We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Azriel Amis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Azriel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I first knew art was what I wanted to do when I was in fifth grade. I had 3 friends who drew so well, that I wanted to try it for myself. It wasn’t easy, of course, but I never stopped. Once my dad bought my first digital tablet in 9th grade, that’s when I knew I wanted to start drawing professionally. Even when I was just a novice in digital painting, in June 2020 I started accepting commissions!

Azriel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For those who don’t know me, I am Azriel, They/Them. I am a nonbinary traditional painter, digital illustrator, and comic book author and Illustrator for my upcoming webcomic, Blood for Freedom coming later 2024. I used to do art for fun back when I was younger. It wasn’t until I made my first social media account for myself, that I realized how popular art really was. I also learned how terrible people can be on the internet. From one single person, one negative comment, I poured everything I was into learning everything I could about art. Anatomy, shading, coloring, painting skills, improvement videos; you name it, I’ve watched them. Before I knew it, 4 years had passed since then. I learned all I could and applied it to my craft. I’m still developing my identity as an artist, especially now that I have the privilege to be a full time artist.
All of my completed canvases and prints of digital art are my services. Each piece is embedded with a slice of my soul, so it’s a very personal process. I average around 26 hours for each digital piece, and a year and an half for my paintings. The energy I put into them allures people, like a magnet.
I am an individual. One of one. There is no one like me and I am like no one. That knowing is what sets me apart. My weird, quirky nature translates into everything I create. No one physically taught me how to do what I do, if we’re not counting the art classes everyone took in school. I take the time to read anatomy books, painting books, etc. I am patient when it comes to trying new skills and being more patient with myself when I make a mistake. At the end of the day, it’s literally me versus me.
I hold an immense pride in my work, but if I had to choose the most recent thing? I would say receiving 4th place in a regional art competition and receiving fourth place. It really set into perspective for me, that my art is truly loved and cared for by wonderful and loving people. It was like a beacon telling me “You are on the right track. Keep going!” That was just this February, 2024.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

There is, actually. My largest mission is to travel the world and have a piece of my art in every museum that I happen to stumble across. I also want to use the places I travel to as inspiration for all of my art to come. The journeys are all paid for by my art, and every other expense I would have. For me, that is my ultimate priority. A smaller priority would be to have my art in a few museums in the United States first. This is the ultimate leap of faith for me, but I’m planning on riding that current until the end.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Most people’s reactions when they see my art is usually “I couldn’t never do something like this”, or “You have so much talent.” For most artists, these were true statements for them too. However, both of these statements can be simply untrue. Art is a time consuming process. You have to make the time to draw, or sketch intentionally. Anyone can draw, it’s all about applying yourself to grow the skill while developing your artistic eye. Sure, learning the basics is a bit boring, but all art consists of is drawing circles and other polygons. It’s up to your right brain and your heart to develop the image on paper.
To me, to tell an artist we have “talent” on a piece we worked sometimes months on, takes away from the hours of hard work, sweat, and tears we put into a piece. Talent insinuates that we woke up one day and found out we could somehow paint the Mona Lisa without any training. It may have worked for some, but not all, as flattering as the comment may appear.
Do that thing you’ve been wanting to do. Learn that skill you’ve always wanted to have. No matter your age, no matter your background, time is too short not to be doing what you love every day and making that how you take care of yourself and the ones around you.

Contact Info:

• Website: ko-fi.com/aurelius777
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaurelius777?igsh=MXFiajkyMWs2ZmR2cw==

Image Credits
Azriel Amis