Artist of the Week: Gina Brooks

Often overlooked, artists bring an aspect of creative beauty to the world. Art is everywhere, not just in paintings and portraits. Sophomore Gina Brooks is being featured as the first artist of the week since 2019.

How long have you been interested in art?

I’ve always been interested in art. Even as a child I’d find ways to draw anywhere I went. In restaurants, I’d even draw on napkins, but the point being I’ve always gravitated toward art as a child, so around 12 years?

What sparked your interest?

 I’m not sure what sparked my interest, but it could possibly be my love for books as a child. I always had my nose in a fantasy book, usually filled with talking animals and dramatic fight scenes. I couldn’t help but want to put what I imagined in my head onto paper, to share the wonder and awe I felt reading as a child. Warrior Cats, Survivors and pretty much any animal story caught my eye.

What is your favorite form of art?

 I’ve really come to love using pencil as a medium. Sketching is probably my favorite, as it’s just so refreshing to get my ideas onto paper. Although, in the past few years I’ve gradually started to learn digital illustration, moving from drawing fantastical animals to humans (but still some cats haha). I really love how there are so many different options and mediums available to digital artists without the hefty cost of materials. I use Clip Studio Paint, which was a one time purchase of $50, a good deal in my opinion.

Do you plan to have a career involved with art?

I’m not sure of my career yet, but I do know I want art to somehow be involved. I’m thinking more of a digital illustrator or even a concept artist as it’s more sketchy and less rendering and fine details, but I don’t know. Maybe my main career won’t even be art. I’ll do commissions on the side or run a small business. Either way, I hope art can continue to be a part of my career and life path.

What art classes have you taken, and which do you plan to take in the future?

I’ve only done a few art classes, the required ones in elementary, studio art and advanced art in middle school, and am currently in drawing 1. I plan to continue drawing classes and take drawing 2, maybe even painting to familiarize myself with the medium. I have taken a class outside of school before, but I found that it wasn’t so much as teaching as it was a meeting once a week where we drew for hours, sharing art with one another. It was fun, but I never learned anything substantial. For the most part, I am self taught, watching YouTube videos and web seminars of artists explaining their techniques.

Does art relieve stress or anything like that for you?

Art is a wonderful stress reliever, although I will admit that sometimes, for a lot of artists, art can be the source of stress—wanting to get a piece done perfectly, hoping it’s up to everyone’s expectations, especially when art block, a common thing among artists hits, but it does release stress. After a long day of school it’s nice to sketch at home, or in between classes, just to have a stress reliever throughout the day. Like they say, a good thing can turn bad with too much of it. 

What would you tell someone who is interested in art who has not taken any classes yet?

Go for it. It’s not too late to start now. As an artist, I get so many “I could never do that” comments, but they really could. I’ve only been drawing people for like three years and have grown exponentially. As they say, you can only get better; if you compare yourself to others’ art, it will only lessen your motivation. Instead, study it, look for the techniques and aspects of art they’ve used, try to replicate it. Compare your art to your old art instead; look at how much you’ve grown that way.