I found Kamola - a portrait artist in Bristol, UK - while searching through artists on Instagram and was instantly blown away by the richness of the shadows and the soul behind the eyes of her subjects. Then you get a little closer and realize...holy crap! This is done with pens and markers! The crosshatching she uses for her shadows and the layered tones make my heart so happy. I hope that you'll take a moment to look her up and BUY HER WORK! I'm hoping to have some of her work on my walls soon. You should, too! Follow @kama_draws on Instagram and send her a message to purchase or commission a piece of artwork.
Q: How long does it typically take you to complete a piece of artwork? A: That hugely depends on the size and material I use. If using a ballpoint pen, an A4* portrait drawing takes between 4 to 6 hours. If it's a sketch, then around 2.5 hours.
*For us yanks, that's about 8.27"x11.69".
Q: What inspires you? A: People and music. I love looking at people's faces, studying their facial features, imagining their personalities/thoughts.
Q: What did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I wanted to be an artist or a craft maker, but there was always this thought that being an artist is not really a job, so I decided that I could draw and make things in my own time and that my job would be a fashion designer.
Q: Describe your art training.
A: I have a degree in Design, so was taught to draw and paint but that was over 10 years ago. And I've only been drawing/painting seriously for the last two years.
Q: What's your favorite quote? A: "If you don't know what you want you end up with a lot you don't." - Chuck Palahniuk
