Anna Pan

Did you go to an art school or are you self taught? How did you develop your skills?
I’m currently studying in art school, although developing most of my skills required me to teach a lot of things to myself. 

What was the strongest influence you had when you were growing up ( artists, movies, cartoons, comics etc.. ) ?
Definitely one of the strongest influences in my younger years were Studio Ghibli films. Aside from that, I think a huge chunk of my younger years were also dedicated to watching shows like pokemon, digimon, powerpuff girls, etc.

What part of the creation process is the most fun and easy and what part is the hardest?
I enjoy thumbnailing and brainstorming the most! I think it provides the most freedom to play around and explore your own thoughts. As for the hardest, recently it’s been just trying to finish all the pieces that I’m working on. 

Is there something that you have designed that you are most proud of?
I don’t design things very often, but I think I always like my character designs the most!

What is your longterm career goal and what would your dream project be?
I think one of my biggest longterm career goals is to become an art director, but it definitely feels like such a long way away. I’d love to work on a video game of some sort though!

Working for a company or freelancing: what suits you best? And why?
Personally it would be working for a company; I think I’m much too disorganized to freelance for too long. I think the freedom that comes from freelance is a huge plus though, and I’ve heard studio work can be fairly gruelling.

What advice would you give to an artist who is dealing with an art-block? How do you boost your imagination and keep yourself creative?
I think the thing that’s worked for me is to just step away from creating for a bit. Go out for a walk, or try out a new recipe for dinner if possible. If not, I just try and do a few pages of studies, or try some painting. I think experimenting in general can help a lot, but the best way is to just take a break.  

Many art teachers and schools suggest to their students that a commercial artist should always work in one consistent style if they wish to have a healthy career. In your own experience, do you believe this to be true?
I think different things will work for different people. Some people work in one consistent style and some don’t, and both can be successful. It’s really up to the artists themselves, and I think teachers should support the students’ decisions either way.

Who are the artists who inspire you the most today and what are some of your favourite designs out there?
I think some of my favourites are Otomo Katsuhiro, Yoshida Hiroshi, and Matsumoto Taiyo. Apart from that many of my friends and acquaintances frequently inspire me to make better art and to become a better person as well!

We have a soft spot for hand drawn animation, what is your opinion about the future of this art form?
I definitely don’t think it’s going anywhere. There are plenty of people out there both young and old that are interested in it, and the digitization of hand drawn animation and its archiving has ensured that future generations will also be able to pursue and study it also. I think just because it’s not in the spotlight anymore as it once was does not mean that it’s going anywhere or that people are any less interested in it, and I don’t think 3D animation will ever “replace” hand drawn animation.

Finally, where can we see your art online and get in touch with you? How can we buy your creation and support your work?
My website is at annaxiin.com and my blog is at annaxiin.tumblr.com! I also sell prints online at INPRNT.

Thank you so much!

Thank You Anna :)