About
Black Viper
I’m just a guy who loves to draw: a multi-disciplinary, self-taught artist who’s great at many things + refuses to be boxed in or limited in my creative pursuits while nurturing all of my talents and pursuing my purpose. I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember. What soon became a casual side hustle blossomed into a possible career and I’m just getting started.
Artists don’t say "I Love You", we say "I Drew You".
this is:
Media
Image Galleries
Timeline
Milestones & Achievements
Early Years
2009 - 2011Drawing on the Walls
My very first memory of drawing goes back to when I was 5 years old. I used to draw on a large piece of paper attached to a wall, which served as my canvas. I remember using red, yellow, green, and blue paint, creating horrible brushstrokes with a lot of dripping mess. These were my first steps in showing my view of the world, if only in my imagination. As you might have guessed, I was not very good at it when I was younger.
I'm not sure why I chose to draw, but I remember not being interested in sports, especially soccer. Art didn't exactly run through my family, but it was always present in one way or another. My aunt liked to draw from time to time, and I'd sometimes steal her pencils and paper to draw my own things. My mom always enjoyed reading, and I only now know that some distant relatives of mine were artists. But besides that, there wasn't a huge artistic influence in the family to look up to. That's why I've always considered cartoons to be the spark that ignited my passion.
Cartoons
After we moved to a different village, I always had access to all kinds of media, thanks to living in the age of television and the internet. TV inspired me the most, and although I wasn't allowed to watch it all the time, I was always excited to sit on the couch and discover lovable characters and captivating stories. Looking back, when I was at school or didn't have any way to watch my cartoons, I found that I could still rekindle the stories I loved so much by drawing them myself.
Eventually, I watched Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel religiously, as well as most animated movies from that time, copying their styles as best as I could. As a result, the stories and short "comics" I created were a mishmash of them all.
However, everything changed when I showed interest in comics. The fantasy-art style blew my little tween mind away! I read the issues over and over, staring at the artwork for hours before trying to recreate the elements that captured my attention. Though I copied much of it, I also tried to come up with my own characters and ideas.
From then on, illustrating became a crucial part of me. At first, it was all about the joy I found in creating imaginary worlds. I loved losing myself in the flow of creativity, where time seemed to slip away. As the years went on, drawing became a way for me to document my life and thoughts and helped me cope with my feelings whenever reality felt too overwhelming.
Back then, I still tinkered with brushes, canvases, and watercolors, but I was always drawn back to my trusty pencils and pens. I loved the simplicity of it, the way I could create something out of nothing with just a few strokes.
But above all else, drawing became something I simply loved doing; something I could not go long periods without. I never pressured myself to learn anything I didn't want to, and I never believed that I wasn't good enough to do something I really wanted to do. Who cared, really? Drawing was fun, and I did it for myself and myself only.
Choosing Art
2012 - 2019Workshops
Both of my parents have always been extremely supportive and helped me however they could throughout my journey. I never really looked into it, but I think my aunt was the one who introduced me to drawing teachers. Being the ambitious child I was, I asked my mom to sign me up. Even though I'm mostly self-taught, topics like anatomy seemed really daunting at the time, so having someone guide me through the basics made everything much easier to tackle.
For the first few years, I was taught the basics of drawing and painting by a private teacher, Virineya Würgler, and I'm forever grateful for her help. Later (I don't remember the reason) I switched to a different private teacher, Studio Petit Picasso, where I learned a lot about different techniques and mediums.
Highschool
When I was fourteen, I opened an Instagram account to share my art online. Some drawings were bad, while others only received one or two comments, but I felt over the moon! At school, my classmates started asking me for drawings, and I always happily complied. I notoriously doodled all over my school notes until no empty spaces were left, much to the detriment of my teachers. Whenever we had an assignment that required drawing of any kind, my classmates looked to me, the "art kid." It didn't take me long to see that I was able to do something others couldn't.
Covid-19
When the pandemic hit, I was in my last year of high school. It was a difficult time for everyone, but it gave me the opportunity to focus on my art. I started experimenting with digital art and animation, and I found a new passion. I created my first digital illustrations but never shared them on social media. I kept creating, and I improved with each piece. The pandemic gave me the time to explore my art style and develop my skills.
As my time in high school ended and everyone else grew excited for their future careers, I realized that I never really saw myself as an artist. Sure, I loved drawing, but I had absolutely no idea how to make a living out of it. Not having a close reference or footsteps to follow didn't help either. The future scared me, but I saw an opportunity to take an apprenticeship as an Interactive Media Designer. I thought it would be a good way to combine my love for art with a more secure job, and after I applied two years in a row with no success, I decided to go to an IT school instead. Not being able to pursue my dream job was a huge blow to my self-esteem, but I was determined to make the best out of it.
New Motivation
2022 - 2024NYC Trip
At the age of 18 I had the opportunity to visit New York City. It was an amazing experience that opened my eyes to new possibilities and inspirations. The vibrant feeling and urban energy of the city was truly inspiring, and I came back with a renewed sense of motivation to pursue my dreams, because in New York you can be a New Man and start all over again. This trip was a turning point in my life and it gave me the courage to pursue my passion.
First Internship
After studying at the IT school for three years, I was required to do an internship for the last two years in order to graduate with the Certificate of Competence. I was lucky enough to find a company that was willing to take me in as an intern. I was hired as a web developer, but I was also given multiple opportunities to work on graphic design projects. I was thrilled to be able to combine my passion for art with my technical skills. I learned a lot during my internship and gained valuable experience in web-application development.
During my internship, I realized not only the potential of combining art and technology but also the possibilities of working as a freelance artist. I started to take commissions, mainly from the office I was working at, and I was surprised by the positive feedback I received. This experience gave me the confidence to pursue more opportunities and to consider art as a viable money-making career.
"If you're good at something, never do it for free, right?"
After some research, I found out about the School of Visual Arts in New York City. I was immediately drawn to the idea of studying art in one of the greatest cities in the world. Because I still had to finish my apprenticeship, I couldn't apply right away. After some time, I decided to create my own website and expand my social media accounts to showcase my work and attract potential clients.
New Ideas In The Air
It's been now more than a year, since I started my internship. I am working full-time as a computer scientist with the specialization in application development. My job is to create and maintain computer applications for various clients. My job includes a wide range of tasks, such as designing user interfaces, writing code, troubleshooting and debugging, testing and documentation, and more. My work is challenging and rewarding, and I enjoy learning new things every day. Also I had started my freelance business in the meantime. The commissions I was getting were quite small, but they were a start and the feedback was positive.
I also finally picked up on "professional" photography, learning the ISO and aperture settings, as well as the composition of shots. One noteable example was my trip to Japan, where I went sightseeing, and did photography as a side hobby. I was lucky enough to be there, when the weather wasn't rainy as I was told, which gave me a chance to do some nice pictures, and upload them onto my website and social media pages. The photography was a nice addition, which helped me to build up a portfolio.
With new challenges comes fresh excitement. And with fresh excitement, come a few ideas. Along with my website growing and me opening a shop for future merchandise, I decided to create a brand, and have been looking into ways to further market myself. Now not only are there plans for video production, creating promotional graphics, photoshoots, programming the shop, and so on, I have planned on starting a podcast with a friend of mine.
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