11/06/2014

A Q+A & Giveaway With EmmaKisstina




You may not know this but I love art and illustration. I'm rubbish at drawing myself *sad face* so I can always appreciate the work of someone whose just a lot more skilled in that department. Kristina the brains (and beauty) behind EmmaKisstina is definitely one of those people. After spying her illustrations on Teen Vogue's site I have been obsessed. Just look at the illustrations above. They're so pretty! I was lucky enough to get Kristina to answer some of my questions and she's generously giving one of her prints away to one of you lucky people. Have a read of her little interview and then enter the giveaway if you're in the mood for some gorgeous art...

How did you get into fashion illustration? I've always been interested in art since I was little so at University I decided to study traditional art. I learned techniques such as charcoal drawing and oil painting and really perfected my craft. It was really fun to learn all of these old school techniques and work on my creativity but once I graduated I realised being a traditional artist wasn't very financially viable. (I unfortunately wasn't a contemporary Picasso.) I still wanted to find a creative career so I researched other options for about a year and finally decided on giving illustration a try. I taught myself digital techniques such as using Photoshop to color my outlined ink drawings and I really liked the simple finished look. (I also loved that it involved no mess of using paints and if I made a mistake I can easily fix it on the computer.) In art school I could never really find my style or figure out what I wanted to paint, this was a constant struggle. When I started to just sketch simple perfume bottles and makeup products for practice I realised how much I enjoyed it and thought they were really pretty too. I thought if I really loved them other girls like me would love them too. So EmmaKisstina was born.

Which artists inspire you? I'm really inspired by traditional artists from the Roccoco & Neo Classical period. I love the soft romantic colors and textures of their oil paintings. I think they really inspire my illustrations even though I illustrate in a much simpler contemporary style.


Who is the EmmaKisstina girl? An EmmaKisstina Girl is a girl of any age who appreciates the happy, beautiful and simple things in life.

We love your 'What's In My Bag' (link) series with other bloggers? Whose bag would you love to see the contents of? I'm so glad you love the series, I love it too! I'd really love to step back in time to see what the old Hollywood stars had in their purses, such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. That would be so interesting!

What does a day in the life of an illustrator entail? A lot less illustrating than you might think! Responding to emails, packing orders, planning projects, contacting new manufacturers, visits to the post office, writing invoices, answering interview questions, all take away from my time drawing but I enjoy those roles just as much. Since I'm my own boss I have to make sure to not only work on the current projects that I've been commissioned to do but I also have to work on future projects and at the same time make sure to spread the word about my work. Thankfully I have a lot of discipline and really enjoy my work. Rather than not wanting to go to work I actually have to keep myself from working all the time. 


Which is your favourite EmmaKisstina illustration? I really love my 30 Nail Polishes print, which happens to be one of my top sellers too.  I just love the cute colors and the different styles of the bottles. It's a simple, happy, and fun illustration.


Career highlight? I think it's about to happen! I've finally gotten the guts to apply to Formex, Scandinavia's biggest design trade show, this coming January here in Stockholm, and I got in! I'm so excited to present my work, current products, and lots of new work on such a huge and professional platform.


Finally, what advice do you have for young women wanting to do what you do? Creative fields are really difficult but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try. It took me nearly 4 years to finally go full time, and even then I really had to budget my lifestyle, still do actually. It's not only financially difficult but emotionally as well as you're your own boss and have to constantly push yourself to produce more work that not only you will love but also your customers too. It helps if you really enjoy what you are creating. It will definitely show in your work and the way you present yourself plus all the hard work will be worth it. Discipline helps as well.


I recommend working hard, and make friends with people in your same field. It can get a little lonely and overwhelming when you work for yourself, especially if you work from home as I do. It's nice to have people to run over ideas with and to ask for help if needed. Also don't give up.

Thank you so much for taking time to answer my questions Kristina! Now on to the fun part. If you'd like to win a 18x24 cm print then leave a comment below telling me which is your favourite print from the Etsy store. You must comment on this post to be eligible guys. For additional entries you can fill in the widget below. This giveaway is open internationally and Kristina will ship anywhere in the world. I'll draw the winner this time next week. Good luck! x




a Rafflecopter giveaway

31 comments:

  1. Such a cool girl, I love hearing about people that love what they do! My favourite is definitely Holly Golightly's Apartment - I'm a BaT sucker! x

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  2. Me too! That print is gorgeous as well. Nice choice xx

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  3. my favorite print is the

    Hermes Tray Fashion Illustration Art Print

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  4. I Heart U Decorative Illustration Art Poster is my favourite :)

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  5. Wow she is such a fabulous artist! It was so hard to pick one but I love the Classic Book Pile :) https://www.etsy.com/nz/listing/77181705/the-classics-book-stack-decorative?ref=shop_home_active_9

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  6. Gorgeous choice! Good luck Louise x

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  7. This is such a cool giveaway, and such beautiful art. My favourite is the
    Tiny Flower Vases Decorative Illustration Art Print

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  8. Her book stacks are some of my favourite prints. They're all stunning though. Glad I don't have to answer this question haha.

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  9. Thanks Lena! Her prints are stunning right? I've only ever given them to people as gifts, aside from the Christmas card I bought to display in my room this year. I like that one too! Good luck x

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  10. Her prints are amazing, such a cool giveaway! My favourite is the Vintage Perfume Bottles Fashion Illustration Print

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  11. I really like
    Fashion Book Stack Fashion Illustration Art Poster
    https://www.etsy.com/listing/115120004/fashion-book-stack-fashion-illustration?ref=shop_home_active_4

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  12. So excited about this giveaway, as I love her work!! My favourite must be the 30 Nail Polishes Fashion Illustration, as I'm a nail polish junkie ;)

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  13. The Carrie Bradshaw whats in her bag! I am so in live with those illustrations! Thank you forbthe article, very cool!

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  14. This was so interesting to read, I love Emma's style! When I saw this come up in my unread box I immediately clicked, I follow her on Instagram- she's so talented! I love her Chanel Makeup Haul illustrations, or the Carrie Bradshaw one! x


    www.totalmodisch.blogspot.co.uk

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  15. Yes same! That one is stunning x

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  16. Nice choice. Good luck Ashley x

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  17. Nice! I love the lipstick version of this print x

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  18. Would love to win a Louboutin Heels Fashion Illustration Art Print x

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  19. Thanks for commenting+entering Kate. Glad you liked the interview x

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  20. Nice pick. Thanks for entering Portia x

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  21. I love love love all the Holly Golightly Illustrations! Actually, I love all of her work, but her inspiration on Breafkast at Tiffany´s are my favorite :)

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  22. omg can i have all the prints??? haha cannot even pick a fav! this is going to be a problem because i have no wall space left in my room but i want to buy some :O - E xx

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  23. Oh my gosh, I like so many of them! The bike one is super cute (and I think Doug would like it). Or the cat flats #crazycatlady

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  24. Nice! The one looking inside Holly Golightly's handbag has always been one of my favourites x

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  25. Maybe you could frame one for your desk or something? You can have alll the prints E x

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  26. Ooh, that could be a potential present for your house/Doug? (I'm guessing he isn't seeing this haha). x

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  27. Golly, they're all quite pretty. I'm rather fond of the Lolita Glasses one. x

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  28. Same here! I feel like there's none I dislike really haha.

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  29. Ooh. I love the Holly Golightly's Mailbox! Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of my faves!

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