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Painting a picture of self-discovery and patience
At WeAreBrain we don’t view our Brainiacs as colleagues or team members, rather we consider each other as important and unique members of our large family. Not only does that make us super proud of the work they accomplish in the office, but also what they achieve outside the office too. When we heard about Oksana’s passion and talent for art and painting, we just had to find out more.
We asked Oksana a few questions about her passion so we could tell you all about it, just like the proud family we are. Here’s what she had to say:
When did you realise you had a talent for painting?
I began drawing from my early childhood. I drew anything and everything, from plants and animals to portraits of my family and friends. I loved it very much, and I realised that it wasn’t a passing passion — it was a part of who I was. So I took lessons in painting and drawing and finally graduated from the School of Arts for Children.
What did you learn at art school?
We were taught how to paint using watercolours instead of oils, and that was very hard for me. I had no desire to learn watercolour painting techniques and so I didn’t enjoy those lessons at all. I had a few gripes with watercolours back then. For instance, you can’t use the colour white, and when starting a project you have to plan your entire approach from the very start, leaving the most brightly coloured parts of the painting (the reflected light) uncoloured. This, I felt, stifled the spontaneity in art which I loved so much. But I soon realised I was approaching watercolour painting all wrong, and I was about to uncover my hidden love for it…
Ooh, now you’ve captured our curiosity, Oksana! Tell us more…
Well, I learnt that there are two techniques used when painting with watercolours: ‘dry’ and ‘wet’. The dry technique is when you draw and paint on dry paper, and the wet technique is when you draw and paint on wet paper. We mostly used the wet technique and for me, it was awful because watercolours on wet paper spread uncontrollably — you need to be highly skilled and experienced. I still feel the frustration even to this day! I used to think that watercolours were the hell of the painting world (haha!). In our drawing lessons, we drew with monochromatic pencils (similar to charcoal). Drawing was much easier for me, I guess it came more naturally. But, finally, after a few years of hard work and persistence, I saw the work I submitted for my exams and I realised that I was actually much better with watercolours than I was at drawing, I was super surprised!
What is it about watercolour painting that you like so much now?
I really appreciate watercolour paintings by other artists because I know just how much skill, talent and patience it demands. Great watercolour artists make their subjects look very soft and weightless, and some artists paint hyper-realistic paintings with watercolours which makes me think they’re not human. They might just be machines or robots! It is unbelievable how awesome and realistic this kind of art can be, I really respect the talent these artists have.
Tell us more about your current painting passions. Do you create art using other materials, or are watercolours your only medium?
I love to explore and experiment with new mediums. I enjoy trying different materials like pastel, colour pencils, oil and acrylic paints, and even digital drawing (in Adobe Photoshop and SAI). Most recently I have started using sketch markers for drawing. They’re very easy to work with (after watercolours everything is easy!) and they allow me to play around with different styles like realism and comics-style for example. Drawing and painting are not my only passion outside of work, but you’ll have to wait and see what they are…
Well, judging from your artwork you wouldn’t believe that you started out not liking watercolour paintings. Your work is incredible, Oksana! We are so proud of your talent and we can’t wait to see your artwork on display at some very important gallery in the near future. Until then, we have a few walls in our new Kramatorsk office that are just begging to be painted on…just saying!
David Roman
Working Machines
An executive’s guide to AI and Intelligent Automation. Working Machines takes a look at how the renewed vigour for the development of Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Automation technology has begun to change how businesses operate.
