Every month, RHStoday will feature a student artist. Maleesa Tran (’18) is featured in this month’s Q&A spotlight.

Q: When did you first start drawing/painting?

A: “I started first drawing in 4th grade but then I took it seriously in 7th grade. I started learning how to use different mediums and techniques. “

Q: How do you find time to do your art?

A: “Most of the time I do my art in my free time or on the weekends, but usually I’m tired.”

Q: What’s your favorite medium?

A: “My favorite medium to use is acrylics or colored pencil. I first started out with colored pencil and my first painting medium is acrylics and it dries quickly.”

Q: What do you like to draw the most?

A: “I like to draw people- not necessarily portraits but I like to draw mythical girls and not real. Like a unicorn girl.” “It’s semi realism the more cartoony look is from my inspiration which is anime and realism because I want to make it come to life.”

Q: What draws you to semi-realism?

A: “Because I find realism kind of boring because it just looks exactly like it and so, incorporating unrealistic things makes it more exciting and shows my imagination.”

Q: How did you get into drawing these creatures?

A: “I got into it because I started watching Sailor Moon and that inspired me to keep drawing.”

Q: Why does Sailor Moon mean so much to you in how it inspires you?

A: “Sailor Moon was my first anime,  and I was intrigued by how they looked and their…aesthetics, so that made me want to start off drawing anime and semi-realism as well because to understand and draw cartoon and anime, you’d have to understand realism first and then I incorporate both.

Q: How has your practice changed over time?

A: “Over time I got exposed more to different mediums  and so I explored more with them. I found what I’m more comfortable with and what I like to explore more with. My style usually changes and I don’t really have a set style yet- well I don’t think I do. I feel like a lot of artists sometimes don’t feel like they have a set style and usually for me, my style depends on the time and emotions.”

Q: Overall, what does your art stand for?

A: “It’s what I would want the world to look like.”