Artist Feature: Holden @Beholden8
“I’m not a perfectionist, like at all, but whenever I make fan art it always feels kind of like a gift. So I always work harder on it and that helps me improve.”
Holden is an adult who lives in the Yee Haw United States who has a full time job in a pharmacy and spends a considerable amount of time thinking about a blue man and a pink woman. There is definitely overlap. Holden’s New Year’s resolution is to draw more shirtless men.
How long have you done art? What mediums have you tried?
I’ve always liked to draw but I’ve only really gotten into art art, more than pencil sketches and doodles, in the past three years and digital art the later two. Digital is my favorite, she’s a forgiving mistress, and when I do traditional, I love pencils and watercolor.
How would you describe your style?
Huuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh I'm still pretty early on in my artist's journey so I’m still trying a lot of different things, and I don’t think I have anything yet that you look at it and say oh Holden made that. Though I always make the noses too small and all of them look like they’re having their fashion mugshots taken LOL. I’m trying to change that.
Tell us your Lore Olympus story.
I saw a gorgeous ad online lolll. It said, “do you want to know what the Gods do after dark?” And I was like….yes.
And I found that not only is Lore Olympus designed and drawn well but the writing is funny and dramatic and emotional and just poignant. It’s such a well rounded story with intelligent writing and always entertains. It’s a meal for my eyes and mind but also quenches that fan girl thirst you feel?
I’ve been spreading the good word or the colorful Greek Pantheon ever since, converting my friends and family.
How has fan art changed your style or helped you grow?
I’m not a perfectionist, like at all, but whenever I make fan art it always feels kind of like a gift. So I always work harder on it and that helps me improve.
Which Lore Olympus fan art are you most proud of and why?
My Eros portrait because it’s my most recent one and it’s my current love and then my Persephone portrait, which was my first. When I make these Lore Olympus portraits I try to make them look how I think their realistic human form would look, and I think that Persephone just looks like Persephone.
If you could body snatch one LO character for a day, who would it be?
Eros. I’d take Aphrodite’s credit card and after avoiding my parents galloping around the house I’d go on all sorts of important errands Like flying Ampelus/Psyche to get our nails done, getting my cinnamon roll bangs professionally coiffed, And then take care packages to the needy and less emotionally intelligent than myself.
Either that or Pomelia so I can sleep in Hades’ bed.
Do you have any goals or aspirations for your fan art?
I really want to write and draw my own comic. Hopefully soon.
Any advice for someone looking to build their art skills?
References changed my life. All my drawings looked awkward and childish until I started looking at reference pictures. There’s this false idea that you should be able to pull the image out of your head and slap it on a page. And unless you’ve been drawing that thing every day for fifteen years That’s bogus lol. Reference pictures are not only good for technical reasons it will help you generate ideas. Just don’t spend too much time collecting them like me.
So step number one, learn to draw what you see. If you can do that you’ll have the skills to draw/paint whatever and however you want. And then just draw as much as you can.
Just for fun: Who did you get on our Hades' dog character quiz?
I GOT POMELIAAAAA IT’S WRITTEN IN THE STARS!!!! I’m much too large to bathe in Hades’ sink but our spirits are the same.
Holden is an adult who lives in the Yee Haw United States who has a full time job in a pharmacy and spends a considerable amount of time thinking about a blue man and a pink woman. There is definitely overlap. Holden’s New Year’s resolution is to draw more shirtless men.