putting down your lines when I did basically before that and but also using shapes for example and using using the texture that you can get with a pencil and
Iva Mikles
yeah, yeah. And so what was the name again of the festival? That was the unicorn something?
Chantal Horeis
It’s called Trojan horse was a unicorn.
Iva Mikles
Okay.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah. Shorts would be THQ okay, but if you I think if you go by Trojan horse was a unicorn and Portugal you will find the workshop and it’s always in September, middle of September. And they they always announced the artists that are going to be there with the countdown countdown to the event. So I’m still always waiting for more news, but they already have so many amazing artists there. I’m really happy to go through planning to go also this year. Yes, I’m going again. Oh, cool,
Iva Mikles
because when we released the the interview, it will be already September. So probably for listeners, it will be too late. But then the next year they can go,
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, I’m sure the next year it will be there as well. So just check it out and in see whether you can get a ticket, I think they always sell the tickets in the beginning of the year. So if it’s all ready to late, which it might be, then January or February, is a good time to perform.
Iva Mikles
And so maybe what are the other events or festivals you go to? Or maybe how do you do networking?
Chantal Horeis
First of all that workshop, and then I did a Comic Con convent, a comic convention last year and this year, but only in Stuttgart. So only once a year. That was a good way to do networking. But I also use the internet and just social media and writing mails maybe to people that inspire me or that I think maybe if I think we have something to talk about, maybe just write them and maybe they answer maybe they don’t I haven’t had anyone who haven’t hasn’t replied. So that’s always a good way I think just to reach out to people. If you like their work, or maybe they’re close by and you could meet up or something like that. That’s always a good thing. And yeah, so the art workshop helped a lot to meet other artists. And then
Iva Mikles
did you have a table there on that workshop? Or did you just attended the kind of the classes because in Stuttgart, you had a table when you can sell your art, right?
Chantal Horeis
Yeah. Right. And so good. I had a table. But at THQ I was just an attendee, and was there to learn a lot. So I listened to talks, and we had portfolio reviews, or they do even they have big companies there that do. You can go to an interview there. So for all the attendees, they can sign up for interviews for four different companies that are really interesting in the entertainment world. So that’s really cool.
Iva Mikles
Oh, that’s nice. Yeah, like, I haven’t heard about that one. So now I’m really like, Okay. Look it up. Yeah, definitely. And so when we mentioned as well, so you are selling your art prints. And you also have a job with a concept art. So what is your main income stream? Is it the full time job? Or how do you combine your incomes?
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, my, my main income is from the concept job at the video game company. They’re called Chasing carrots. They’re here in Stuttgart, really cool team. And I work there part time now. So I always work week there. And then I have a week off. And then I’m a week back, and so on. So I’m starting now to find an additional income stream with his stuff, or the work that I do at home. selling prints is not a big income for me yet, but it would be nice to have a bit more of that, or I don’t know, maybe sometime in the future have a Patreon or something like that. Just being able on the side to do my work and make a little bit of income with that as well would be the next goal for me. Yeah.
Iva Mikles
Are you planning to do maybe like books as well? Or it’s more the tutorial or kind of maybe what are the next exciting projects you want to work on?
Chantal Horeis
Well, a book would be great. Like putting all my sketches together and do a book maybe. I don’t feel like I’m there yet. But I also know that I will never feel like I’m ready for that. But I have to see how many I have. And then maybe in the somewhere in the next year starting something like that, because I really would love to do like a sketchbook of the things that I did in the last month would be great. Yeah.
Iva Mikles
I think that people would love it because it’s so nice. Oh, thank you. So that’s super cool. And then so now you are on social networks. They are mostly on Instagram or where are the places people can find you.
Chantal Horeis
Mostly Instagram. I do the most posts there and show most of my art on Instagram. I also have Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook. I was yeah, it’s it’s more because I think I should Well, I like to Tumblr, for example, very much because it’s very easy to show your work there. I think without for example, when you have like your main social media on Instagram, it’s easy to have Tumblr on the side. I think because Chandlers you don’t have to invest so much in it. At least that’s what how I feel. I have more followers on Tumblr than on any other platform without really doing anything but posting, it’s like, once for itself. That’s my feeling about Tumblr. So I like that. Not that I don’t like to interact with people. But when you have different social medias, it’s nice to have one where you don’t have to focus so much on. On, on stuff around posting, I mostly do that on Instagram. And I think Instagram does a really good job for artists there. You You can communicate with followers, or people who like your work very easily by comments. And you can even like comments now. That’s really cool. Yeah. Yeah. Facebook and Twitter. Not really, I still try to post on there. But I think it’s the reach that I have there, kind of tells me that I don’t really know how to use the social media, I think. Because it’s usually I post something on there. And then I give a few responses to it. It shouldn’t be all about the likes, I know, but a little bit of response or feedback, whether the things you show or do are nice. And I’m still working on how to do that on Twitter and Facebook. So think, yeah, but Instagram. I wouldn’t go for Instagram.
Iva Mikles
And so is there something you wish you knew before you started?
