Helen Morgun – 7 days of inspiration – Advent Calendar [19]

Today, we want to introduce you all to Elena, aka Helen Morgun. She has fascinated us a lot this year on social media, certainly you have seen some of her works there, too. So we took a chance to get to know her a bit better and asked her some questions. When we reached out to her, lovely Helen also offered to prepare some Christmas illustration for you to share on this post. So open up your mind for today’s inspirational artist – let’s jump right in.
Christmas is coming up for many, for you too? How do you spend this time?
I always spend Christmas with my family, with my husband and little son, he is now three and a half years old. For me, Christmas Eve is always a foretaste of a miracle.
 

It all starts at the beginning – how was yours?

How did you get started?
I have been painting since childhood, studied at an art school. And graduated from the institute with a degree in interior design. But after institute I became a freelancer-artist.
When did you discover Wacom and how did it improve your workflow?
I discovered Wacom tablets in 2010. And I saved money for several months on my tablet))
After buying a tablet, I realized that a new stage in my work and creativity had come.
Which tablet did you use back when you started, which one(s) do you use today?
I am using a tablet Wacom Intuos Pro 3 Model PTZ-930. This is my first and so far the only Wacom tablet. I dream to buy Wacom Cintiq Pro someday ))
How did you find out what creative area you wanted to specialize in?
Before I realized that most of all I like to paint portraits, I tried a lot of different directions.
I painted comics, postcards, animal illustrations, and even logos.
How did you find your own style? Any recommendations to aspiring artists?
I think that not I found my style, but my style found me)) It may sound strange, but it is.
And for beginning artists I can give only one advice: practice, practice, a lot of practice.

How do you prefer to work?

How does your creative process look like? Which steps do you follow? What makes it unique?
First an idea comes up, I rarely draw just copying the reference. I always want to bring my own vision. After I thought about the idea, I begin to search for successful references. I always use more than one reference in my work. Then I make sketch and after that work in color.
Any recommendations on how to improve workflow?
For digital artists, the brushes with which they paint in programs are very important. If you are a beginner artist, then my advice is to try as many different texture brushes as possible, over time you will find your favorites that you will use in every work.
Which software do you use?
I use only Adobe Photoshop. I am very comfortable working in it, so I do not use other programs for portraits now.

What about inspiration and motivation?

What inspires you? What do you do to get inspired?
My artist friends inspire me. Songs, movies, interesting media personalities, favorite actors and actresses, books, all this is a source of inspiration for me.
How do you keep yourself motivated each day?

My motivation is very simple. I love what I do.

Which artists do you follow & why?
I follow those artists, whose style I like. I appreciate some of them for skills, others for creativity.
If an artist has both of these qualities, then for me it’s just a combo )) I also really like artists who paint with watercolors. This is my weakness )

That was work, what about your leisure time?

What’s your favorite musician / band?
Adele, Nickelback, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran  – this is certainly not a complete list, there are a lot of them ))
What are your top 3 favorite places in the world?

• Turia Park in Valencia
• Khao Keo open zoo in Pattaya
• Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur

Which movies / series do you love?
What I liked from the last viewed:

• Why Women Kill
• Stranger Things
• Taboo

Let’s wrap up with some final words of advice

Any last words for aspiring artists in your field of specialization?
Try draw a lot, try to enjoy the process. Try to add creativity to your works – this will distinguish them from the works of other artists. Do not be afraid of competition, make it your incentive.
What do you do to earn money as a digital artist?
I draw illustrations for books, portraits to order, work through freelance sites and receive orders through my Instagram.

What about your future?

What are we going to see from you next?
Now I have plans to finish a series of portraits of celebrities in the images of Disney villains.

“Thank you, Helen!”

We want to thank Helen Morgun once again for her time and these probably short but to the point answers. It gives us a rough idea how versatile and passionate she really is. Some of her Disney villains’ portraits have already been celebrated on social media. Here are some:

If you also want to make sure not to miss her updates in the future, check out her website and follow her on social media. Here’s where to start:
Instagram
YouTube
Twitter