Iris Compiet
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Where did you grow up? At what age did you start thinking about pursuing an artistic career?
I grew up in a small town in the southern part of the Netherlands. I was the third, and youngest, of three in our family. My brothers being much older than I was, I grew up listening to fairy tales, spending my days daydreaming and keeping myself busy by drawing. Everywhere I went I took my little kit of watercolors and paper. By the age of seven I knew exactly what I wanted to become when I grew up… an artist. By that time I had found the book Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee and it was definitely the seed of me wanting to become a fantasy artist.
Did you go to an art school or are you self-taught? How did you develop your skills?
As I grew up I kept drawing, copying illustrations from books I loved. I had no idea how to go about “becoming an artist.” I figured going to art school might be the best option, but when I was accepted into art school I quickly realized that the thing I wanted to do, which was fantasy illustration, wasn’t an accepted choice. Fantasy was very much frowned upon, that wasn’t art, that wasn’t a viable way to make a living and it certainly wasn’t something a serious artist did, or so I was told.
I decided I would study graphic design instead because I had no intention to abandon my love for fantasy art and figured I would be able to work as a designer and in my spare time I’d pursue a career as a fantasy artist. So in a sense you could say I’m self-taught, although I think that isn’t the right word for it. I learned from others, I learned from artists I admired, I learned by taking courses and watching tutorials but mostly by just painting and drawing almost every day.
Have you always been supported in your artistic path or has it been challenging to let your family and friends understand your choice?
My parents were very supportive, when I told them I would become an artist as a 7-year-old they never tried to change my mind. I believe they knew that was my path before I even figured it out. So I’ve never had anyone tell me, besides teachers at art school, that my dream of becoming a fantasy artist wasn’t viable. And if there were people saying that, I wasn’t listening, so I wouldn’t know! I just went for it.
What was the strongest influence you had when you were growing up ( artists, movies, cartoons, comics, etc.. )?
I grew up with, and was very influenced by old school fairytales. Tales where limbs were lost and the unlucky heroin had to dance until her feet started to bleed, these were very influential for me. Folkloric tales and mythology where the world was explained through story around a campfire and passed down through generations. These are fascinating to me. Artists like Rien Poortvliet, who illustrated the Gnomes book or Anton Pieck, who designed a lot of the aesthetic of a Dutch theme park called “Efteling”. And of course Brian Froud, Alan Lee, John Bauer, Arthur Rackham, and things like the Elfquest comics.
I don’t know if there’s one particular artist that had the biggest influence, I gravitated towards anything that had strong storytelling, that was rooted in fantasy. Even Rembrandt, Rubens, or Hieronymus Bosch for instance. I look for art that has both light and dark in it, where there’s dimension and depth in the story of the art.
What is your process in creating your art and what are your favourite tools?
As with everything I do it all starts with a single line, a simple sketch, a raw idea. If I’m working for a client there’s a brief I need to keep in mind, there are certain things that I need to incorporate. But whether or not it’s client work or personal work I will always try to find “myself” in it. So I do a lot of sketching, trying to figure out what the best way is to tell the story. To me the story is way more important than the technical brilliance of the image. Of course the art needs to be “beautiful” but I think it’s more important to tell the story right than to create a pretty picture. A pretty picture is too much about the artist’s own ego and not about the art itself, at least that’s my opinion.
I want to make sure I get the story across in the best possible way and I’ll try my best to do that through my art and technique. My favorite tools are still just my pencils and watercolors. But basically any traditional media. The medium I choose depends on the story that needs to be told. Sometimes, when I’m creating something that needs to be scary and disturbing I prefer to work with inks or charcoal or something with a darker mood just because it helps me evoke a feeling that helps tell the story of the image.
What part of the creation process is the most fun and easy and what part is the hardest?
I enjoy every part of the process because every part is as important. From initial sketching to final painting. If the sketch isn’t done right the art won’t be good. I love the process of creating, all of it. And sometimes every part is difficult, but that means I just haven’t found myself in it yet. And sometimes just when you think you’re finished and you look at the finished piece, there is just something that’s not quite right. I’ll put the piece aside and probably start over again. I don’t think that’s failure, I just made an elaborate color rough and now know what I need to avoid when painting the new piece.
Is there something that you have designed that you are most proud of?
My book, Faeries of the Faultlines, that’s just the first book of my world. And I’m hoping to add to it very soon. But that whole world, the Faultlines, is filled to the brim with stories and creatures that I love to bring to the paper. I’m most proud of this because it was made after I decided I wasn’t going to try to fit in any longer. I wasn’t going to try and change my style to fit clients. In 2016, I felt I wanted to give up on pursuing a career in the arts, I just wasn’t getting hired, couldn’t make a living.
I was doing jobs I just didn’t enjoy and I started to feel very burnt out and disappointed with art. And that feeling was the worst because art was what always saved me, it was the one thing I always had when things were too difficult. Realizing this, I decided I would stop trying to fit in and just create the thing I wanted to see in the world. And that’s when I started to just sketch weird mermaids and faery creatures. Stories began to unfold and all of a sudden I had found my voice. I was just going to create art I wanted to see in the world, in essence I went back to my roots. I went back to the reason why I wanted to be an artist in the first place.