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, as I said before, the thing that, that you will always have times that you don’t feel good about your art. And luckily, I knew that from a very early point. Because I got addicted to podcasts and artists interviews. And of course, there were always people who will tell you it’s okay, if you feel bad about your art, it’s part of it and still go through that. So I had that early on. And but I think it’s something you really need to know from the beginning in order to not give up on it. Yeah. And that usually when you feel bad, and when you feel like you don’t have any talent, or the piece you just drew or painted is really “beep”. Usually, that’s when you when you get better or when you when you are learning something or people always say that’s when your tastes get better, which is always right before your skills are going to get better. I always go by that. And then every time I feel bad, I now know, okay, maybe that’s a sign, I have to do more. And I have to accept that it’s not good. But I keep going even if I feel bad about it, and try to get better. That’s, that’s important, I think. And also don’t throw away your early stuff.
Iva Mikles
Okay. Yeah. So the so the main motivation, maybe what you have is that you would see the improvement, then you are like, Okay, this is kind of how I would progress? Or do you have other motivation, which kind of keeps you going?
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, for sure. Getting better is is a very important motivation for me, but also
Chantal Horeis
reaching certain goals, like really having a book book, maybe someday, or I still dream about trying to do a comic one day because I have a lot of stories in my head and I would really, I would really like to tell those stories, but I haven’t really found a way to do that yet. I don’t know if comic will be the right medium for me. But that motivates me that hopefully, in the next couple of years, I will be able to tell these stories, and that’s something I’m excited about. I recently started to write a bit more with my drawings, which I know ever done before because I always, I told myself that I’m not good at writing, I can draw. But writing is not my, my best ability. But I just started to do it. And they’re always somehow, then they’re not telling much. But having my stories about a character, the story about a character or something, I can get something out of there that I can put in that drawing then, and people have told me that they enjoy that. And I will try to do more of that. As I said, it’s the beginning of telling a story for me. And that’s exciting. And that’s something that motivates me now.
Iva Mikles
Perfect. And so how do you design your your day when you are not at, you know, at the office? Because then if you have like the week, you know that okay, this is all the time I have to work on my art. So do you plan the week in advance? Or do you have like certain routines every day?
Chantal Horeis
Right now I plan the day, day by day. Of course I have, maybe I have a project that I know that I really have to get through this week. But I write that down separately. And then I plan every day in the morning, I use programs where I can make lists that I have to do, and so on, I would usually start with doing some MMA stuff, and social media posts, because I usually do them in the morning. So I have the whole day for them to be on there and people to see them. But actually, I just thought about changing that, because I would like to start my day with just drawing. Because I have been told once by another artist that or her it was also the one that I mentioned before, Nadia, she said that you were you are not more like purely yourself or with yourself and your thoughts then right after waking up before you put your yourself. I’m in contact with the outside world, like email, doing emails going on social media, watching a video or something. And I did that for a few weeks. Last year, and it was really good. But then I lost it somehow. But I would start I would love to start my day just by drawing and during the email stuff and everything a little bit later in the day and then go on to projects that I have to finish or Yeah, yeah. Usually do studies in between when I when I feel stuck with whatever I’m doing. It’s a good way to just say okay, I don’t know, the I don’t know how to resolve that problem. So I just use the time and study a little bit and maybe with a fresh eye and new skills. I can do that. Yeah,
Iva Mikles
yeah. Because I actually heard this from many people as well, as you mentioned the first thing in the morning, and I also read the book The Miracle Morning, and they are suggesting that kind of to spend it on your own, you know, kind of that you can also do meditation, or you write down your ideas and kind of so you don’t spend time on someone else. But on you.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah. Yeah. Magical morning. I haven’t heard about
Iva Mikles
it. Miracle Morning.
Chantal Horeis
A miracle morning. Yeah, it’s
Iva Mikles
a book. We can put it in the show notes as well for people.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, that would be good.
Iva Mikles
So what are your favorite books? If you mentioned already some and is there something you would give as a gift to people or something like this is a mastery
Chantal Horeis
for artists, I have I would I have two books that I would recommend. There’s one that’s called Art in fear. I have it here prepared. This is basically about all all the worries that you have as an artist and explaining you buy it’s okay to have them and how you can deal with that. Really well helped a lot. I read it twice because you can forget about it again. And then after a year you should read it again and you feel better than and another one that I really liked that I haven’t finished yet is the art spirit. It’s by Robert Henry. He was an artist as well and Uh, he wrote down all his thoughts about making paintings and doing art. And as I said, I like to read about the thought process and how to go about painting and with which things are important, which are not for him. And of course, you you shouldn’t take every advice that you hear from every artist because you can’t. And because people will contradict each other sometimes, so you just can’t, but you can get the information. And then you can find out which fits for you. And if I read things like that, I sometimes you see thoughts written down that you maybe felt in your head, but never really had in words or something, or they explain something to you. And you just feel like, whoa, thank you. And now I have to close the book and just let it sink in. And so yeah,
Iva Mikles
yeah, so it’s good. Exactly. Like just to find like, what fits you and just to see what is around and yeah, and maybe you find your your voice basically.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, exactly. No, no.
