Natasha Ringor is a freelance artist whose work is composed of comics, video game art, and editorial illustrations. She’s also the artist behind the graphic novel adaptation of Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tabon, based on the novel by Edgar Calabia Samar, and adapted to a graphic novel by Carljoe Javier. Natasha is an awardee for the Loyola Schools Award for the Arts for Illustration in 2012, and is currently studying concept art at 3dsense. Other than her artwork, she spends time on other interests like baking ,crafting, aerial arts, and pole dancing. You can see more of Natasha Ringor and her work on Instagram and Twitter.
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?
There was no exact point where I knew I wanted to become an artist, just this general love for drawing that started as a hobby when I was a child that I never seemed to outgrow. I grew up reading Archie comics and watching a lot of anime so I tried to draw them a lot. Then it became a sort of natural progression where I started taking it more seriously and taking lessons to improve my art.
Q: From that moment, and throughout your journey as an artist, what has been your biggest struggle?
Making a cohesive body of work. I always get so frustrated when I look at my art side by side and it feels like different people drew it. I like to experiment a lot with different approaches and mediums, depending on my mood, which I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing, but when I look at it as a whole, they just feel disjointed. I end up comparing myself to other artists who seem to have such a strong aesthetic, that the moment you see it, you know it’s done by their hand, and it just makes me want to commit more to one art style.
Q: How have you been able to cope with (or overcome) this struggle?
I talk to my friends about it and they help me see that despite my insecurities about not having a recognizable art style, I do in fact have a specific way of drawing things, and a strong aesthetic when it comes to the themes that I draw even if I use different approaches and techniques . We also jokingly say that it’s a problem for people who are too talented haha! The saying that we are our worst critic rings true for a lot of artists, and I constantly have to remind myself to get out of my head and just be more confident and sincere about my work.
Q: What would you consider is the ONE thing that REALLY helped you level up your skills?
Surrounding myself with an active online art community. It might sound a bit silly, but the moment we had stable internet connection back in 2005, and I got hold of my first drawing tablet (some mysterious brand that ran on AAAA batteries), I opened a DeviantArt account. From there, I was exposed to even more artists that I could talk to or watch from afar and admire. I learned so much from interacting, and even befriending, different artists online and I felt even more motivated to grow along with them as an artist.
Q: What is one thing you’d wish you’d known before you started your artistic career? Why?
I wish I knew my fundamentals more. I feel like there’s so much I still want to draw and share, but I’m limited by own skill as an artist. This is also partly the reason why I’m going back to school, to iron out my art, and remove all the bad habits I’ve gotten throughout the years.
Q: What drives or inspires you to continue making your art?
Being active in a fandom inspires me, but also surrounding myself with like-minded people also motivates me to create more. I thrive on interacting, exchanging ideas, and collaborating with other people, and the feeling of having a physical output in the end is just so satisfying.
Q: What does your average day look like? (And when do you fit in the time to create art?)
When I’m not doing client work, I work on my personal art, or tend to my online store: packaging orders and sending them out. I try to set time in the day to cycle between those, because I’m the type who gets antsy when I spend too much time working on one thing.
Q; How do you deal with distractions or challenges that you encounter while you’re working on your art?
I remind myself that the work won’t finish itself and power through it.
Q: What do you do when you feel just completely uninspired or burnt out? How do you motivate yourself to start working again?
I try to doodle whatever comes to mind, even if it’s messy and unpolished. If that doesn’t work, I drop it completely and do something to take my mind off whatever I’m working on a bit, whether it’s exercising or cooking, so that I can come back to my art with fresh eyes.
Q: What would you say has been your most EPIC win so far?
Boothing at a convention in a foreign country. Although it was a very small and fandom-specific con in Singapore, it was still the first time I’d done it, and it was such a great experience. It made me feel like people really do appreciate my art, and just getting to meet all my online friends was so much fun.
Q: What would you say has been your biggest failure?
I have mixed emotions when it comes to my adaptation of Janus Silang. I felt that I wasn’t able to give the book justice because of how condensed it was. It’s a particular sore spot for me because comics will always be my first love, and I just wish I wasn’t so pressed for time to finish it. I don’t try to dwell on it too much, because it’s also the longest comic I’ve made, and I’m still happy with how I drew it. It was a certainly a challenge since it’s a genre I’m not used to drawing, but it was still a lot of fun to work on.
Q: What, for you, has been the best way to promote yourself and your work to potential fans, clients, or publishers?
Social media was a big boost for me. Just being consistent with posting art goes a long way. Also attending conventions and meeting fellow local artists helps.
Q: What has been your game plan throughout your journey? What’s the BIG picture here? The ultimate dream? The end game?
I’m still trying to figure that out myself. Right now I’m debating whether I should get into concept art or just straight up illustration, and I’ve always been seesawing between the two. I’m hoping going to school again will help me sort that out.
Q: What, for you personally, has been the source of your ideas, creativity and talent?
I work a lot with emotion. When I feel something intensely, I try to visualize it. It’s just funny that my art has been described (although it’s not meant to be taken as an insult) as mundane, because I like to focus a lot on quiet pensive moments. I also take a lot of inspiration from different kinds of dance and aerial arts. Long before I started pole dancing aerial silk, and aerial hoops myself, I have always been fascinated with the sport, particularly the way the body moves in such powerful and graceful ways, that I would incorporate it a lot in my art.
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 feel like art is as much as a joy for me as it is a way for me to escape into my own world. I also like that feeling of validation, of knowing that my art has reached out to some people and that they’re able to connect to it in some way, and that’s what drives me to create more.
Quick-Fire Questions
Q: What 3 stories (comics, movies, documentaries, novels, etc.) would you say influenced and inspired your work the most?
Heart of Thomas by Moto Hagio
The Poem of the Wind and the Trees by Keiko Takemiya
Velvet Goldmine
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)
Andrew Loomis’ book on anatomy
Framed Ink by Marcos Mateu-Mestre
Q: If you could work remotely, from anywhere in the world, where would your office be? Why?
Somewhere close to nature and the sea where I can feel calm. Living in the city all my life makes me yearn for a more quiet and clean lifestyle.
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?
I’d love to get in to Shinichi Sakamoto’s head and find out how he can make such incredibly detailed art without going crazy. Every page of his manga, Innocent, is such a feast for the eyes.
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.)
I would say my friends are my biggest mentors, we pushed each other to draw more and improve and I would always learn something new from them. I had to keep in mind, though, that sticking with the same group for so long can also lead to a sort of cannibalization of art styles. So I learned to also distance myself to find my own voice. It’s good to draw strength from your friends and to be inspired by them, but it’s also important that you find your own identity. The same goes for being inspired by a certain artist.