We were lucky to catch up with Natasha Rossouw recently and have shared our conversation below.

Natasha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

My career as an artist has grown very slowly. I used to think that getting paid to create art was impossible and in those times I often wondered if life would be easier if I had a regular job. Most of my income for a while came from designing webmailers, website banners and other promotional marketing and while it kept food on the table, I did not enjoy it. It was merely a necessity.

When I started getting commissions, mostly through friends and people who came to watch my Twitch streams, it felt like hitting the jackpot. I couldn’t believe that I got to create art for people who wanted to pay me for it, without trying to haggle over rates. Now most of my income comes from making art, whether it’s commissions or selling prints and other products with my art on it. It’s still unpredictable and I’m learning to market myself more, but all the extra things we have to do to get our art in front of the right people is nothing compared to doing something that brings me no joy or fulfilment just to get by.

So yes, I am very happy as an artist. I’ve had the privilege to work with the most amazing clients, who care about the art they’re paying me for, while also growing as an artist and learning to be more confident in my abilities and potential. This is the only job that I know I can do no matter how big the challenges are. I wouldn’t be able to bring the same energy and work ethic to any other job.

Natasha, 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?

I’m a dark fantasy narrative illustrator, blending my love of horror and history with dramatic lighting to create moody, immersive art. It took years to find my artistic identity and sense of purpose. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Visual Communication, majoring in Illustration, I spent 7 years navigating self-doubt and career uncertainty. I had no idea where I belonged and felt overwhelmed by the endless career options I discovered online. The pandemic allowed me to refine my style and through a spooky art challenge in 2020, I realised the colourful portraits I was painting didn’t feel authentic to me and shifted to the darker, narrative-driven work I love today.

Initially torn between my dream from my early college days of being a concept artist and the overwhelming number of creative paths, I realised – after much time and self-reflection – I needed to trust the process and follow what makes me happy. This year, I had my first commercial commissions with authors, illustrating their characters and stories—a job that turned out to be the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done. Now, I confidently offer my services, providing regular updates and presentations to ensure each client’s vision is captured beyond their imagination.

I think what sets me apart from others is how I approach each project and interpret my clients’ stories and characters. I love diving into research and using my sources of inspiration to guide me, so if my client’s character is a demon in hell, I’ll research symbolism associated with it, or if the character is in armour, I’ll go on a deep dive into different types of armour from historical periods and cultures. My goal, essentially, when it comes to a client’s story or character that they’ve spent hundreds of hours to flesh out, is to add that subtle detail that doesn’t necessarily have to be there, but that lets them know that I have treated their work with care and respect.

In addition to commissions, I sell my art on prints and stickers, and I’m exploring expanding my range to t-shirts, bookmarks, and patches. Through the creative studio I co-own, I’ve learned a lot about producing t-shirts, and I’m excited for what’s next. Our online shop is currently available in South Africa, but I plan to expand internationally soon.

Above all, I’m passionate about what I do and pour that energy into every project, ensuring my clients get something truly special.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I first thought about pursuing concept art, I watched a lot of videos, and read blogs, articles and books that go on about how to get into this difficult industry. I think most of this type of information was geared towards students and while I was a student when I started looking into this, once I graduated I was still far behind concept art students studying overseas and I had to work so I couldn’t realistically spend 6+ hours a day on art fundamentals. It felt like every resource wanted me to live and breathe art while sacrificing everything else because that’s the only way to make it into the industry.

Even when I wasn’t sure about my career path, I dragged this kind of thinking with me, feeling guilty whenever I was doing anything but art. Cooking dinner, seeing family or friends, or just relaxing at home were all things that I did while carrying all this anxiety because it was like stealing time from doing art.

This is such an unhealthy way to go through life and sucks the joy out of everything, even the art. I realised that the people who write the guides or make the videos cannot possibly know everyone’s situation and no matter how detailed the steps are outlined, we’re all different, and our experiences and environments and how they shape us make us all vastly unique, so there’s no way we would all follow the same path.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I had a moment earlier this year when I was thinking about what I like and what inspires me. I was looking at my office space, which is in my home, and just taking it all in, realising that my space feels like me and makes me want to paint. I was looking at the dark art I put up, the old bits and bobs from my gran’s things I had placed all around, and the olive green bookshelf with a variety of fantasy, mystery and horror. It told me so much about myself and I realised these are the things I need to use as guides for my art. It was such a simple moment, but that’s when my goal became clear to me.

My creative journey is driven by my love for these things I discovered throughout my childhood and my desire to connect with people who have their own stories and memories associated with them. We’re all just navigating through life, but to me, those moments when you’re talking to someone and realise you have a shared interest with different stories attached to it, are so precious.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cloakanddaggercreative.co.za/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbynatasha.r/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-rossouw-b564611a6/
• Twitter: https://x.com/ArtByNatashaR
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@artbynatasha.r