Artist Interviews 2021

Zamiel Casul  
By Julia Annabel Siedenburg



Zamiel Casul is a very talented and slightly dark artist. His detailed- oriented drawings are unlike anything else, full of fantasy and feeling. They can vary from filling a single piece of the page to covering it in its entirety. I was so happy when my dear friend agreed to talk to me more about the background and inspiration of it, because I was always so curious where is creativity blossomed.



First of, your sketches are amazingly dark and detailed. How did you find your style and voice?

I found my style by just endlessly doodling. Everybody I knew in high school drew amazingly but I knew I had more patience for a single drawing than anybody else. So I kept at it just going with the flow not wanting to plan a piece but just go make one. Plus using just ink forced every choice to be permanent. Keeping everything simple with black and white but overly detailed like work made it all worthwhile. Today nobody I knew then makes art anymore and I’m the only one who makes any money off of it. I really feel like time is all I needed and not any natural talent.

I’ve focused mostly on the eyes in my art because I feel they are the most important parts of us as people. You can almost tell if you should or shouldn’t trust somebody based solely on their eyes or just tell if they are in pain or now. It’s crazy how much our eyes play a part in the way people view us.

 



How long does it take for you to do one piece from getting the idea to the finished product?

Time wise it various because I start and stop so much or come back after months to one. If I had to give an estimate, about 100 for a full page.

 



Can you name some artists and influences that got you to do the art you do?

My first main influence was Kouta Hirano a Japanese manga artist and writer. Most of his works are focused on many eyes and using shadows and details lines to make up his best work. His most popular title “hellsing” inspired the eye idea to me.

The second main influence is an American artist by the name of Alex Pardee. His work is a lot more cartoonish but disturbing in its own right. The detailed lines he puts into his fleshy drawings make them pop. He inspired the idea to me that it doesn’t matter if the lines don’t really lead to anywhere specific, just keep going. His best set of work to me has to be his “hugs” gallery.

 



Tell me a little bit about your upbringing and how you got to be an artist.

I really just became obsessed with drawing after not really being able to talk to anybody at home. There were a lot of arguments at my house and I just always hid in my room to not be yelled at or be made fun of. So movies and making art were my only outlets

 



Do your emotions and your surroundings play a big role in your images? Where does the writing come from? Your own quotes or taken from other sources?

Emotions play a giant role in my art but it doesn’t matter if I was upset or happy just as long as I was feeling something. Although being in a more melancholy mood has usually helped more in the long run.

The writing and quotes come from everywhere, random things I hear or think, song lyrics and movie lines. Sometimes I jumble it all together. I just want some phrase or paragraph to connect on how I feel when looking at certain pieces because I leave every piece untitled.

 



Where are your hopes and plans for the future? What’s next for you?

My main goal is to go travel for my art. Sell it at conventions and just get as many eyes on them as possible.

The next main goal is to open an online store though I have to push it back due to my emotional state or just how the world is going. I want to be proud of my work before I start trying to make a brand out of it. Cut I’m truly humble on how many pieces I’ve been able to sell the last few years and I’m excited to see where it leads me.