Gabrielle Newman
AQ is our series of hardcover catalogs celebrating extraordinary women artists. Available on Amazon. Visit the AQ Catalog Webpage to learn more.
Featured in AQ Volume IV, Gabrielle Newman is a twenty-two-year-old digital artist from London, England, who now resides in Canada. She spent most of her childhood doodling on the corners of her school books, bringing to life the little characters from her imagination.
She took great interest in fantasy, whether it be film or books. Her lifelong favorite has always been Harry Potter, which is featured in many of her pieces.
Newman never attended any art schooling beyond high school, where she admittedly spent a long time slacking. It wasn’t until she graduated that she decided to take her hobby more seriously and become a self-taught artist. She specializes in realism and portrait work, which can be found on her lovely followers’ walls, Pinterest boards, book bindings, and tattoos!
She mainly works by commission and recently did a mini fundraiser for the orangutan outreach center, a cause she finds herself passionate about.
If you can’t find Gabrielle rambling about a new book, ancient history, or hanging out with other artists such as Allyson Blush or Zestfest, you’re bound to find her with her nose in her work, perfecting her next piece.
https://www.patreon.com/Lady_luvlock
What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you decide to commit to this path?
I had always loved doing art. I was a pretty weird kid, so I spent a lot of time drawing in my journal and making up little worlds. I was always the one the teacher singled out to draw on the board for demonstrations, and I hated the attention. As I got older, I convinced myself that "art was for kids" or just a pastime activity. In high school, I really slacked off with it. I had some friends who had art accounts, and I was deep down so jealous that they could embrace that part of themselves. It wasn't until after I graduated that I decided to actually try and get back into it, and found that I really enjoyed it! I was still wary of traction at first, but the feedback I received was otherworldly. It really was the kind of people who view my art in the first place that encouraged me to keep going.
Could you share the story or concept behind your recent work?
Absolutely. A lot of my work centers around characters from fantasy, such as Harry Potter. I’m pretty big into the Marauders fandom, admittedly haha. My most recent piece was a figure study on one of the characters, which was good shading practice for me! Unfortunately, Instagram cracked down on me, so I only have the full thing up on my Patreon.
What was the most challenging part of your path so far? How are you navigating this obstacle?
The most challenging part was probably just being open about my art. I always hated feeling like I was yelling ‘hey! Look at me! Look what I did!’. I still get nervous when I get messages or talk to people and they gas me up because, to me, I’m just some random girl. It’s weird knowing that people perceive you as something mightier than that, but I appreciate it! I’m just glad people enjoy what I do. That’s what really helps me overcome it.
What role does experimentation and exploration play in your artistic practice?
A crazy amount. Colour theory is a big part of my work, as realism requires you to be pretty on your toes about that. One of my favourite characters to draw has a lot of scars, so getting to map those out is really fun! I also like making work that adds to or tells a story, even if it’s just in the emotion of the piece.
Do you have any start or stop rituals before creating?
Not really. I’d like to say I have a beautiful setup, with a nice desk and expensive tools, but it’s just not true. I literally use my phone and my fingers most of the time. I’m probably like the Diogenes of the art world, except I don’t live in a barrel.
What message do you hope your art conveys to the world?
A message I’d like to portray is that you don’t have to be serious to take art seriously. You can draw silly pieces and beautiful, detailed pieces, and they’re all good. What matters is that you like what you create, and others can tell. Have fun.
Share a mantra or favorite quote that keeps you going.
“By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it.” – Franz Kafka. Cool dude.
