Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve had a featured artist on the site, so this week im treating you to a very awesome artist, one of my good Twitter friends; Sophie Tabak. Sophie has a groovy, original artistic style that I fell in love with almost immediatly. Using bold black lines and bright, eye catching colors she is able to turn some of your favorite video game characters and scenes into pure art. Checkout our interview below and be sure to give her a follow on twitter!
KD: Hey Soffie, glad to have you as this weeks featured artist. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself and what you do.
ST: Hi Kaelyn! I’m an illustrator from Canada. I have always been into gaming and collect for both Nintendo and Sega. I often combine my love for gaming and art. I used to only paint with acrylic but moved over to ink after being introduced to it in a life drawing class. Now I do my best to create vibrant pictures using brightly colored drawing inks.
KD: Video games are obviously a big inspiration for your artwork. How do you decide which scenes or characters you’re going to use for each piece?
ST: I often choose images from games which give me intense feelings of nostalgia. I have always had a fascination with maps and recently started drawing the maps from Super Mario World. Sometimes friends give me suggestions on what to draw next. I have a folder full of ideas on my computer and on my phone. I often just choose whichever one suits my mood the best. I tend to go for images with bright colors rather than ones with neutral or dark tones. Obviously when I have commissions I don’t choose what I make, but I do like to work with the person to put my own little touch on their ideas.
KD: I noticed that you’ve done a lot of Super Mario and Legend of Zelda illustrations (2 of my favorite series). What are some of the other video games\series that you favor, or want to use in future illustrations?
ST: I definitely want to draw a lot of stuff from the Harvest Moon series. It is my favorite next to The Legend of Zelda. One of my favorite games of all time is Harvest Moon 64, and I want to draw all of the bachelorettes from the game. I love the cows and all of the cute items. Another series I would love to draw from is Sonic the Hedgehog. I have already done a few illustrations from the series but I would like to create more. My favorite character is classic Amy. I would also love to draw Dixie Kong from Donkey Kong Country. Can you tell I’m into strong female characters?
KD: Recently you opened up an Etsy shop to sell your artwork. What is the process when creating a print or custom piece for a customer? Do you take commissions?
ST: When I draw something I have to scan it and then upload it onto my computer. If my illustration is too large for my scanner, I have to take it to an outside business to have it scanned. I then have to crop the image and change my printer settings to make sure I get a good print. I often do a test print to figure it out before I offer it to customers. I definitely do commissions. It’s fun to work with someone and to bring their idea to life.
KD: Just for fun, what Nintendo systems do you own and what is your favorite game on each of them?
ST: I own every Nintendo system except for a Virtual Boy. My favorite game for NES is Super Mario Bros 2, SNES is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Gameboy is Kid Icarus of Myths and Monsters, GB Color is Link’s Awakening, GBA is Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, N64 – Harvest Moon 64, GameCube – Zelda Twilight Princess, Wii – Super Mario Galaxy, Wii U Hyrule Warriors, and Switch would be Breath of the Wild.
KD: Okay, this might be a tough one, but out of all the drawings you’ve done which one is your absolute favorite and why?
ST: My favorite drawing I have done is one I called Hylian Hero. It’s a portrait of Link from Twilight Princess. I just like the subdued colors in it. It’s really quite toned down from my usual work.
KD: I absolutely love all of these Sophie! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I don’t know why we haven’t had you on here sooner. Let’s wrap it up with letting the readers know where they can follow you online and purchase some of these awesome works of art.
ST: You can always find me on Twitter where I post what I’m currently working on (@Sailor_Soffie) and you can find prints and original art on my Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/SoffieT
Be sure to keep an eye out for more awesome art from Sophie, and thanks for reading!
Any artist interested in having their artwork on PureNintendo.com or in PNM can contact me at Kaelyn@purenintendo.com. We love to see anything Nintendo themed. From fan art, to sculptures, to baked goods and more! You could be the next Pure Nintendo featured artist. Also to see artwork from artists featured in our magazine, PNM, please head to PureNintendo.com/magazine to subscribe! Thanks for reading!
