It’s time for our next Featured Student! For November we are featuring:

Marek Halko

• Instagram: @marek.halko

Below is an awesome Q&A that SVS Producer, David Braud, conducted with Marek.

When you look at Marek’s artwork you probably wouldn’t think, “I bet an anesthesiologist created that.” It’s the job of an anesthesiologist to put people to sleep but Marek’s work wakes us up! His use of fun bright colors and shapes are anything but sleepy. And now enjoy getting to know Marek and his work a bit more.

Hi Marek! Could you share a little bit about yourself?

I am in my mid thirties, coming from Czech republic, living in Germany with my wife and small daughter, working as an anaesthesiologist, making people fall asleep, and scribling on a drawing tablet after work, before sleep gets to me as well.

What are some of your favorite foods, films or things to do?

Foods: Anything I can cook and eat with company. Would never decline cocoa milk at any digestible temperature.

Films: The Little Mole (an old Czech cartoon by Zdenek Miller), that I watch with my daughter, Red Dwarf (British sci-fi comedy series from 90’s) or Mel Brooks comedies, that my wife endures watching with me. I love Coraline, Paranorman, My neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away among other animated movies. The list is way too long.

Other things I do: Pretending I ate all the wisdom of the world, watching a cube of sugar sink into foam of milk coffee, hearing my daughter laugh and mumble her first words.

Tell us about your journey as an artist. 

I like to draw and paint, make something and show it. I decided to make a living as a grown up by doing something wiser and more helpful than drawing (so i thought) and decided to study medicine. Didn’t really know what one can do as an artist. A couple of years ago I saw a video with a guy called Jake Parker, clicked on the link to svslearn and found a whole new world to explore. Since then I am learning how to make pictures, that would be fun to look at. Part time daily job since last month helps me to find more time for drawing now. Hope with some more effort, there will be some illustrating jobs for me in the future. The path is long though and there is much more to learn.

Tell us about your artistic style - how it has evolved and where do you see it going?

Don’t know, if i have any artistic style, but i can say what I search and try to put in my pictures. Clear graphic shapes, sense of light, colors and composition fitting the story. I like drawing animals and I do stylize a lot. I used to put a lot of weight on rendering, now I am trying to reduce it as much as possible. I like a lot of Japanese illustrators (they have great skills in composition, colors, shapes), so maybe that is where I am heading.

Do you have any stories of people encouraging you in your art-making?

My wife reminds me constantly to draw. She is happy for every small success I have with drawing. My family and friends regularly ask if I have something new to show. That means a lot to me.

How would you encourage others in their art-making?

Draw. Study. Have fun. There will be reward waiting. And road blocks as well sometimes. If it is still fun, it is worth it to go on.

Marek, we’d love to see some pieces you’ve been working on. What do you have for us?

This first one is an older piece. Would definitely draw it much differently now. Just thought , it might be fun to have Godzilla defeated by something so sweet and unexpected as an unicorn.

Picture for SVS contest for a book cover. Still like it, here I first tried to simplify things and work more with simple shapes.

I quess my favourite picture. Also for SVS contest. Just wanted to put a lot of excitement, fun and warmth on the canvas.

More recent one. Very simple. Experimenting with flat opaque colors. Tried to connect with character and his curiosity and nervousness when entering a new place.

One of newer sketches. Getting on a very odd train where passangers are (becoming) frogs. Who is gonna be next? I tried to use a color scheme to get a very strange place feeling.

Also recent one. I thought, everybody might stop and make some photos on the way when travelling.

Marek, thank you for sharing your story with us. It’s wonderful to hear about your journey as an artist and we wish you the best as you continue on this path!

Featured students are selected from our amazing group of members! Want a chance to improve your illustration skills? Become an SVSLearn member today for 30 days with our free trial and take the next step on your journey to becoming a working illustrator.