Categories: TCN Artist InterviewTCN Originals

[TCN Artist Interview] – Carina Klinkhammer

Carina Klinkhammer, a.k.a Blacleria, is an incredibly talented artist based out in Germany. In this interview, TCN and Carina dive into her work and what drives her creatively.

Q: First off, what does art mean to you?

A: Art is not just a hobby for me, but also my passion. There might be days or even weeks I have no desire making art, but I always come back to it. So, art never leaves me, it’s like a good old friend who has been with me all my life.

Q: How long have you been making art?

A: I’ve been painting since I was little. When I was young, art was my language. I really liked drawing my ideas and characters of stories in my head. When I had an idea for, let’s say, a board game, I sketched my ideas with pictures rather than writing them down. When I was 12 I began taking art more seriously and drew my first portraits.

Q: When you’re ready to being working on your next piece, where do you draw inspiration from?

A: I use Google and Pinterest a lot for image search and inspiration. Sometimes I find such great photographs, they inspire me for new artworks just on their own. I like to read books as well, especially fantasy books. It’s like diving into another world. Nature is another great source of inspiration. I love to go for a walk in forests. They are dark, mystical, and full of life.

Q: What is your favorite thing to paint or draw?

A: Portraits are my favorite subjects. I’ve loved painting faces since I was a child. I especially enjoy painting skin. It’s a real challenge to paint the translucency of human skin, but I like to challenge myself. Just recently I started painting landscapes, especially forests and trees. As long as a subject is “organic”, it’s interesting for me to paint.

Q: Do you have a favorite piece of art? Whether it be one of your own or another artists.

A: I have many favorite artworks, but one of the most touching pieces of art I have seen is “Tote Mutter I” by Egon Schiele (1910). When I saw the original painting in Vienna, it had a great impact on me. There are many beautiful artworks out there, but just a few that trigger emotion in me.

Q: Are there any artists you look up to or ones that inspire you?

A: There are many – digital artists: Devin Elle Kurtz, Lois van Baarle, Djamila Knopf, Sarah Buchholz, Anna Steinbauer, Luisa Preissler, … and many others I can’t remember now. Traditional artists: Egon Schiele, Käthe Kollwitz, Hans Holbein the Younger, Lucian Freud, Jenny Saville, Eliza Ivanova, and many more.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about being an artist?

A: Being in my pyjama all day long and having a relaxing day 😀 Besides, I just love painting, it is very comforting for me, like puzzling a jigsaw. Every new painting is like an adventure, I never stop learning new things.

Q: What tools or programs do you use for your work?

A: I use a graphics tablet called “Huion Kamvas 22 Plus” and the software “ClipStudio Paint” mostly. Clipstudio Paint is a great program with many functions and great usability, however I still miss some functions from Photoshop.

Q: How much time do you usually spend working on a piece?

A: It depends on complexity of the work. If it’s just a portrait, I need 2-10 hours, with a complex background it takes up to 40 hours.

Q: Other than being an artist, what other hobbies do you have?

A: Definitely playing board games. I think there is no better hobby. I have a quite nice collection of board games at home. My perfect evening would be having dinner, and then playing board games with friends all night long 😀 I also like playing Ocarina, I love the sound, but I am really bad at it.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you?

A: I’m quite a shy person, but I really like to talk to other people, so if you have any questions, just ask me 😀 I also want to thank Michael McDowell for this interview opportunity. It was my first interview in English language, and I was a bit nervous, but I enjoyed it very much.

Q: Are there any projects you are currently working that you’d like to announce?