You have a new book coming up soon called ''Faeries of the Faultlines'', how did it come to be, and what can you tell us about it (without giving away too much)?
To add something to what I have mentioned above, Faeries of the Faultlines is the first step into this fantastical faery realm, the realm just beyond our reach, just out of sight. It’s an invitation to start an adventure into another realm, and my wish for the book is that it can inspire imagination and offer a little hope and show something a little different to its readers.
What are you working on at the moment (if you can tell us)?
A lot of what I’m working on is sadly under NDA so I can’t share or tell. But I am working on the next thing for the Faultlines. I’m working on a new book idea and on top of that there’s an oracle deck I’ve begun to work on as well.
Do you have a long-term career goal? What would your dream project be?
I don’t have an end goal, or a dream project, to me everything I’ve been doing up until now has been one dream project after the other. I’m enjoying every single thing that I get the opportunity to work on. For me that’s most important, to enjoy every single thing that I get to be part of. And I have many dreams, I would love to make more books.
But there’s so much I haven’t tried yet, I would love a traditional animated movie of the Faultlines, for instance! So if I have to say what my long-term career goal is it would be to learn new things every single day and be able to create art I want to see in the world for a very long time and hopefully others will want to see it as well.
Working in-house for a company or freelancing: what suits you best? And why?
I love the freedom of freelance. I call the shots and I take on the work I want to do. I know what I need to make in order to pay the bills and I never take on jobs or projects just for the money or the prestige. It never works out, it never gives me any gratification, just frustration. I like the mix of working with wonderful clients and sometimes an incredible team of artists and other times to be completely on my own, doing my thing and telling my stories. It is the most amazing mix, I’m very fortunate to be able to do this.
What advice would you give to an artist who is dealing with an artist’s block? How do you boost your imagination and keep yourself creative?
Stay off social media, give yourself some time to find yourself again. Don’t worry about gaining followers or creating art every single day. Step away, go out, fill yourself with new experiences. Go take a walk, go to a museum, let things soak in. Flip through your sketchbooks, find what you love, read a good book. Mostly, give yourself a break. You do not have a “best-before-date” stamped on your back and sometimes you just need to step back from everything and breathe.
Concept art, animation, illustration, comics, you name it. There are so many careers and when you are very young, sometimes you know only one thing: you simply love to draw. In your opinion, what should a young person take into consideration to make the right decision when choosing an artistic path?
As someone who only knew they wanted to be a fantasy artist I can only say that I found it very helpful to be able to just try everything on my path. I made picture books for children, I’ve done concept art, I’ve done gallery art and so on. And every single thing has given me so much information and I’ve learned so much. I don’t want to limit myself to one thing. It’s okay to change your mind and try something else. In every decision I make when it comes to my career I trust my gut and I try and experiment a lot. Being open and willing to learn new things is important. And don’t be disappointed when the thing you thought you’d love is instead not at all what you expected it to be, it’s okay to try something else and figure out what you want.
We have a soft spot for hand-drawn animation, what is your opinion about the future of this art form?
I hope hand-drawn animation will make a comeback, I love all the animated movies, but there’s something to be said about the traditional way. I’m not someone who is a part of the industry but I hope one day to see a hand-drawn, or rather, hand-painted animation of Faeries of the Faultlines happening. But in whatever form animation is created, it is here to stay, it’s storytelling at its core.
Social networks, crowdfunding websites, print on demand online services, and so on. New media on the Internet are connecting the artists directly with their fans like never before. In your opinion, how is this affecting the industry and what are the pros and cons?
Without social networks my book Faeries of the Faultlines would have never happened. It was because of my posts on Instagram that people started to notice my faeries, and it was because of those posts I decided to make a book. It was because of things like crowdfunding that the book was realized because I had the support of many backers. Then, after that first edition I was lucky enough to find an amazing publisher, Eye of Newt books, that was willing to publish the second edition of the book so that it could be re-introduced to the world and more widely available. Social networks allow me to work as a freelancer, to work on my own personal projects and take on certain client jobs from time to time.
Not only do social networks allow me to be in direct contact with the people buying my art, through technology and interconnectivity I’m also able to work from home with teams on the other side of the world. A big part of the industry that was out of reach for me for so long is now within reach. I believe it has given artists a lot to be grateful for. There is, however, also the danger of feeling the pressure of having to perform on social media. To constantly be creative, to constantly show new art. The constant game of trying to please the algorithms and the crowd, so to speak, can be a strain on mental and physical health. The fear of missing out is tangible. It is very important to keep in mind that as creatives we need time to recharge so a healthy balance between life on- and offline is needed.
Finally, where can we see your art online and get in touch with you? How can we buy your creations and support your work?
You can find my website and shop on my website ( iriscompiet.art ). Follow my work on Instagram ( instagram.com/iriscompiet ), Twitter ( twitter.com/iriscompietart ), or Patreon ( patreon.com/iriscompiet ). And of course, you can buy my book Faeries of the Faultlines HERE (it’s also available in bookstores, just ask!).
Thank you, Iris :)
Faeries of the Faultlines!
The Faultlines is an ancient name given to those places where the veil between this world and the Other is thinnest. Faeries of the Faultlines was an instant Kickstarter success in 2017, and this edited, expanded edition includes the complete original documentation from the greenmen to mermaids, with expanded sections and many more faeries to meet…
