- Interview Location: Lightbox Expo 2025
- Interview Format: In-person, One-on-One
Anime Herald: What was the exact moment or memory that made you decide to pick up this medium?
Sara Kipin: I was one of those babies who started drawing as soon as they could pick up a pencil! My mom was a painter, so you could say that I was born into an environment that always encouraged creativity. So perhaps fortunately and unfortunately, I have no exact memory of my beginnings.
Anime Herald: What is your artistic process?
Sara Kipin: A lot of thumb-nailing with a dash of spontaneity. For personal illustrations, I try to find inspiration in the little things, either random photography I see online or perhaps some fun illustrations from an oldersomething I’d already drawn, because I think that causes stagnation. Instead, I love to study art that looks almost nothing like mine, and bring that perspective into my next piece
Anime Herald: In an era where digital tools can mimic almost any aesthetic, what makes your art decidedly original?
Sara Kipin: I think my love of 2D animation creates a distinct cel-shaded look that a lot of people seem to gravitate towards. I grew up obsessed with any animated film I could get my hands on, and I think that separates my work from more painterly or illustrative styles. I like to keep things simple. Bold colors and shapes make for an immediately recognizable image.
Anime Herald: Are you self-taught, or if not, what formal training shaped your skills?
Sara Kipin: Self-taught in the beginning, but I ended up going to the Maryland Institute College of Art for my BFA. I made sure to take a lot of traditional courses to really focus on fundamentals that I could utilize when working digitally.
Anime Herald: Who were the artists who inspired you?
Sara Kipin: This is so hard to answer; there are so many! I try to take inspiration from as many places as I can. Growing up, I was inspired by specific eras of art like the Italian Baroque, the works of Caravaggio, for example. As mentioned earlier, animated movies were also a big inspiration, especially Eyvind Earle for his backgrounds, and Rankin Bass for the overall vibes.
Anime Herald: Is there anything you’d like to add to share with our readers?
Sara Kipin: Make art for yourself, the type of art that you’d want to see. Drawing is a mentally and physically exhausting task, and if you get too self-conscious about what might be popular or what others think, you risk burning yourself out. Ultimately, you should put your interests first, and your audience will find you.
Sara Kipin (Seattle, WA) Table 629 at LBX (Artist Alley & Exhibitor Show Floor):
- About Sara:https://www.sarakipin.com
- Shop:https://sarakipin.itch.io
- Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sara_kipin
