In a world, where emotions are masterfully captured through strokes of a pen, Andrea Ocampo stands out as an exceptional illustrator. With a journey marked by determination and a passion for art, Ocampo’s exploration of editorial illustration has brought us into a realm where stories are told through a collision of imagination and visual imagery. An interview taken from our new digital issue.
We had the pleasure of delving into the mind and artistic process of the talented artist. Throughout Ocampo’s artistic evolution, her style has undergone a metamorphosis, defying categorisation in its ever-changing nature. However, one can often find a figurative emphasis in her work, with the human form serving as a central element. Yet, it is the emotional depth that truly sets her illustrations apart. Each piece is a window into a world imbued with hints of melancholy, inviting viewers to explore the complexities of their own emotions.
Can you tell us about your journey as an illustrator and how you developed an interest in editorial illustration?
Well, my journey as an illustrator has been kind of difficult and has had its ups and downs and downs as life itself. I have always loved to draw even when I started to study a degree I didn’t like. I was always thinking about drawing or illustrating or just art.
I decided to finish my degree (the one I hated) to get a job as an environmental engineer during the day and to study illustration at night in an academy in Bogotá, Colombia. I think this was the best decision I made.
When I was studying illustration, our professors always had references and I always identified with those who draw about themselves (exploring graphic novels), or just imagining a world for a simple story or even a word. That’s when my interest in editorial illustration started.
How would you describe your artistic style and what elements or influences are prominent in your work?
It’s hard to explain my style because I feel my artistic style is constantly mutating, but sometimes I feel my art is in pupa and I don’t know how much time to take for a new idea. However, I can say my artistic style has a figurative emphasis, using the human figure as a central element always accompanied by emotional depth; my art conveys a sense of melancholy, suggestions and exploration of deep and complex emotions. On the other hand, I enjoy incorporating masks, anthropomorphic beings and reflections on the mirror in my illustrations.
Could you share an example of how you translate written or auditory language into visual images in your illustrations?
It’s not always the same way. Nevertheless, my creative process is kind of chaotic (in my mind at the beginning). I start with an idea, which could be -for example- a song that a musician gives me, the first thing I do is listen to the song, then I think about how I feel and always ask if there is a preconceived concept. If there isn’t any, and I am free to draw, I make two or three sketches. These are about the feelings I had and about a phrase or word that the song has caught my attention or I consider to be the clue of the song.
Sometimes I write the ideas and feelings, I’m also looking for references about the emotions I want
to transmit. During my day-to-day, before I start to draw, I am very attentive to details and how I can relate them to the ideas I have. Sometimes I change everything because I see something in my day that is better than the initial idea. It is for this reason I said my process sometimes is chaotic but just in the beginning, once I have the sketch everything is easier and organic.
What role do small details and hidden messages play in your work? Can you give us an example?
I mostly draw these small details and hidden messages in my work, but sometimes I can incorporate them in other paid jobs. The main role of these details is to reinforce an idea, this idea could be a “wink” or could be a clue for viewers who are free to interpret it.
An example of this “wink” could be in my illustration “Fly” (“Vuelo”) where there is a moth girl who is letting butterflies fly away from her hands. It’s a metaphor for flying.
How do you find inspiration in everyday life and the fiction of the human mind? Can you share a specific experience or instance that inspired one of your most notable works?
Observation is the clue. Observation and daydreaming. Sometimes we are immersed in our activities and our minds and we do not observe anything. We forget to be amazed. If you stop for one minute in the middle of the street and simply watch people walking around, you find yourself asking many things about these people. You can find beauty in chaos.
Human emotions and personal experiences are a rich source of inspiration to me. A specific experience (that I can share) was one day when I was overthinking, meanwhile, I was taking a shower, so I saw my feet and they had hair strains from my head I realised that they looked like leaves, and I felt like a leafless tree. (So I drew it).
Read the full interview here:
