Zary is a digital artist from the Czech Republic who primarily uses Photoshop and Procreate. Her impressive graphic work is characterized by organic textures, atmospheric environments, and balanced compositions. While her first creations were made with traditional mediums, Zary’s digital art journey began a little over a decade ago upon receiving her first tablet at 14 years old, and she hasn’t turned back since.

DIGITAL ART
It’s not uncommon for people to believe that digital painting must be treated like traditional art in order for artists to be considered “good” at it, but constantly evolving technology allows for artists to create compelling visuals with digital elements that normally would not have been seen before in media.

In Zary’s experience, “I really enjoy when digital art is treated like it’s digital. You get to have so many layers, do all these clipping masks, and change colors, and it feels so good.” With a chuckle, she added, “I usually have like 400 layers.”

In her more recent pieces, Zary has been experimenting and having fun with a digital brush that applies numerous little triangles instead of the standard pen- or brush-like stroke.

“Having a triangle brush is not something you get to do in traditional art. I like to use it for fire because it’s more organic, and you don’t know exactly where the triangles are going to go.”

A common theme throughout Zary’s personal art is the visually striking presence of fire. Her fascination arises from an avid interest in dynamic lighting and expressing the sense of movement, both of which distinguish the overall scope of her portfolio. As her style developed to become more graphic over time, fire became the perfect subject to combine all of her favorite aspects about creating art.

PROCESS AND SHAPE DESIGN
Close inspection of Zary’s artwork provokes the realization that the objects are established from generally simple shapes. Her ability to create the impression of detail without cluttering the composition exhibits not only many years of design practice, but also mindfulness in the elements she chooses to emphasize or omit in the design: “You have to learn how to make the shapes simple because it’s easier to just try to make it as complex as possible.”

To overcome the common paralysis of having to put down the initial marks on a blank canvas, Zary begins the early stages of her paintings by laying down the basic shapes with a mouse, rather than a stylus. By using a less comfortable tool, she focuses less on the details and is forced to make quicker decisions to propel her progress forward. She will then switch back to the comfort of her tablet for the remainder of the piece.

“When you’re painting, there are always some parts that you will not enjoy. I start with the parts that I hate, so that I have something to look forward to… It’s more enjoyable when the fundamentals and the basic shapes are right from the beginning, and then you can focus on the fun parts.”

Follow Zary on Instagram @zarydoesart
Visit her website at www.petraramesova.com