Artist Spotlight Emmy Bergstrom

Today's artist spotlight is Emmy Bergström. Emmy is a spectacular artist from Sweden. She is 20 years old and will be 21 on July 9^th.

Emmy goes by the nickname "Enmi".

When it comes to her artwork, she uses her given name. She first started drawing when she was very young. She drew with crayons and colored pencils and tried to imitate the cartoons she saw on TV. Her interest in drawing grew as she got older. She started working seriously on her art in her early teens. She then learned how to use digital tools to create her art and has just kept drawing and painting since then. She prefers to work with pencil and paper but mostly uses Adobe Photoshop for her art.

Emmy is currently studying game graphics at the University of Skövde to become a game artist. She wants to work with 3D and digital art for video games. Although schooling is her full time commitment, with the projects she has going, her art sometimes feels like a full time job that she doesn't get paid for.

Emmy is currently working on a game called Bloodline Champions as well as a total conversion mod for Unreal 3 that is called Sanctum.In the future she will be participating in more of these school related game projects and hopes to develop her skills within the 3D area of art.

Emmy is inspired by many things. However, when she was younger she was inspired by animated cartoons and films as well as going through a phase of loving Japanese comics and animations. She eventually grew tired of that and her inspiration turned to French comic books such as "Skydoll" and "Keeper of the Maser. She works best sitting in her bed surrounded by fashion magazines and colorful pictures. However, she mostly draws at her desk since most of her art is done digitally. She is also inspired by fashion magazines since she is extremely interested in fashion, design and clothing.

Emmy's favorite artist is Alessandro Barbucci who is the creator of the comic Skydoll. She loves his use of lines and the way he draws his girls. She is also very inspired by the big rock stars of the digital art community such as Andrew Jones and Marko Djurdjevic. Her one true inspiration however is her fiancé, Johan Wahlback, who is constantly drawing and painting which drives her to keep drawing as well.

She loves to draw girls and create stories about them by doing their hair and changing them into different outfits. She treats her girl drawings like dolls and although they all virtually are the same, she creates each one with a different personality.

Emmy is driven by her friends, her imagination and her thoughts. She tends to follow her own wishes rather than worry about what others think she should be doing. She believes this makes her stay her true self as an artist.

Emmy admits that she has wanted to quit and give up. She finds it difficult and frustrating at times to site there and try to be happy about creating when you have to worry about jobs, the future and are constantly second guessing the art you create. However, she loves to draw and even though it is difficult at times, she always ends up with the pen back in her hand, doodling something. She relies on her talented and caring fiancé (who will be her husband come this summer). He helps her when she feels down about her art and helps her to improve her skills and encourages her to stick with it. He is also a concept artist and illustrator.

Emmy's favorite thing about being an artist is to be able to just sit down and create something, whatever you want and play around with it. She states "What's on the paper when I draw is completely mine to do with as I wish." When she attends school she gets to meet a lot of other artists and talented people which is really great for her.

Emmy's least favorite thing about being an artist is the uncertainty of getting a job. She states "You constantly have to improve your skills and be the best you can be and even then you might not get a job which is frustrating and kind of scary." There is no guide for young artists of today on how to go about things to get a job, so to her it often feels like stumbling around in the dark just hoping that things will end up well in the end.

In Emmy's spare time she collects Asian dolls called ABJD's. These are made with resin. She creates clothing for these dolls as well. (Yes, she truly loves fashion.) She also collects and paints Warhammer models. She also loves to write stories. Lately she has been into 3D and texture painting which she wants to become her occupation in the future. She also loves to play video games as well as just relax. She likes to relax by watching movies and hanging out with friends.

Her message to children is to find what you love to do the most and what you find rewarding and funny. She doesn't believe it is good to educate yourself and get a job in an area you don't find reward or fun at all. Always stick with it even if it seems hard to reach your goal. You will get there and in the end it will be worth it. Nothing is too big or too difficult.

Her message to aspiring artist is to practice. It is difficult sometimes but it has to be done. Participating in online art communities helps you get your art critiqued by skilled artists. Compare yourself with the best and don't get discouraged. Instead of getting discouraged, be inspired and don't be afraid to mistakes. She states "You can fill an entire sketchbook with mistakes and you will still have learned plenty in the end."

When asked her viewpoint on her images and art usage on the Internet, she states "I allow people to use my art on art-related or personal websites given that they credit me properly. I think that if you upload an image on the Internet it is out there for anyone to download and use. You can't stop them, so why not give permission from the start? I don't allow people to use my art in situations I cannot stand for, such as for illegal or very political purposes and nobody is allowed to make any profit because of my art. I aspire to one day make a living out of my art after all."

You can view her personal art at Deviantart Her online portfolio that she uses for her 3D art and game related art is on her blog.

As of right now, her art is not yet for sale. However, she would be happy to consider commissions upon request.

What websites do you have for viewing of your art?

my deviantart gallery which contains my own personal art since 2004:

http://enmi.deviantart.com

my online portfolio used for 3D art and game-related art:

http://emmyportfolio.blogspot.com

I hope you have enjoyed reading about the fascinating art of Enmi and will check out her sites as well as enjoy her art as much as I have.