As an independent author, I consider myself to be just one type of storyteller. There are incredible creatives across various industries and disciplines — music, photography, painting — who also tell stories in their own unique way. But one of the most incredible types of storytellers are digital artists. These individuals have to capture so many aspects of a story in one single still, and I’m eternally transfixed by the beautiful pieces they create and all they manage to communicate in that one single touch. I recently had the pleasure of connecting with Fshzlla, an incredibly talented artist from Michigan. As an Ohioan, he and I should be rivals (at least in a sporting sense), but I have nothing but respect for his talent. We recently had the opportunity to discuss his journey as an artist, and I found that his skill for storytelling goes beyond just digital art.
Nikki: Thanks so much for joining me today! I’m so excited to discuss your journey as an artist, especially after you drew a character from my upcoming book for me. Tell me a bit about yourself — where are you from, and how does that influence your art?
Fshzlla: I grew up in western Michigan. Having spent most of my summers in a cabin in the woods up north, I did a lot of drawing and watching horror movies with my friends. I think the time spent there and the amount of media we consumed pushed me into comic books and horror, which has slowly been revealing itself in my more personal art pieces.
I absolutely adore that. I spent a lot of time in the woods myself… I think there’s something about growing up in the creepy, shadow-draped forests of the Great Lakes region that just makes us natural lovers of horror. Outside of horror, what pieces of media have you found yourself drawn to? Like, if you could choose one fictional world to live in, which would you choose?
I think my answer since I was a kid has always been Star Wars, but the monster world of Van Helsing is a close second.
Absolutely incredible choices. I’m a big Star Wars fan myself, and I actually just watched Van Helsing again the other day… My long-time readers know I’m obsessed with The Mummy, so I’ll gladly sit down for a Stephen Sommers monster movie anytime. Do you have a favorite book? I’m so curious if those horror or sci-fi elements come through in it.
The Books of Doom. The character progression, dark fantasy, art, and amazing twist got me into comic books!
I definitely see that coming through in your style! When it comes to drawing, do you find yourself gravitating toward one style or genre over another?
Typically, I find myself drawn to making art around people with fantastical clothes, or at least ones we don’t typically wear. That mostly ends up being superheroes, gothic, punk, along those lines. I would say personally my favorite genre to read also reflects this, the more out there and reality warping the better! I’m a sucker for a good comic book.
I love that. Did you always think you’d be an artist when you grew up?
My goal was to own a cool arcade, and my friends would only eat and hang out there. [Laughs] There’s still time…
Absolutely still time! So when did you find your love of art, then?
I’ve been into art since I was super young. I remember asking my parents all the time to sit with me and draw. My art teachers at school loved my passion for art and encouraged me to continue during the summers as well, but I was way ahead of them on that. I sketched, designed 3D objects with a 3D printer, painted often, and learned architectural drawing in high school. I loved to design my own versions of characters, jerseys, and anything I could see once I started drawing digitally.
That’s so incredibly cool… I love art myself, but I’ve never had the skill to do 3D printing or architectural drawing. Paired with the gorgeous digital drawings you create, I’m so impressed. What do you listen to while you’re drawing?
A little bit of everything, but metal is my go to.
Believe it or not, that’s one of my standard creative fuels, too! Let me ask you this… Do you do your best work during the day, or at night?
I’m a night owl, all the way.
Oh my gosh, same. There’s got to be some difference in our creative process. When you go to refuel, do you sleep with socks on? Play Forensic Files as you’re falling asleep?
Absolutely no socks on, I’m no sicko! And I found a perfect YouTube video for rain on a window, it’s a nightly watch. (When I finally go to bed!)
Ah, there’s the difference. I knew I’d find one. As a sock sleeper, I’ll try not to judge you too hard. Let’s get back to the art talk. Do you have a favorite artist?
Three, actually! Marc Brunet, David Finch, and Gabriel Del’Otto.
Ah, there’s that love of comic book art shining through! Has one of them influenced you more than the others?
Definitely Marc Brunet. I have always drawn, doodled, shaded, et cetera growing up, but absolutely never colored anything. Life was always gray. I stumbled on his art, his channels, and realized I was missing out on not only the fun of coloring, but the beauty of life as well.
That’s such a gorgeous sentiment. How do you pick the colors you’re going to use for a piece?
A not so secret idea I had for choosing color palettes actually popped into my head when I was learning how to color. The colors in the “reds” family always pop and draw the eye, so I try to incorporate a reds color into each piece for the pop effect and obviously attract the eyes of the viewer. Then I adjust the hue of the color to match the tone of the art piece.
That’s brilliant, actually. Literally and figuratively. Is there a specific reaction you want people to experience when they see your work?
Personally, I want people who view my art to enjoy the colors in life. A lot of our world has been dulled or made very simple, but life is bright and exciting! I try my best to show why colors are important and how they can be used to express oneself.
I love that you have such a clear vision of what you want to bring into each piece. Is there anything you try to avoid bringing into your art?
I actively try to avoid drawing low energy pictures, meaning people or objects with no “life” to them. All my art will have some kind of arm movement, head tilt, body in motion-feel to bring it to life. Life isn’t still, so I don’t want my art to be either.
You’re absolutely amazing at capturing movement, I will say. That Starfire piece you shared especially captures that! So how do you know when a piece is officially done, then?
This is a great question, as most artists probably never truly feel their work is “done.” Over time, I created a specific process for my art. Once I finish that process and I’m happy with it, it’s done. It’s okay to be done and not have it be my favorite, just means I get to try again!
I think authors very much feel the same way… I certainly have a process that forces me to stop touching a manuscript, because I’ll just keep poking it forever otherwise. Do you have a favorite author, by chance?
I don’t think I do. Growing up in Michigan, Johnathan Rand was always the “cool author” as a kid.
Oh my gosh, what an absolute throwback. Those American Chillers books were always so cool to see at the library. As your one-state-over neighbor, R.L. Stine was our “cool author.” Both had such cool cover art. So I obviously spent a lot of my youth writing and reading at the library… Do you have an unusual place where you like to draw?
Maybe not unusual, but drawing by the beach has always been amazing to me. I do it every chance I get. It’s easier to make decisions when you’ve gotten some fresh air and sun, so I typically work faster there rather than inside.
And Western Michigan has no shortage of those! I love the quirk of drawing at the beach, what a beautiful scene. Do you have any artistic quirks you bring into your work?
My quirk is struggling to find the “perfect” pose. I like to push the poses as much as I can without going over the top, so finding the pose that’s in my head can definitely eat up my time.
Oh, I can imagine. What do you do when you have creative block?
Doomscrolling through art. It always inspires me, and I can’t help but get up and make my own.
That’s brilliant. I just have one more question for you, then I’ll let you get back to drawing. What’s your hobby outside of drawing and reading comic books?
Hockey! I grew up playing in a family of hockey players. My favorite time to draw is actually while watching the Red Wings!
Incredible. Thanks so much for taking the time to connect with me and share your story… And thank you for letting me share your art with the world.
There’s something so magical about hearing a storyteller’s own story, isn’t there? It was such a treat to learn about Fshzlla, and I can’t help but recommend authors connect with him on Patreon if they’re interested in a commission. You’ll also want to connect with him on Instagram. His work is incredible, and selfishly, he’s an author I’ll be keeping in my back pocket for future books.
Want to get to know other incredible artists? Swing by my Artist Spotlight Series page for even more artist deep dives.