Not-so-humble beginnings
I think it's safe to say my artistic journey began more smoothly than most. To cut a long story short, I received unexpected online exposure after posting a small sketch — made on a borrowed drawing tablet, without realizing where it might lead — for a stranger on the internet. Soon, commissions started rolling in, and I found myself drawing portrait after portrait almost every day.
Looking back, I consider myself incredibly fortunate. Honestly, without those early commissions, I'm not sure I would have continued with art at all. At the same time, the repetitive nature of those portraits — often people posing with firearms — quickly grew monotonous. To keep myself motivated, I started creating fan art of things I loved: comics, music, TV shows, video games. Unlike the commissioned portraits, these personal works gave me the freedom to explore color, composition, and different styles beyond the "popular look" that had first gained attention.
One day, I uploaded some of these experiments to ArtStation, which led to my first "big" commission: concept art for a movie pitch. That project was a turning point. For the first time, I truly struggled with a piece — multiple revisions, detailed feedback, and critiques that pushed me far outside my comfort zone. In the end, I completed the work, but more importantly, I learned a great deal. The client, Albert — a videographer and advertising producer with formal visual arts training — gave me some of the most valuable advice of my life: study the old masters, return to fundamentals, and keep honing my craft.
Since then, I've committed myself to growth, even if it meant sacrificing the easy commissions and "instant exposure" of those early days. While this legacy portfolio represents a very different stage of my journey, it also documents the foundation that allowed me to become the artist I am today.
