Interview: Sibylline / @sibylline_m

Sibylline has been on our radar even in the early days of Mossery. I've seen her grow her skills and audience over the years with her intricate artworks full of blooming colours and ladies who don't give much of a care for the world.

We're so immensely happy for her as she's recently published her first ever art book, Osmose, and will even be showcasing her works alongside some of our favourite artists, Heikala and Meyoco, at an exhibition titled Spellbinders in Nucleus, Los Angeles.

Read on to find out more about the very gracious Sibylline and her delicate works.

What / who do you draw inspiration from the most?

I love nature, so I always try to include natural elements in my illustrations, like flowers or stars. Women are also one of my favourite subjects to draw, because they are, to me, an endless source of inspiration.

What mediums do you prefer to use and why?

I love to draw traditionally because of the textures and the feeling. It always feels good to draw on paper with real tools like pencils, paints, and markers. It's also good to make mistakes on paper, because it allows me to understand my mistakes better than if I did it digitally on my computer.

How would you describe the Mossery Sketchbook to others?

I would say it's the perfect sketchbook for all artists! You can use all kinds of mediums on the paper: pencil, markers, watercolours, gouache, colour pencils. You can do collages and researches, mood boards, anything.

The paper is a bit grainy and heavy-weight (that's actually my favorite part!), and I love the little agenda at the beginning as well. It's easier to be organised and you can write down little notes that could be useful when you’re using the sketchbook.

Tell us about your favourite place to find inspiration. Also, do you have a muse of sorts?

When I need to find inspiration, I love to go through artbooks, especially Gustav Klimt's artbooks. His way of sketching women might be my most favourite thing about his works, and seeing how he drew them so beautifully with a simple pencil makes me want to do the same. The details in his finished paintings are stunning, too.

Do you believe in talent?

Not really. I think creativity and hard work are more important.

Your style in painting galaxies is rather different from the rest - they contain a lot of colours rather than the usual blues and purples, is there a particular reason why? Also, why are cosmic patterns a repeating element in your pieces?

Thank you! I use two colours of ink: brown and blue. I guess I use these colors because one's warm and the other’s cold.

I have always been fascinated by galaxies, space, planets, and stars—how beautiful nature always is, and drawing these elements is like a tribute to nature I guess. I also love how in Greek mythology, stars, planets, and constellations represent different persons.

You seem to draw a lot more women compared to men, could you tell us why?

I would say I am more comfortable drawing women because I am a woman myself, but I also think it's a need for me to draw strong women in peaceful places (like space, for example). I want to use art to represent women and girls the best that I can.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Be patient! Practise!

If you’re given only one word to describe yourself, what word would it be and why?

Shy. Because I am shy! It's probably the reason why I drew so much growing up, even during my school years. Drawing is my peaceful place.

Tell us a secret.

I am currently working on my own comic book!

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