Art as Escapism - The CreativeMindClass Blog

I'm originally from Venezuela. I was raised in a tropical town surrounded by hills and palm trees. However, I sadly wasn't really allowed to experience my surroundings fully (partly because of the overprotection of my parents, but mostly because of the daily anxieties in my country). The majority of my time was spent indoors. TV and books became my main ways of escape - as did drawing! I would spend hours drawing my most favorite characters from anime as well as my family, friends, pets I wasn't allowed to have, costumes, and anything really.

It was mostly a pastime, and I was somewhat conscious that it wouldn't be a full-time job in Venezuela. My family then decided to move to UK, and this was a major change for me. As a teen I finally had more independence, was free to explore places alone and thought about the things I would like to accomplish.

My passion for character design and narrative inspired me to read comics that in turn, brought me to drawing. The pieces all came together then. After a couple of years of studies (and lots of hard work), I'm now freelancing as an illustrator from London.

My style is fun, bold and somewhat chaotic (in an excellent way!). Sometimes , it's simple but it could also be extremely detailed, but the illustrations always feature a figure, or an animal, or a nice bit of scenery. I like to think that every illustration I draw is all part of the same world.

For me, the most important thing is having fun while doing it. It is easy to think of things that enthralled me as a child in my youth: vibrant colours, sneaky characters, funny situations, tiny details to lose yourself into. My goal is to encapsulate the best of these things when I design something fresh. If I am able to inspire the viewer to be excited or happy, or like they've discovered something fascinating that I've achieved the goal I set for myself.

"Another essential element that I am looking for is the sense of humor. Over time, I've realized that I'm probably not an adequate person to make very serious or conceptual artworks However, I'm pretty good at making something fun and lighthearted to inspire laughter. I play to my strengths now."

You can follow Marianna's artistic journey on her Instagram Discover detailed artwork from the children's books she wrote during lockdowns as well as backstage photos of her redoing her Skillshare class to name a few. Links to the class and Marianna's books you can find at the site.