Artist of the Month: Janicza Rosas-Nuñez

By Dalton Raykowski

Co-Managing Editor

February 2022

What is your preferred medium?

Working on paper with a pen and watercolor, but my art teacher says my strongest suit is colored pencil.

When did you start creating art?

I always drew growing up, but I didn’t take art seriously until seventh grade. So far I’ve been drawing for six years now.

Are there any stereotypes you had heard about artists that have either proven to be true or false, in your experience?

A stereotype I have always heard about artists is that an artist is always broke and normally gives up eventually. This is somewhat true—some artists don’t make enough money through art-making unless they are really good at what they do, and even so, some people think it’s just absurd to pay over 30 dollars for a drawing that the artist spends hours of their personal time on.

What do you usually draw inspiration from? Do you have a ‘muse?’

My greatest inspirations are definitely cartoons, animated movies, horror movies, songs I listen to, and my girlfriend. She is also an artist, with greater art skills than me if I do say so myself.

Do you have any goals with your art? Any big plans you hope to achieve?

My goal right now for my drawings is to learn how to draw hands and poses. It’s very difficult for me to mentally remember certain things about the human anatomy, so I’m trying to get better at those two things. I really hope that I can achieve being happy with my own art. It’s very difficult to see your creations through the eyes of others. Despite people telling me that they like what I do, I’m just still unhappy with it, so that’s something I’m trying to achieve right now.

What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome with art? Do you have any tips on how you persevered?

My hardest obstacles right now are my panic attacks and horrible anxiety and depression. It’s hard to get the motivation I need to complete drawings or even draw, to begin with. Especially with school work and other issues that are really making it difficult for me to draw anything. But I’m working on it, and it’s getting a little bit better, but it’s still a work in progress.

Is there any advice you may have for aspiring artists?

I’m not great at giving advice but, for those learning to draw or wanting to start drawing, I recommend drawing as realistic as possible before you start simplifying and experimenting with a more cartoonish style. It will help you get a better understanding of the whole concept of how things work in real life.