Corinne Caro works as a freelance artist, doing concept art and illustration. She’s done work for some international clients such as Sauropod Studio, Lan Kwai Fong Group, and The Laundromatte. She was also able to work Ubisoft Philippines. And her team was awarded second place at the Hong Kong Disneyland’s Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) competition in 2016. Corinne also enjoys sculpting, playing video games, and reading during her free time, and also invests a lot of it on the shows and comics that she loves. She loves horror flicks, and will watch, read or listen to anything that will potentially scare her. Currently, she’s working on a webcomic she’s hoping to release in the future. You can find out more about Corinne and her work on Twitter, and on her online portfolio.
Q: Everyone has an origin story. Could you share with us the exact moment (or moments) wherein you realized that you wanted to become an artist?
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron was the movie that started it, I think! I watched Spirit every chance I could get when I was a kid! I also got into anime and cartoons since my brothers and I would watch them every night after school.
While I did enjoy games and cartoons, I didn’t really get into drawing until I met my group of friends in grade school who loved drawing. It might sound funny, but I felt pressured to learn how to draw, considering they were all amazing at sketching! And out of our circle of friends, I guess it’s odd that it was me who pursued art in the end, haha!
Q: From that moment, and throughout your journey as an artist, what has been your biggest struggle?
One of my biggest struggles in my journey is figuring out what kind of art I wanted to draw. I studied visual arts in high school, and my first year in college was spent studying Fine Arts, while majoring in painting. After some time, I realized that I didn’t enjoy fine arts.
After that decision, I started working on a different portfolio that concentrated on illustration and visual development. I got into SCAD with my portfolio and from there on, further pursued the field of sequential arts with concentration on comics and concept art. I realized that I love telling stories and making people laugh or smile! And it’s what I aspire to do with my work!
Q: How have you been able to cope with (or overcome) this struggle?
A lot of it was mostly browsing the internet! Looking at the works of artists I’m inspired by helps me a lot with learning the type of content I enjoy! I always feel really motivated to learn and do better after scrolling through Twitter or Tumblr.
Some days, this can be counterproductive as it sometimes makes me feel insecure instead, haha! But we all have bad days, and I guess the best way to go about it is to concentrate on the good things you feel when looking at other people’s work and turn your negative feelings into positive instead!
Q: What would you consider is the ONE thing that REALLY helped you level up your skills?
Making studies and looking up references!! And if you need to, don’t be afraid to “cheat”. It can be things like using parts of photos and photobashing or tracing over some images. I don’t think there’s any shame in using whatever techniques you can to help your work or to become faster!
One of my favorite pastimes is going through Google Maps and drawing scenery that I find interesting! Doing these whenever I can really helps me with drawing environments!
Q: What is one thing you’d wish you’d known before you started your artistic career? Why?
That social media would play a big part in your career! I only got into social media recently after I got into drawing fanart for my favorite shows. I was one of those kinds of people who didn’t like social media, like Twitter, when I was young, haha!
Now, a lot of the work I’m able to get is through Twitter! Being able to make friends through social media is the best too! Being able to support other people, and be supported in turn, is amazing!
Q: What drives or inspires you to continue making your art?
Being able to create content that I wish I was able to see when I was younger! I love the feeling I get when someone tells me my work made them smile or laugh. I sometimes think who would even be interested in my work, but then I always get surprised in the end!
Q: What does your average day look like? (And when do you fit in the time to create art?)
My days start usually with making breakfast, chores, thinking of what to prepare for lunch or dinner. Then I normally draw the whole day! I usually work on different things every day, so I don’t feel too consumed by one piece. I also do my best not to draw on weekends!
Q: How do you deal with distractions or challenges that you encounter while you’re working on your art?
I can normally ignore most distractions most of the time unless its 1. Food or 2. Something big happens in shows I’m invested in, haha! I think it’s good sometimes to drop what you’re doing to indulge yourself a little bit, as long as this doesn’t cause you to miss a deadline!
