Quarantine has most certainly affected how many of us feel mentally. Everyone virtually created their ways of dealing with these weird feelings of being alone and not being able to go out. Addy Castellanos, a newly self-taught artist, has been doing just that! She has been creating art pieces, drawings and sketches to take some time off her hands. By finding inspiration in her friends, family and celebrities, Addy has been able to create delightful pieces of art that not only mean a lot to her but to those she chooses to draw.
Addy Castellanos (AC): I’m Addy Castellanos. I am originally from Key West, Florida but now I attend Florida State University (Go Noles!) and I am majoring in Political Science. That has nothing to do with art, but of course, this is my hobby.
HC: Awesome. We love a good hobby. When did you start drawing? Was it something that you picked up just recently or did you used to draw?
AC: I drew a lot in high school and then around my senior year I stopped because I was focusing on other things, but then I got my iPad around when quarantine happened so it was the perfect gateway for me to pick it up again.
HC: Yeah! That leads perfectly into this next part: what equipment or utensils do you use to create your drawings?
AC: I have my iPad Pro, the 11-inch one because the smaller screen is easier to work with. I have the second Generation Apple Pencil which makes the actual sketching out possible. For standard apps, I just use Procreate!
HC: I’ve heard so much about Procreate. Can you tell us a little bit about how that works with the brush types, etc?
AC: Usually when you start a new piece, you use a blank template and add however many layers you need. So when I’m drawing a friend, for example, I’ll start with a trace of their picture and then add a ton of layers with the colors and brushes I’m using.
HC: Wow, that’s awesome. It looks very time-consuming. We love the patience. How many of these would you say you do in a week and how long do they take?
AC: At the beginning of the school year I would do about one to two a day but once exams and classes started picking up I toned it down to where I do about one to two a week. I would love to start doing more again soon. As for the amount of time it takes, it really depends. The one I did of you (pictured at the top of the article) took about two hours but something more detailed would take me about five days.
HC: Omg that’s so long! I can’t imagine having the patience to do that for five days; you seriously rock. So lastly, where does your inspiration come from, especially recently during quarantine?
AC: At first I did celebrities because I thought that would be really cool and easy since their pictures are all over Pinterest. David Bowie was actually the first celebrity I did a drawing of. But now I started to do some of my friends because I really love drawing them! Plus it makes their day whenever I do it and share it with them spontaneously.
HC: That’s so cute. I know I loved it when you sent mine. Looks like quarantine hasn’t been that terrible after all!
AC: Nope! It actually gave me more time to do something that I loved and still do.
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