Artist Focus: Hülya Erdil Çakıroğlu

Hello, this is Hülya. I live in Sakarya. I've been scribbling and playing with colors for as long as I can remember. This small room in our house is my workshop. I usually spend my whole day in this room, illustrating my projects and doing research for my thesis. Since I use different techniques, you can find whatever material you look for on my desk. By trying to keep it organized, I avoid getting distracted.

Apart from illustration, I work on children's art education. Meeting and sharing with the little ones give me energy. I enjoy misbehaving mostly with the collage technique in my illustrations. My favorite color is blue. I am not bound by a single technique. I also love to use the techniques such as colored pencil, pastel, and acrylic.

The world of picturebooks plays a huge role in developing my creativity. Contrary to general opinion, I believe that picturebooks exist for adults as well. When I first read the text, the scenes come to life in front of my eyes and I accept the project if I believe it will be matched with my style. So, I do all my work with pleasure. One of my greatest desires is to be able to do what I love throughout my life.

I like to see faces or things in the shade of a tree, in the shape of a cloud, or in the trace left on a steamed glass. I love nature and the sea very much. In short, being able to live and breathe inspires me.

Going to museums, reading the lives of artists and art history, and watching their paintings by their artists are also among the things that inspire me. At the same time, traveling contributes to my creativity. I am inspired by many artists but Picasso and Miro affect me the most.

I mostly draw with an iPad. I am using the pro create program. Getting back mistakes instantly and saving time are among the advantages of the program. Besides digital work, when I miss touching paper and brush, I do small works with watercolors.