Q: What do you do when you feel just completely uninspired or burnt out? How do you motivate yourself to start working again?
I normally end up taking a short break! I check if there are any interesting shows or games! I allow myself to have a one week break if I really need it. Looking at Pinterest for interesting things helps me a lot with inspiration most of the time! Most of the time I just indulge myself in stuff I really enjoy (fanart haha!)!
Q: What would you say has been your most EPIC win so far?
I once sat in a class for webcomics! I don’t think I was really allowed to be there but I’m glad our professor allowed me to follow along their class! It’s the best class I’d ever been in! I finished the class with my own comic that I put up, and was able to continuously update for more than a year now, until it was finished!
Was it the best comic I’ve worked on? Not really, haha! I sometimes get really embarrassed when I think about it, but I had lots of fun working on it! It may not have been as nicely written as I wanted it to be, or even drawn the way I wanted it to be, but seeing the support I was able to get from the readers has encouraged me to continue making comics!
Q: What would you say has been your biggest failure?
I ignored a lot of things while working, mostly my health. I thought that drowning myself in work would somehow solve my problems. I realized that sometimes I must put my health as a priority first, before work! I’m thankful for my friends and family and the never-ending support and advise they’ve given me!
Q: What, for you, has been the best way to promote yourself and your work to potential fans, clients, or publishers?
I used to think fanart is the best way to get your work out there, but I think a lot of people are now more accepting of original content! Create work that you really enjoy! Go to conventions! Make friends and get your work out there any way you think of!
Q: What has been your game plan throughout your journey? What’s the BIG picture here? The ultimate dream? The end game?
I’d really like to work on webcomics! I enjoy creating stories and characters that people can cheer for! Another big wish for me is to create backgrounds for animation or 2D games!
Q: What, for you personally, has been the source of your ideas, creativity and talent?
A big source for me is my own personal experiences! I draw a lot of my inspiration from everyday scenes or sceneries that are nostalgic! I also get a lot of inspiration from my friends and other artists online!
Q: What is your big “WHY”? Why do you feel the need to make art? Who are you doing it for? What’s the hidden reason behind your big dream?
I want to make someone’s day a little bit happier! Knowing my work made someone smile or laugh a little bit makes me incredibly happy! I also really enjoy it when someone can relate to my work and has had a similar experience that makes them enjoy it a little more!
Quick-Fire Questions
Q: What 3 stories (comics, movies, documentaries, novels, etc.) would you say influenced and inspired your work the most?
Ghibli Movies! Shadow of the Colossus, Sports Anime (I’m so sorry I can’t pick one :’))
Q: What are the top books, art books, blogs, podcasts, or workshops you’d recommend that helped you level up your skills? (Feel free to plug in as many as you’d like)
Framed Ink, Eytan Zana’s Gumroad videos, The Art Of Books of Ghibli, Art books of Kazuo Oga, Art of HTTYD! Any Art Of books to be honest are always super helpful, haha!
Q: If you could work remotely, from anywhere in the world, where would your office be? Why?
Somewhere not too hot, but not too cold. Plus points if it’s near a beach, with Hi-speed WIFI! I love the beach so much! I think I would love to someday work in a place far from the city (Palawan is my dream).
Q: Name ONE artist/writer that, if you could, you would pick their brain and find out all the hidden secrets behind their amazing work?
KAZUO OGA!! His backgrounds make me want to cry with how beautiful they are!
Q: Who do you consider your biggest mentor that helped you improve your skills?
(Doesn’t have to be someone you’ve met personally. Can be someone you look up to, or someone whose art has inspired you to get better, over the years.)
So many! My professors at SCAD really, really, really inspired me to become better as an artist! I was able to experience so many amazing things thanks to them and I’m super thankful to have been in their classes (even if I technically wasn’t allowed to be there haha!). My classmates and friends continue to push me to improve! Without their feedback, I don’t know where I would be right now.
