Kaja Bajowska
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Where did you grow up and when did you say to yourself: ‘’I want to be an Artist’’?
I was born in Rzeszów, a quite small city in South East Poland. I was drawing since I remember. I was the youngest in my family, and my older sister, brother and my mother were drawing, so I guess I had no choice :)
Have you always been supported in your artistic path or has it been challenging to let your family and friends understand your choice?
It wasn't a problem for people around me, but when I decided seriously to study art, I could only count on myself.
What was the strongest influence you had when you were growing up ( artists, movies, cartoons, comics etc.. ) ?
I think for most of polish kids who were drawing at that time, Grzegorz Rosiński and his Thorgal was sth, that was a huge influence. My other inspiration were Disney Princesses of course :)
Did you go to an art school or are you self taught? What helped you prepare to become the artist we know today?
I graduated Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź.
Did you have a favourite subject to draw when you were a child and do you still have one today? If you do, what makes it so special?
I drew thousands of girls and ladies when I was a kid, and it's still my favourite subject. The difference is that I used to make them as beautiful as possible, and right now I prefer not-that-pretty ones :) People are definitely my main subject. I just love to stare at people and see how different they are, how emotions float out over the surface, how the character can be seen in moves and clothes. I love the lines of the human body also (especially women's body).
From the initial client idea to the final work: what goes through your mind when you're designing and what is the method you use when starting a project? Could you describe it?
The most important and the most exciting part is the first sketch. It really includes almost all the idea. It's very special part of the work: you shouldn't think a lot but at the same time you have to be very focused. I have learned that best sketches I did were done mostly by intuition, I could say they appeared by accident :)
What is your process in coloring your art and what type of tools and media do you use?
I'm using mostly Ps and Ai, but sometimes I also do color sketch with crayons, oil pastels or acrylic.
What part of the creation process is the most fun and easy and what part is the hardest?
The most fun - the first sketches for sure.
The most difficult - for me definitely finishing the artwork - I never know when to stop and what I should still improve :)
What is a typical day for you, and who are the people you work/collaborate with?
I'm an Art Director in a Finnish company called ZEF. I'm also a mum the 2 years old Benny, so I'm sharing my time between my family, work and drawing just for pleasure.
What are some of the things you have learned from other artists who you have worked with or whose work you have seen?
"The lees is more" this is the golden rule that I have to learn. I'm too decorative!
What advise would you give to an artist who is dealing with an art-block? How do you boost your imagination and keep yourself creative?
Stop drawing!!! If you have to force yourself nothing good will happen. Go to the cinema or to the gym, or even on a five days trip. Allow yourself to really miss drawing, then it will go forward. I guess :)
Concept art, animation, illustration, comics, there’s so many options to choose and when you’re young, sometimes the only thing you know is just that you love to draw: what should a young artist take into consideration to make the right decision when choosing an artistic path?
I think they doesn't have to choose only one filed. Carter Goodrich is a great example here, cause he's doing awesome character design, but also beautiful illustrations..
Who are the artists who inspire you the most today and what are some of your favorite designs?
There are plenty of super talented people that I admire a lot. Lately my favourites illustrators are Roman Muradow, Gosia Herba and Riccardo Guasco. From character design I totally felt in love with Nico Marlet (which is of course not very original as a choice :) )
We have a soft spot for hand drawn animation, what is your opinion about the future of this art form?
I didn't have much to do with animation so far, so I can only say that I love this kind of art, and I hope it will never die.
Social networks, crowd funding websites, print on demand online service, you name it. 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?
Huge advantage is that you can compare to others, you can be objective with your work, and get to know the truth: how good you are? :) Disadvantage is probably lower prices for illustrations, like always happens when there is a lot of competition.
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 work on my blog: (kajabajowska.blogspot.com) , or (behance.net/Kajabajowska)
I don't have any place to sell my illustrations yet, but if somebody is interested of anything, here is my mail: kajabajowska@gmail.com
