@juditzengovari

Instagram: @juditzengovari

1. What's your story? Where are you from?

Hi, there my name is Judit. I grew up and currently live in Hungary. I have been drawing since my childhood, and it has taken me a long time to find my own way and who I want to be. Since my parents are not artists, it was hard to know what to study as a profession, so I became a graphic designer. I created illustrations for fun personal projects to entertain myself and my friends but never had the courage to believe that I could earn money with illustration. After graduation, I worked for a year as a graphic designer, then decided to take a break with my boyfriend because we needed something else from life, something like an ’inspiration journey’. So we bought bikes and cycled around Italy for 8 months on a really low budget and without any cycling experience. Even then I preferred drawing digitally, so I bought an iPad for illustrations on the journey. I absolutely fell in love with that thing! I made many quick drawings during this journey and started to find a new voice in my illustration. I was finally my true self. I also realized how many things I could do which had always seemed impossible. We cycled 7000 Km, though nobody believed I would be able to, myself included. I had always wanted to be an illustrator, so why couldn’t I? When we arrived back home, I dove into work. My brain was so fresh, and I was full of motivation. That was one year ago! Since then, I have taken part in some fun illustration projects, 3 exhibitions and created an illustrated book which is just published. So I hope I’m on my way to becoming a full-time illustrator.

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

Bold shapes and vibrant colours. I love to use a minimal colour palette with just 3-5 colours. I really enjoy drawing stylized shapes, especially from the human body and flowers. Balance and contrast are also really important to me.

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

I prefer working digitally because of the colour palette and the endless possibilities of creating and correcting my work. I love my iPad so much because I can bring it with me, and it’s really easy to draw on it everywhere.

4. What is your artistic process like?

If it’s a big project, I really enjoy doing research and making mood boards. I usually search for reference images. I especially love to search for photos from the ’80s and ’90s; I go crazy for the clothes and hairstyles. The first sketches are always on real paper, and the finals are completed digitally.

5. Who and/or what inspires your work?

My main source of inspiration is the beautiful treasures of life. I love to find things that allow me to be passionate, like traveling, nature, eating and trying new things out of my comfort zone, which is also especially important for developing as an artist. I’m really inspired by the diversity of humanity, as we are all different and use our creativity in many different ways. Creative podcasts give me so much inspiration and energy. I like “The Creative Peptalk,” Tom Froese’s youtube channel, Frannerd’s youtube channel and many more.

6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?

Art is like eating to me. That has been the way to express my creativity since childhood, and it has also been my safe place. I think art makes me a better person. I learn so many things about myself and the world each day.

7. Where did you study?

I studied graphic design at the University of Sopron, AMI. I could say I’m self-taught in illustration.  I also took some Skillshare classes, and I’m really grateful for them!

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope I will be able to make my living as a freelance illustrator, illustrate more books and be part of exciting projects and collaborations. I love jumping into spontaneous possibilities, so I hope many surprises are waiting for me.

9. What about in ten?

Haha. I don’t want to think about my age then, but I hope I’ll be living in the countryside near the seaside, among the mountains.

10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?

I really love to see other creative people’s work, not just drawing, but cooking, gardening, interior design, ceramics; it could be anything that makes me think and makes me happy and helps me see this world as a beautiful place. That’s what I hope to achieve with my illustrations with others while remaining myself.

11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?

I LOVE eating! And cooking too. I cook almost every day. My favourire foods are hummus, artichokes and many kinds of pasta with vegetables.

12. Favourite book?

I really enjoyed Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude and Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. I only read the first book, as I’m really bad at managing my time for reading. I love to discover old books in flea markets or second hand.

13. Favourite genre of music?

I think I don’t have just one. It depends on my mood. For deep work, I prefer electronic music. For chill work or just hanging out, it could be anything, like pop music, indie, instrumental, jazz, retro music from the 60’s to the 90’s – this type I really love to dance to and sing along with (alone).

14. What are your hobbies?

Besides illustration and learning about it, I love to spend my time in nature, cycling, cooking and doing yoga.

15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

It’s easy, a geologist! Although I don’t have any knowledge about this profession at all.