ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:
RIGELWAVE

Hi Rigelwave! We absolutely love your style and are so excited to feature you on our Darknet blog. Tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been creating art.

Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Well, I’m a digital artist from Chile! I live in a city called Viña del Mar and I studied digital animation.

I started creating art and publishing it on social media in the beginning of 2018, three years ago. I’ve been attracted to the art world since I was a kid, but I never thought I could work on it until I started studying.

How would you describe the style of your work and where do you draw your inspiration from?

I try to not think that I have a “style” because I would feel stuck in it, but people often describe it as a “retro futurist” since I like mixing old technology with current and futurist items, such as outfits or backgrounds.

My inspiration comes from different places, some of them come from my childhood. My dad is an electronic engineer and programmer so I always had a computer in my house. Playing retro games on my computer or putting the information for my classes at school on diskettes, listening to music on radios with cassettes and all that stuff brings me back to the old days in the beginning of the 21st century.

Cyberpunk aesthetic is also part of my inspirations. Harajuku style and Kawaii girls, too.

When did you discover your passion for the Kawaii aesthetic reflected in your work?

I think it was when I was in the second year of my college, because I started watching kawaii anime like Sakura Card Captor and Marmalade Boy. I got inspired by their aesthetic and I used it in my works.

Tell us more about your artistic process. How did you go from rough idea to finished piece? What kind of materials do you use?

Well, since I’m a digital artist I just need a computer, the program, and my digital tablet. I try to get inspiration from Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram, saving pictures of old devices such as Tamagotchi's or old cell phones and cute outfits that I can use on the girls that I make. I do a rough sketch, then I do the line art, and then I paint it with shining colors and glitches.

Does music inspire your artwork or creative process? Are there any specific artists you like to listen to while you create your art?

Yes! Snail House’s music is a huge inspiration for me when I have to draw something cute! When I wanna draw more retro stuff, The Midnight, Ollie Wride, and Jessie Frye’s songs help me a lot to get in the mood.

Can you tell us a little about any pieces or projects that you’re working on at the moment?

At this moment, I’m just working on upgrading my Ko-fi shop and doing commissions! Two weeks ago, I released an animated music video on my YouTube channel. I haven't animated since I got out of college so I wanted to try doing it for my portfolio. It's a very cute song so I tried to use a very kawaii aesthetic on it.

If you weren’t an artist, what would be your ultimate dream job?

To be honest, I always wanted to be an artist since I showed interest in it at a very young age. But what I also love to do is to attend public! I love going to conventions and selling my merch there, so working in a store selling stuff will be amazing and super fun.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists looking to pursue art at a professional level? What’s something you wish you could tell your younger self?

I think one of the most important things to do is not to devalue our work. Art is a luxury, not a necessity. Some people often think that art should be cheaper since “it's fun” or “a hobby”, and a lot of younger artists fall in that and feel that their work isn’t good enough to charge for it. Art is a profession like many others and it takes a lot of time, work, and practice to get to a good level. Nobody is born with the talent; you only get talented by working hard and studying well.

And to my younger self...I wish I could hug that kid and tell her that she shouldn't listen to mean comments and kids that bully me. And to never give up on creating art! ♥

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