With her love for corgis and artistic eye, Amalia has caught our eye with her art being displayed all over the city of Iasi.
Ami: Hello! My name is Amalia Vornicu, but people know me as Ami. I am a graphic design student at the University of Arts “George Enescu”, MA in graphics and animation, currently working as a freelancer.
I was born in Botosani, but now living in Iasi. I have spent one-year studying animation in Porto, Portugal. Big fan of concerts, chips, and corgis.
Subsign: What was your childhood like? Do you think your experiences from childhood have influenced your present creative endeavors?
Ami: My childhood was pretty sweet. In the first 6 years of my life, I’ve spent most of my summers in the countryside, it gave me the time to enjoy nature. I think one of the things that influenced me the most was that my parents worked at an Internet Café and I was exposed to the 8bit games since I was little and it was awesome.
While they were working, I would spend time there and I can say that the passion for visual started there (and my myopia). These are some drawings from when I was between 10-12 years old.
Subsign: What did you want to be as a grown up?
Ami: At one point I remember I wanted to be a „painter – lawyer” because my aunt was inspiring me of how passionate she was about her job and as a side thing I would sell paintings. It’s really funny to me when I think about this now.
Subsign: How does your workstation look like?
Subsign: Do you have a work style? How would you describe it?
Ami: Usually I start with a fast sketch on paper with some keywords regarding the concept. After that, I do some research and I set a direction for the project. At this point, it’s either draw, draw, draw or animate, animate, animate and making lots of tests and variations until I am satisfied with how it’s turning out. And then KABOOM – done.
I learned in the last years how to stop working on a project because I always felt the need to work more on an illustration and I’d always find more stuff to fix and I was never satisfied with my work. Now I always try to set deadlines and have the mindset of the „Finished, not perfect” video.
Subsign: Can you share with us how your creative process works?
Ami: I get very inspired by music, books, game artworks. When I see or hear something that gives me an idea, I immediately feel the need to draw. I also have a tiny notebook where I would write random ideas so I won’t forget them, and I will come back to them sooner or later.
In the last years I learned to spend more time on the pre-production and concept part and when I have things clear in my head I will start the project. Aside from that, there is the random doodling while listening to music or sketching while traveling.
Subsign: What is your favorite work you have done so far?
Subsign: Who do you follow for inspiration?
Ami: My main inspiration is Loish, also artists that work at Blizzard and Riot, the artist Boneface that illustrate most of my favorite band’s artwork: Queens of the Stone Age. From the history of art, I love Egon Schiele, Alphonse Mucha, and the Pre – Raphaelite Brotherhood.
When I was a kid, I was mainly inspired by the comics W.i.t.ch (as you can see in my old drawings) and I kept redrawing them so I would be able to draw them in my sleep.
Subsign: What advice would you give to someone starting out in the creative field of work?
Ami: Study and research all the time. Find inspiration in every detail (music, movies, walks, talks) and always be honest with your work.
Follow artists that you like and try to understand their work and how you can apply the knowledge to your work. And I think the most important thing is don’t take feedback personally. Feedback is one of the main things that shape your skills and makes you grow.
Subsign: If you would have a superpower, what would it be?
Ami: My super hero names shall be: The Awkward Woman, makes and saves awkward situations.
Subsign: Can you recommend for our readers a book, a song, and a movie?
Ami: I would write so many things here but this month’s obsessions are: Flowers for Algernon written by DanielKeyes,, Ophelia by George Tylor, Melancholia by Lars Von Tier.
Subsign: If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?
Ami: As my friends know, I love Halloween parties, but any thematic party will do. I have a drawer with random stuff, from Mario hats, unicorn masks to Naruto headbands. If I would organise one, it would be lit.
Subsign: What famous people would you invite to the party and why?
Ami: Deadpool because, well, Deadpool, Jenna Marbles because she is my favourite youtuber and her sense of humor is the elixir of my life, Queen Elizabeth the second and her 5 corgis, because corgis and Tim Burton because what kind of Halloween party it would be without him.
Thank you, Ami, for being a part of it!
If you know an artist that should be in the spotlight, contact us at jojo@subsign.co .
For more of Ami’s work, you can follow her on the links: Ami’s Instagram, Ami’s Portfolio
