Meet the Art Coach!

Written By Stephanie Broder

If you’re on the fence about whether or not I’d make a good match as your art coach, read on to learn more about my practice, education philosophy, and art journey!

What got you into art?

I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, when my sister and I would play a made-up role-playing game and draw our own characters for it. But the thing that got me really passionate about learning and improving was my high school art class, where I had an INCREDIBLE teacher who made art fun, challenging, and dynamic.

What inspired you to become an educator?

I’ve also been teaching since I was a kid! I used to play “school” with my sister or stuffed animals and always wanted to be a teacher. I drifted away from that idea for a while, and I think it was because I didn’t know what I wanted to teach. Still, I was constantly working or volunteering in educational roles. And then when I finally got the chance to study fine arts at university, it became clear that teaching art was my calling!

The artist with a homemade zine

What does your art practice involve?

I’m primarily a digital illustrator who creates characters and comics. As a fiction writer, I never run out of ideas for things to draw or characters to imagine. I also love figure drawing, and it’s the warm-up and skill-building exercise I return to the most often. Currently, my primary tool for illustration (and my favourite one) is my iPad Pro and Procreate. I also have a Huion Tablet, which I use with the Adobe CC programs. When I want to get a bit messy, I use various tools, including gouache, watercolour, markers, coloured pencils, linocut, silkscreen, and letterpress. I also love to bind books by hand, sewn or otherwise.

What’s your favourite thing to draw?

People! I love to draw imagined characters, and I also love to do figure and portrait studies. And my people aren’t necessarily human, as I like to draw humanoid aliens and monsters, too. But I love the huge range of expressions, gestures and characters you can get from the human figure.

What’s your favourite thing to teach?

I truly love teaching anything creative, but of the formal classes I’ve taught, The Graphic Novel and Intro to Illustration are probably my two favourites. I love teaching Graphic Novels because I create my own comics and am constantly immersed in the world of reading and studying them. Every time I teach the class, it’s a bit different! But Intro Illustration is fun, too, because I usually get a huge variety of interests among the students. We get a chance to work on some skill-building, narrative illustration, storytelling, character illustration, concept art and more!

What’s your favourite unexpected art lesson to impart?

Creativity and art making are learned skills. I personally don’t believe in innate talent at all, but even if it exists, I’d say it gets you maybe 10% of the way there. The next steps are the same for everyone: practice, practice, practice and practice! I think so-called “innate talent” is often just “intrinsic motivation” that makes certain people work harder and longer on their craft.

What do you want to learn next?

I’d love to learn copper etching as I think it’s a beautiful way to transfer illustrations to paper and has a rich history!

What’s something you’re proud of in your own art practice?

I’ve been studying shodo (Japanese calligraphy) for over a decade. I started during the year I lived in Japan, and when I returned to Canada, I was able to find an instructor and continue to have my work graded in Japan so I could level up. I’ve won many silver and gold medals and am finally one level away from the highest!

Some of my calligraphy work

What’s something you’re proud of in your education practice?

I’m proud that I can make art and illustration accessible for everyone and meet students at their level. One of the best compliments I got was when a student in my class said that at the start of the term, he hated drawing and had never drawn before (this was Intro Drawing!), and by the end of the class, he liked drawing. But most of my students already love art, and I can still find a point of connection with them to help them grow their practice.

Who are your top three favourite artists?

This is the hardest question! But my number one is easy: Akira Toriyama. He’s the creator of Dragon Ball and watching the anime on TV in the early 2000s was a huge part of what got me excited about telling stories and making art.

I also love the artist Laura Callaghan. I think in terms of career trajectory, I am most interested in what she’s accomplished. She does these beautiful, detailed character works (often in gouache or watercolour!) and her work has been used all over from ads to oracle cards to murals.

Finally, I’d say Katsushika Hokusai. The Great Wave is my all-time favourite art piece; I have a print of it hanging over my drawing desk at home! I can look at his work again and again (and again) and never tire of it. I feel like I see and appreciate something new every time. And like the other two artists on my list, he was so prolific and did a huge assortment of work over his lifetime.

What are your favourite places to find inspiration?

Comics! I especially love to go to a local comic book store and find small press stuff. Even better is to go to the local Comic Art Festival and get things from artists/writers in person! But I’m also very inspired by Japan. I travel there every few years (and lived in the rural north for a year!) and always find incredible art books, galleries, museums, and materials.

Shelves and shelves of inspiration

Are you ready to embark on your own art journey with an art coach?

Stephanie Broder
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