My name is Anastasia Tyshkevich, I’m 30 years old.

I’m a self-taught artist.

I was born in a small syberian village. I always was drawing, but didn’t have an easy access to the pop culture in childhood. For gaming I had a chinese NES knockoff. We didn’t have internet, and there was only 2 boring TV channels available. Once the miracle happened and I saw Monohoke Hime by Hayao Miyazaki on TV. I feel like this is where it all have really started for me creatively. I was utterly surprised that a cartoon can be so awesome, beautiful and also show such a complex themes and feelings.

I got my first PC only around 8th grade and got blown away by Psychonauts, which still resides in a very special place in my heart.

Anime and games have been a huge part of my life and a big source of inspiration ever since.

I moved to the big city in 2009 when my university years started and I was discovering more and more of pop culture thanks to the internet all while I had to study math. Which, let’s be honest, I never really cared about, because I was an artist to the bones.

I did however had to find a full time job after university. But I managed to do it my way and got a job in a game development studio. Game objects, icons, concept art, promo illustrations – I did a lot of different stuff. But I have to do my work in a very different style from my own, which is a blessing and a curse.

I was drawing personal art without any sense of direction when I started working and was confused and tired all the time.

Then I did the Inktober challenge two years in a row – 2018 and 2019. All in full color, turning the official prompt words list into one continuous story. I did stickers and then a little book at the end of the projects. Just 20-ish copies for the friends and family, but it was a very cool experience.

Then life threw challenge after challenge at me and I have almost stopped drawing.

However, a year ago I moved to Limassol and after living here for some time something just clicked inside me, and I started drawing again. I feel like life has given me a second chance and I’m here to take it.

These days I’ve been learning a lot about anatomy and writing, exploring my style, embracing ideas, and trying to step outside of my comfort zone of cute and simple characters.

Currently I’m working on a horror comic project. It’s a bigger step after my inktober projects and it’s definitely a harder one but it’s also really exciting. I still love my cute characters and pretty much going to draw more of them, but for now I want to explore something different, to find my place in the creative world.

I’m hoping to experience the artists’ alley and see live reactions, meet local artists and hopefully make new friends.

To see more of Anastasia’s work make sure to visit her Instagram and Website.