Iva Mikles
Well, they also wanted to ask you, because you mentioned some of the scheduling tools, what do you use, or what is the software you use? Or maybe is there something which simplifies your life, maybe something you bought as well?
Chantal Horeis
Well, I bought a program just recently, it’s called time to sew time with a why and then just the tool, the number, it’s for Mac only, I think I use it, I use it on my iPad. And it’s it basically you can, you can put tasks in your, in your dashboard, your overview of all the things that you have to do. And you can make a hierarchy of projects that you have, which is really cool. Because you can have different projects, and then different tasks for everyone. And you can, as soon as you start on one task, you can hit play, and it will record the time that you actually spend on it. And it was a bit shocking to see my result in the end of the day to see how many hours I actually worked. Because obviously, I sit on my desk the whole day. But at the end, you only have six or seven hours work done. That’s, that was shocking for me to realize, but good because now I see that obviously, I spend a lot of time doing things in between, or just getting like getting on YouTube and started watching videos, but then watch five with us, instead of just one and the time goes away. It also has the nice effect that now when I want to record my working time, I really don’t want to do anything else in the time that I record for working. So when I hit play, because I want to do my drawing now I’m not going to watch a video in that time, because it would it wouldn’t make the time that I have in the end represent TATIVE of my day, really. And that’s what it means me to really have that time than to draw. So time tracking apps.
Iva Mikles
Yeah, definitely. But that’s a good idea. Because then you kind of know what is you know, happening with your time so you’re more cautious about like what you’re actually doing. So it’s go to YouTube or whatever. So yeah, that definitely makes sense.
Chantal Horeis
Yeah, I hope it will better my my efficiency with everything. I started a few days ago so I don’t know yet. But
Iva Mikles
but it sounds good. And so the last questions I want to ask you, it’s about the future and maybe we talked about the book and the comic a bit but if you imagine yourself in five to 10 years, like what would be the dream scenario for you
Chantal Horeis
I think the dream scenario as I said earlier, I think would be to have a successful maybe Patreon campaign, something that where you have people that are are happy to see your newest creations and then would would support you to work on your own things. I am I always envy those people that have successful Patreon campaigns because I think it’s so cool that you you just do your work and people think it’s so amazing that you do that work that they will give you money for that even if it’s just a small amount, but they would say I give you $1 Just So you can do your drawings every day. And to really have for me wouldn’t be a freedom, I think just to, to know I can do that. And then it will be supported by others. Yeah. So that and maybe doing a Kickstarter or something like that is,
Iva Mikles
yeah, I’m looking forward to see that it would be so much free. Yeah,
Chantal Horeis
thank you. Yeah,
Iva Mikles
that’s good. Yeah, I’m sure that that will happen. And maybe even sooner than you think. Hmm,
Chantal Horeis
yeah. Maybe you just have to try it. Right. Yeah, even if it fails, you can do it again.
Iva Mikles
Exactly. So that’s a good thing. And then maybe like far, far future? What would you like to be remembered for in 100 years?
Chantal Horeis
I think maybe for the hopefully beautiful stories that I created, in what form? I don’t know yet. books, games movies. As I said, I’m not sure about that yet. But the stories I tell and the characters in there, and I would love people to say, Oh, her stories, they have so much imagination, and they’re so magical and dream life, something like that? Would it be something I would want to be remembered for?
Iva Mikles
Nice, thank you so much for being here and inspiring others. And
Chantal Horeis
if you think you
Iva Mikles
you have like a last piece of guidance for everyone you can share before we say goodbye.
Chantal Horeis
I think practicing a lot is good. And finding finding the kind of art that you really like to do. And but don’t don’t rush with that. I think it will take time. I don’t think I’m I’m 100% there yet, but it’s getting better for me. And I think everyone can be sure that they have a unique thing about their artwork. And if they search for it and be true to what they should should do or not. They will find it sometimes this Yeah.
Iva Mikles
Yeah. Thank you so much again, and thanks, everyone, for joining. Super cool.
Chantal Horeis
Thank you for having me. It was a lot of fun. Perfect, so
Iva Mikles
let’s do some kind of like a follow up maybe in the year or or later. See where you are. Yeah,
Chantal Horeis
I would love to do that.
Iva Mikles
Yeah, so that’s perfect. So thank you and bye everyone. Bye. I hope you guys enjoy this interview. You can find all the resources mentioned in this episode at artsideoflife.com. Just type a guest name in the search bar. There is also a little freebie waiting for you. So go check it out. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on iTunes, hopefully five stars so I can read and inspire more people like you. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to Art Side of Life podcast, because I post new interview every single workday. If you want to watch the interviews, head over to artsideoflife.com/youtube. Thank you so much for listening. Don’t forget to inspire each other. And I will talk to you guys in the next episode. Bye.
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Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am a full-time self-taught artist behind Art Side of Life® and a Top Teacher on Skillshare. I have 15 years of experience in the creative field as a concept designer, illustrator, art director, and now freelance artist, content creator, and art instructor. My goal is to help you get your creative groove on with Procreate and make awesome art through practical classes, tutorials, Procreate brushes, and guides on art tools, supplies and resources. About me »
