Today we’d like to introduce you to Raven Zhou.
Hi Raven, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi, I am Raven Zhou, artist, illustrator, game designer and certificated Lenormand/tarot reader from China, and now based in Savannah, Georgia.
It always gives me a peculiar feeling whenever I look back—like observing a stranger, or a stage actor, or a character from a show.
“Are you okay?” “…oh, I am sorry. I am just observing.”
This was the conversation of me and my ceramic professor (a very kind French man), when he saw me staring at somewhere wordlessly. My response came out before I was aware. I am an observer, indeed. The observation of my life, my surroundings, the things happens near or far away from me, makes a feeling of half excited and half chilled of the way I am living. It is because the more I see and record, the less important of myself is shown comparing to the vastness of life.
If the words above sound like from a pessimist, I apologize for this, ha! I am actually a person who has extreme passion and ambition of living. Whether it was in high school that I aimed for the top art college(CAA) in China and achieved it, or collaborated with various art exhibitions and the most famous graphic novel publishing house in Beijing, or decide to make greater progress in illustration and comics, and now find myself studying in master of illustration in the United States, these are all evidences of my active participation in the drama of my own life.There were days when I was the only independent exhibitor and had to be there all day without going to the bathroom; there were days when I took the train around three cities in one day to get a job teaching kindergarten kid how to draw. But it is the constant urging on myself and the longing for the future that makes me feel tired and anxious easily. And at times like this, step down from the stage for a moment and being an observer allows me to adjust breath and see the bigger picture.
And both for my work in the visual arts and for divination, observation is essential. Observation is more than just looking, but appreciating, feeling, analyzing, and recording. It is just like watching a great play, the plot is supported by the characters, the characters are supported by the actors, and the actors are supported by the unique experience of their own. I am a humble observer in this great drama, and I record what I experience with my art and divination, and then share it.
Of course, I can talk more about how I improve skills, find a job, and negotiate with clients. But seriously, I’m no better at these than anyone else. Besides, life should be more interesting than focusing on these all day long.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Before I entered the art college, the biggest challenge was to improve the craftwork of my art. That was a very dry and realistic need, especially when I wanted to draw something particular like a horse facing away from me, or a top view of my kitchen. At that time, my imagination always ran ahead of my technique.
During my undergrad years, how to find my own artistic language was the hardest thing. The difficulties were, first, how to learn from the artists or works I appreciated, but not become their shadow; Second, how to follow the speed of my own growth and try not to compare to much with classmates and artists around me; Third, how to deal with my self-doubt. These have been the things that I am still facing to now.
For now, balancing the part of art as a job with the part as fun is the most tricky thing. After all, the reason why my art director chooses a piece of work is not based on the me saying “I like it.”
Art is definitely not a smooth road. However, there are hardly some exciting roads are quite smooth. I would like to quote Jack Kerouac: “ We had longe ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Allow me to begin with the names of Art Spiegelman, Charles M. Schultz and Jean-Jacques Sempe. Bathed in the glory of these great cartoonists, I met my best friends – pen and ink and regarded comics and graphic novels as an integral part of my life. Before I started working as an illustrator, most of my work was comics. My art has a retro sense of humor, which is often brought about by the appealing characters and absurd scenes I create. My illustrations also retain this atmosphere. As I introduced myself earlier, I am an observer. I am able to see the details of life, capture subtle emotions of people, and transform the abstract concepts into sensible and comprehensive images. Sometimes, my illustrations are ironic, and in that case, the anthropomorphic figures are my best actors. Besides, as a tarot reader, l also create card decks and use them for divination. I have drawn myself a deck of oracle cards named “42 Days Oracle”( it can be found on my website and Instagram).
Most of my works are done in traditional inking. I would use pen, nib, brush pen, toothbrush, and sometimes my fingers. I use digital media for coloring, if time allows I do in traditional media. I also animate some of my works.
From 2017 to the end of 2019, during my undergrad years, I designed characters for NetEase Game, and I was also active in independent publishing and exhibitions. I have self-published two picture books (Little Him and The Lin Brothers), a comic book (The Sleep of Reason) and two comic zines. Since 2020, I started creating illustrations for books, advertisements, editorials, institutions, etc. I also post illustrated videos on social media. (@Raven周鸦 on BiliBili).
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Before the third grade of primary school that I firmly believed swallowing bubblegum was fatal to kids. One afternoon I did it accidentally, then went through a whole week of countdown to my life, and finally was ecstatic to find out I was still alive.
Pricing:
- Advertising illustration $500-$5,000
- Animated illustration/Motion $5,000-10,000
- Editorial illustration $1,200-$5,000
- Picture Book Illustration $1,000-$20,000 per page
- Tarot/Lenormand Reading $34/per question
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/ravenzhou
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravenzhou.art/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raven-zhou-952841254/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY8N4DhxsK6et2TI-kkR_nA
- Other: https://ravenzhou.myportfolio.com/illustration
Image Credits:
1-4. Editorial illustrations 5. The Lin Brothers (WIA 2022 Shortlisted Project) 6. The Sleep of Reason (collection of Raven Zhou’s daily comics) 7-8. comics
