Artist Alley #2 with eastdongstar

I got an interview with the talented anime artist @eastdongstar on Twitter! I asked eastar a few questions about her art, inspirations, and some of her most challenging works.

What are some of your inspirations?

I don’t draw a lot of fan art because I think once I got to a certain age, I just don’t connect with stories that well anymore. I probably will simp for a character for maybe 2 weeks, and then I just move back to simping my ocs. 
Most of my content is inspired by stories I want to present (and most of those stories usually involve some degree of social stratification, racism and injustice in the criminal justice system, like you know, real world stuff) Those stories sort of just pop into existence. Like, I will read an essay on climate change and I will think to myself “ah what if we live in a near-future dystopian world where technology is regressing because of a mass flood that destroyed countless of lives and property?”

What is the most challenging piece you’ve had to draw and why?

Regal Botanist by @eastdongstar on twitter
by eastdongstar

This is the most challenging piece I drew because the background and miscellaneous stuff took forever. Hopefully, I can use this piece for a game in the future.

Do you have any OCs or are you fan art focused?

I have maybe too many OCs, maybe a bit too many haha. I don’t particularly care too much about a particular character to consistently draw fan art.

What is your favorite piece as of now? What is special about it?

Homologus by @eastdongstar on twitter
Homologus by eastdongstar

This piece is a realization of a concept I have always had since high school, but haven’t had the chance to actually draw it out. It’s a story about a detective and a conservative congresswoman, who had a fair share of their differences, come together to solve the murder of a person who is important to them.

How long have you been drawing?

About 8 years? I first seriously started drawing in middle school, so that's about 8 years for now.

Make sure to check out @eastdongstar on Twitter!

If you would like to be featured in a future article, email me at yourereadingbackwards@gmail.com. Thanks for reading!

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