MedusaD is a Spanish illustrator who joined the pop-culture apparel world on TeeFury in 2015 and has quickly become a go-to artist for gorgeous detail, romantic likeness and flourish with the feel of another era. Her work evokes an ethereal nostalgia, and the attention paid to the minutia within her compositions gives each a life that feels born of nature. The TeeFury team is happy to have her as a regular contributor, and she’s taken time out from her own work to help shine a light on some other great artists whose work she admires!
TF: You’re a part time gorgon, but you do beautiful work while you’re not turning people to stone. What are your tools of the trade?
MD: I work in traditional and digital techniques, so I jump between pencils, paper, ink, gouache, watercolors and photoshop + my tablet monitor Yiynova msp19u+. I also do hand crafts with macrame, jewelry and stuff. I never get bored.
TF: You’ve recently been creating hand-embellished wood prints. Do you prefer to work traditionally or digitally?
MD: Ooh hard question. Well, I love both and I try to mix them in my work. But I’ll always feel something “romantic” or special about traditional, since it was my first way of artistic expression. A pencil is the most portable and cheap tool.
TF: You’ve mastered the art of presentation with beautiful overhead photography in your social channels. How has telling a visual story helped increase your audience?
MD: This is quite subjective. I think It helps, I think the content is important, but it’s also how you show that content to the world. I like to think that my work is more than pencil and paper, or some file in my computer. I like to think that every work of mine is made of everything in my life, my days, my nights, my influences, the music I listen to, the silence, the tea, my mood, my environment. I try to show all that when I showcase my work through my photos, to invite the viewer into my world. I think art gets another dimension when you show that it’s made of soul, experience, smiles and tears. Not only skills. It’s stimulating to tell a story with photography/phoneography.
TF: Your work is feminine with a natural, graceful flow and occasionally dark undertones. Who and what are your greatest inspirations?
MD: I have a lot, the list may not end. I’m inspired by nature, as a fangirl I’m heavily influenced by pop culture, and I find inspiration as well in topics that resonate with me deeply, that builds me like bricks in a wall. I will always say that my first and heavier influence it’s Michaelangelo. Also my heart melts when I see works of Klimt, Mucha, Jose Segrelles, Aubrey Beardsley, Arthur Rackham, Aaron Horkey, Gustav Doré, Durero, Richey Beckett, Leonardo Da Vinci, Tolouse-Lautrec, Giger, Élisabeth Sonrel, aaaand the list goes on.
TF: As part of the Spanish art community, what differences do you see in the American art community, and how does each influence your work as an independent artist?
MD: I noticed that some shows or movies had bigger influence in one country or another. That astonish me, but it’s quite understandable. Also, artists at EEUU cons are more recognized than in some popular cons here, they receive much respect from the audience, and the Cons looks like they are highly focused on merchandising BUT also in empower those artists and their works. Of course this is just an opinion from far, far away. I usually noticed that some customers from EEUU are very grateful, they thank you for your work, for having a sale, for having a giveaway. And I feel grateful for them, people from EEUU, Europe, Oceania and elsewhere.
TF: You hand-picked the designs in the MedusaD Artist Takeover Collection. What sort of work do you want to see more of on shirts?
MD: This may sound a bit controversial. I dig so much original art. Yeah I love pop culture because FANGIRL INSIDE, and I love to work or buy stuff from my favourite artists, movies or shows. BUT sometimes I miss original art. I mean, art not related to any fandom, or only based on common concepts, old tales, popular vintage books… Designs that resonate with you, you know, BOOM! Something with an eternal concept that ages well. Anyway, T-shirt artists create such amazing and original pieces with amazing styles, even in pop culture topics, that you can wear all of them with pride. It’s amazing how an artist can bring a common fandom to his/her own style, I dig it.
Check out some of the incredible artwork and artists that made it into MedusaD’s TeeFury Takeover, and grab a piece of art history for yourself!