PE: Interview with Noiry!

Welcome back everyone <3 I would love to introduce you to one of the artist's I admire the most: Noiry!

I met Noiry almost 5 years ago through a Gallery Exposition in our local Art School. I've never studied at an art school but my passion for art was growing fast and I considered studying there, so one day I decided to go take a look at the school and ask for information on their courses. But what I found was a gallery full of incredible art surrounding me. However, out of the hundreds of pieces exposed in their walls, and with just a very quick glance from around 10m of distance between us, one piece in particular stood out to me among the rest:


I was sure I had already seen it on deviantART! I couldn't believe my eyes, I ran to it and certified it was the piece I thought. I asked a teacher who the author of the piece was and she told me all of the pieces shown had been created by the students.

When I got home, I spent the whole evening trying to find this piece and the artist again. And I did. Noiry's gallery blew me away then and ever since that day she's become one of my biggest sources of inspiration! Since she lived in my town I had the chance and the priviledge to attend some of her featured events at our local Manga Conventions, which allowed me to see that Noiry is both an incredible artist and a delightfully amusing person!

Hello there Noiry! Why don’t you tell us something about yourself? And now… how about something nobody knows about you? ;D

Hi there! Well, I'm a Spanish illustrator and comic-artist looking for my place in the world, and besides I draw a lot of sexy men and women, nobody knows I actually love to draw grandpas XD

What is the ‘first’ memory you have related to art? Did you love drawing just as much when you were a toddler or did you prefer other crafts? (If you remember, that is xD)

I've been drawing since I remember, my older siblings did draw (and still do) so I just followed them. I remember I loved to draw deers 'cause I was totally in love with Disney's Bambi. Also, this is not a toddler's memory, I was probably 8 or 9 years old, but I do treasure the day my mother teached me how eyes should look in a profile, she's nowhere near an artist, but I appreciate she did take her time to guide and support my siblings and I from the very start.

We know you studied at an Art School. Do you think you could have reached your current level if you hadn’t? What are the most remarkable benefits of attending an Art School in your opinion (apart from the degree)?

I think it's importat to say that Spanish Art Schools are not exactly the same as they might be in UK or USA. I took and Illustration Degree but, even though they were some of the best years in my life, I don't feel like I learned that much, I grew a lot as an artist and as a person 'cause I was surrounded by a nice group of fellow students coming from all the backgrounds and with different passions, I learned a lot from them and we had a very friendly environment. Classes were not insightful, I learned a lot more when this or that teacher said to me a particular advice. In the end, the sensation I have now, 5 years later, is that Art Schools here, particularly when it comes to Illustration, are just an introduction, if you want to get a good Art education you have to assist a private academy, where your teachers are actual professional artists and you get to specialize in your prefered field instead of learning a very little bit of everything.
The degree, at least here in Spain, is not that importat, Illustration is varely recognized as a profession, and since pretty much everybody can get an Art School degree, your marks don't tell much about your work, you better show them your portfolio.

BUT! I think Art Schools are ok for people who just landed in the art field and need an introduction to the very basics, also, being surrounded by people sharing your very own passion is the best environment to push you forward

You’ve had two of your manga works published. Can you tell us your experiences while creating them? How did you come up with the ideas? Do you try to convey any message to the readers of your stories throughout the plot?

I kind of have a love-hate relationship with comic-making. I love creating stories, I love setting them up, designing characters and developing them, see how they grow different of how I've planned them and get their own personality, and I love working on the storyboards, and see how I can convey all the things I imagined in an understable draft. But I hate the insecurities that it generates "Is this making sense? Will people understand what I mean? Is this the right technique to draw? Does this look pretty enough?" and hundreds of self-doubts that may sound too stupid when you tell others, but make you struggle. But I guess that's normal 'cause creating and drawing stories is like revealing a part or your mind and heart to the world, and you want the message to be clear, and also you want to be understood, even though you know not everybody will like it (and that's totally fine).I get most of my ideas from things I see and like, or from personal point of view about something. My first comic was based on my own thoughts about several topics, basically politics and war, I constructed the story based on these even if they're very diluted in the final product, that relies more in action and some supernatural shit. It was a very exhausting project and sadly I was too noob to approach it correctly, but I think the result was good enough since people could feel what I wanted to tell them and that's great.

As for my second comic, I wanted to work in something lighter, more comedic but still give it a message. I don't really want to teach anybody with my comics, I don't pretend to tell people how they should feel about them or how to read the story, my first goal is giving them an enternaining product that has enough weight to make them feel it was worth the reading.

Of all the characters you’ve created, who do you feel the closest to? Do you relate to anyone in particular? If so, why?

I'd say Black Dog, from my first comic 'Underdog'. As I said, it was a very personal project for me in which I poured a lot of my thoughts about several themes, and some of my anger and frustrations, and Black Dog was the vessel of them. He's my personal superhero, the guy that goes a step forward to try and change things. He's a very exhausting character tho, he's angry and serious and has a dark vibe in him, and I end up feeling all those things too when I draw him. Also there's this other guy in 'Underdog' that suffers the same luck (or lack of) as Black Dog but he's weaker, more human. I feel attached to him, 'cause even though we all would love to be the hero, the one who's strong enough to push their limits and win fear, we'd probably be like this other guy, he tries but loses to something that's greater than him.

Can you give some recommendations or guidelines to all the artists out there who’d like to have their manga works published?

You're young and you have internet. Being published by publishing houses sounds great, but don't look at them as your only chance; you can self-publish, you can draw webcomic and let your readers be your "publishers". Sadly, were living tough times and some editors will be probably closing their doors, but you can be your own editor, your own boss. More and more professional artist are self-publishing as they want to try new formulas, or are tired of publisher's demands or whatever, so don't think of it as something amateur.
If you still want to try your luck with a publisher, make your best, show them why they need you, don't send them those pages you drew two years ago that are just ok. Draw for your life, give them your best. And insist, show them you can keep their times, you're easy to talk to and get ready to the critics and advices but don't take them personally. And insist, today they may say 'no', but maybe tomorrow it'll be 'yes'.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? Feel free to express yourself!!

Follow your passion and stand your ground. If there's something that burns within you, you'll know you're on your way, just keep going, don't let the stones in the path stop your march. Kick them, crush them, and throw them to whoever trying to push you down. Your life and your dreams are yours alone, if you don't live them, who else will?

Thank you so much for allowing us to get to know you a little bit better! Good luck with your future endeavors!!

Thank you for this opportunity! Keep rocking!