Queenbe Monyei

Can you recall the first time you realized you were going to be an illustrator? What were your earliest impressions?
It was right after I transitioned from teaching to working for and educational website. I was doing curriculum development as well as creating some of the vector images. My art was soon getting more praise than my curriculum work and I eventually joined the design team full time.

Who or what influenced your art when you were young?
When I was around 14 I was obsessed with drawing on the computer with the paint program. It was my first experience with digital drawing. Around college I was very much into post-impressionism and oil painting. I really wanted to master oil painting and recreate the places I wanted to travel to.

Why did you choose illustration as your life’s work instead of, for example, filmmaking, law, or even medicine?
I feel at ease and myself when I draw. I have a huge passion for digital illustration that started out when I was very young that just never went away.

Did you study art in school?
Not officially, no. I was raised by a very traditional immigrant mother who wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer. In college however, I used every free elective to either take a studio art or art history course. Even when I worked as a teacher I continued to take art courses in my free time to improve my skills.

Where does your inspiration come from; your impulse to make art? Do you have a source for your ideas?
I love illustrating people in everyday situations. Living in so many different countries allowed me to learn about other view points and ways of life. I love hearing people’s stories and try to capture that mood or feeling. I’m also passionate about drawing women of color as they don’t often times see themselves the focus of artwork.

How would you describe the process of creating art?
I always start with a concept first. I usually know what my subject is going to be before I start. I’ve tried random doodling but I’m still not great at that. After I choose a subject, I work on what color choices I want to use to help me convey the emotion I am going for.

If you could do something else, other than creating art, what would it be?
I would probably want to be a writer. I have written two novels and a children’s book but illustration just kind of took over.

Do you have a favourite artist supply, a favourite method, or favourite location, where you like to create artwork?
I LOVE my Wacom tablet. It’s what really helped me fall in love with digital art. I love drawing at home on the couch where I feel most comfortable.

Why does art matter to you? Why might it matter to the world?
Art is a great tool to convey emotion and reflect on real life situations happening in your own world and the world around you.

If you could look back or forward 100 years, do you think the life of an artist was or will be better than today?
I think the life of an artist is much better today than it was 100 years ago. Art has become more open and not as exclusionary. Also, with the new technology we have so many more art mediums available to us than we ever have before.

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Queenbe Monyei

Born to Draw

Artist Interview

Selected Clients