Meet Philipine (Phil)! Known as phildrawsfanart, she is a 24-year-old artist and fandom member from France. It’s been nearly two years since our first feature with her and we thought it was time to check back in!
You’ve been making art for the Shadowhunters fandom for a while, now. Do you have a favorite piece? And can you talk a little bit about the process of creating it?
This has always been, and will forever be, the hardest question to answer! I’m an indecisive person to top it off, so it doesn’t help me at all. I think one of my favorites is a Malec piece:
@phildrawsfanart
I’ll always have a soft spot for this one. I like the vibe and, oddly enough, the soothing feeling I get when I look at it. To me, it’s very peaceful. I think [I created] this around the time I was also experimenting with shadows and lights for the first time, and it’s the first one I did where I was happy with the result. So it has a special place in my heart because I’m proud of it, and that’s rare for me when it comes to my art.
As for the creative process, I start with a very quick sketch of what I picture in my mind: body position and facial expression (never the background though, that comes in last).
I draw the body first, sketch, then when I’m satisfied, I add a new layer and do the line art. All the bodies I do (if there’s more than one) I do on different layers so that I can easily manipulate them if I need to modify the size or adjust an arm, etc…. Once that’s done, I create a new file and I do the faces. All the details and important (or difficult) parts of the body I always do on a separate file so that I can focus on that element and really dive into the tiniest detail. For example, faces and hands.
Afterward, it’s like a puzzle. I put everything together and I have all my line art done.
Then comes my favorite part: the detailing. I add the runes, the rings (accessories in general), and then I can go nuts with the fashion and background. I never plan out the background beforehand, and go with the flow when I arrive at that step. Remember, I am an indecisive person. I always change my mind; so the solution I found was to never plan out the details and go with what hits me in the moment and just let it take its course. Lastly, I add the shadows and lights, and my signature. This is a restrained description of how I create an artwork because I could go on forever!
You have also created art for the BTS fandom. Are there other fandoms you would love to dive into?
Getting into the Marvel universe would be something that I wouldn’t mind diving into. I once did a Bucky artwork and I had loads of fun drawing him, so doing more of that would be something that I would be up for (as well as going more into BTS). The interesting part about those two examples is that they are unique and very different universes. One is for movies and the other one music/K-pop. They are both huge and very different industries. Diving into them would be challenging, but I’m up for that. As Magnus would say, “I love a challenge!”
Do you feel that your style or approach has changed at all over the last couple of years?
Yes, completely. I’m in a constant process of learning and mastering my craft and style.
The huge difference from when I started is the addition of more intricate backgrounds that tell more of a story and add an extra layer of meaning to the artwork. I also added (this year) shadows and sometimes colors which I didn’t do before. This was a big deal for me because adding them gives more life and realness to the characters I draw. I’m also having more fun with the details. I’m getting this extra thinking process to try and find meaning in each detail that I decide to add in an artwork. I like to create meaningful pieces where the viewers can dive into a story with a single frame/illustration, and can also go into ‘detective mode’ to find them. I also sometimes take extra time to add references from the show. All in all, the biggest change would be the storytelling I create through the details and background.
@phildrawsfanart
What has been your experience within the Shadowhunters fandom as an artist?
Mind-blowingly AWESOME! I’m always surprised and in awe of the greeting I got when joining this fandom. The support I get each day from everyone touches me deeply. I’m very thankful to everyone who has joined me on this journey. Shadowhunters is my very first fandom and creating and sharing artwork in it is also a first for me. This fandom has taught me to be more confident and proud of my art. I am extremely thankful for this. Love you all, Shadow Fam; you are all, sincerely, a true blessing!
A few of the cast members have been very vocal about your art. How does that feel? Can you talk about the experience?
Surreal. It feels completely surreal and I always end up with my heart pounding like hell and blushing cheeks when I see one of the cast liking or sharing my art, or complementing it. The cherry on top of the cake is when out of the blue one of them makes a tweet to support me or when they tell me they’re fans. I completely lose it when that happens.
I instantly fangirl and go into shock and then I giggle or clap my hands really fast while making incoherent noises! And I always end up laying over something while hiding my face wearing the biggest grin you could ever see. The part where I want to thank them is the hardest because I want to make sense when I reply back and not put in too many exclamation points…or be too much of a fangirl. I want to get my message across to tell them how thankful I am, but it’s usually very hard!
The ultimate experience I had was when a certain angel popped up in my private messages on Twitter to ask if she could use one of my artworks as her account’s banner, and wanted to collaborate with me on creating something to give as presents to the cast and crew. That was such an amazing moment, just thinking about it makes my heart beat faster. That experience was amazing, and working with [Kat McNamara] on that commission was the best experience I’ve ever had as an artist. We were both passionate about it, and we even took longer than expected to finish because there were new cast members arriving on the show and so modifications had to be made. It took almost half a year I think? We started around November 2017, and Kat gave the presents at a wrap party for Season 3 (so around May 2018). It was such an experience! I loved every bit of it, and working with Kat was amazing. I don’t have words to describe how it feels when I get recognized by the cast. As you can see while reading the first part of this question, it’s just me being an emotional mess trying to convey, with words that I don’t have, how it feels deep down. I don’t think there’s a proper word or description for it. It’s all a fanartist could wish for and more. It’s the ultimate recognition and I am, and will forever be, grateful and thankful to the cast.
@phildrawsfanart
You also do commissions (the piece you made for PanCon was a favorite). Is there something you would love someone to ask for?
That’s a very interesting question! I wouldn’t mind someone asking me to do a piece with intricate details with fashion and accessories. Like some sort of a mood board piece of Magnus being the fashion icon that he is. I’m a stylist, so combining this part of my life with my passion for drawing is where I have the most fun. I also adore drawing portraits of the characters; so doing a custom piece with portraits of different characters, or variants of expressions with the same one, would be something that I’d love to do as well.
List your social medias and websites so fans can find you.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/phildrawsfanart
Tumblr: http://phildrawsfanart.tumblr.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phildrawsfanart/
