We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Serena Malyon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Serena below.

Alright, Serena thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I made a map around 7 years ago, and was tasked by a friend to write a story that takes place in that world. I ended up with a concept for a story that has lit my imagination on fire – once I came up with the more of the worldbuilding, I filled a sketchbook with dozens and dozens of illustration thumbnails. The concepts just come so easily, now that I’ve got a world I can explore that is all my own. Every time I have a break from client work, I can pull out my sketchbook and pick an illustration I’ve been meaning to work on for ages, and I have a new personal work ready to go for my portfolio. I get very passionate about the outcome of these projects so I push my skills with each new painting, and I’ve seen a lot of improvement in my work since beginning the series.
I’m hoping to one day publish a book, or at least an art book, diving into my little story in the big world I’ve created. But if not, then I’ve still created a body of work that I find meaningful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always been interested in art, since I was old enough to hold a pencil. During my teenage years it was a passion, and I ended up going to art school thinking I would become a graphic designer. When I found illustration, it was everything I loved about reading and painting in one profession.

I graduated art school in 2012, and it’s been a long career ladder to climb, I worked part time jobs to help pay the bills until 2017, and since then I’ve been full time. I get to work with book publishers, self publishing authors, magazines, tabletop and video game companies, individuals… every job is new and fresh. I love making art for other people, seeing the various applications of my work keeps things very interesting.

I think what’s drawn people to my work is the mix of historical styles with contemporary compositions and colours. There’s a whimsy to my work that people enjoy, and I’ve been leaning into it the last few years. I’m most proud of myself for sticking with my career, even through the years where it felt like a pipe dream. Now I make a living selling prints, originals, making work for others, and streaming my process online. It’s a lot of work, but it’s very fulfilling.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think we have to lift each other up and share our knowledge. Art, for ages, was something only the wealthiest of people could dabble in. These days, with youtube tutorials and art stores and platforms to share work online, it’s so much more accessible for people of all backgrounds.

Some artists get very defensive about their techniques and business practices – I had one professor (who no longer works at my old art school) who said that while we were students, we could ask him anything, but as soon as we graduated, we were his competition and we were on our own. I assumed the art world was cold and competitive, but what I’ve learned over the years is that everyone benefits from lifting each other up.

All of my career growth was from friends sharing my work and having the right people see it, or art directors taking a chance on me. By sharing work, but sharing techniques and commission pricing information and self-promotion tips, we keep our industry alive and thriving.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’ve found a lot of success in regular posting. It can be difficult to get new work to post every day, so I post work-in-progress shots, detail shots, I make memes out of my work… it can be hard to keep things fresh and keep people engaged, but it’s the best way to get your work noticed. You can also repost old work; a lot of artists are afraid to post their old work, but the people who follow you, do so for a reason. You don’t buy a work of art to see it just the once. People like seeing their favourite paintings, so post them once in a while. And remember that new followers don’t know your old work, so it’s absolutely fine to repost things.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.serenamalyon.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/smalyon
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/serenamalyon
• Other: www.twitch.tv/serenapaints