Pandemic hits
Interview
Fida Spoke to artist Margarida Carvalho
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When did you first get into drawing?
I've always liked to draw since being a child, in school it was one of my favourite subjects. I started drawing clothes when I was about 12/13 years old, but then when I went to high school I ended up not going to the arts course but rather the scientific one, so around that time I kind of stopped drawing. Later when I went to college to study dental prosthetics I slowly got back into drawing and at that time I was really into drawing street style, celebrities red carpet looks, ... everything I was drawing was always very much fashion oriented. But it was not until the pandemic hit and I got fired from my job that I discovered the Fida page on Instagram and that really changed the way I looked into fashion illustration and it made me dive into it a lot more! By seeing these beautiful art created by these amazing artists it opened my eyes and made me realise that drawing all things fashion was very much a valid possibility. And now for about a year and half I've been working part-time and dedicating my free time to drawing more and exploring this passion of mine!
Why did you choose to make fashion part of your inspiration?
I always loved fashion, clothes and dressing up. When I was younger I was obsessed with watching America's Next Top Model and Fashion TV. And then when Instagram came around it was an absolute dream because I could follow all the models, the designers, the brands, the photographers, the stylists... And that is pretty much where I get my inspiration from. I'm very drawn to the beauty of the clothes, the colours, the make-up... so when I see something that I love and that gives me joyful feelings I end up drawing it.
What is your particular working day as a creative?
I don't do this full time and I'm not a professional (never been to art school and I don't have formal training) so I just do it because I'm passionate about it and I love it, and it's something I've been improving over the years. On my non-working days I look for inspiration, look at fashion shows, sketch, draw and that is pretty much it. 3 - What tools do you use when creating your images? Growing up I used to paint a lot with acrylic, but recently I've been mostly using colour pencils, sometimes some watercolour markers, some wax pastels and oil pastels.
Who or what has influenced you over the years as an artist?
I would say the women in my family have definitely influenced and shaped me into the woman I am today. My mom, my grandma, my sisters (I'm the youngest of three) have taught me so much over the years, they are the women I aspire to be: kind, smart, hard-working,... I think this is why I'm so drawn into drawing women, because I'm inspired by their strength, their beauty. I've also been drawing a lot of women of colour because I believe that representativity and inclusivity are extremely important and it has been so inspiring to see these black women thrive in the fashion industry. I'm drawn by their power and their presence, and obviously their beauty!
What advice do you have for younger artists looking to be part of this industry?
I don't really think I'm “qualified” to be giving this type of advice because I don't have the background. But I guess what I can say is that if you love something you should go for it, even if you think you don't have the skills. Yes, it can be very daunting, but you can always learn on the way and if it makes you feel good, why not give it a go?!!
"I think fashion art has become equal in the world of fine art so being a fine artist is of course a tough field to break into. I don’t think it has stopped anyone from making beautiful art."
L.Steinberg
What are you drawing today? Music are you listening to?
Books that you are reading?
Favourite artist/designer at the moment? Right now I'm drawing Amanda Murray (aka @londongirlinnyc) . She's a personal stylist and brand consultant and she's someone I admire a lot! She's always impeccably well dressed and she's someone that breathes fashion and lives for it, that's why she's a huge inspiration (probably my favourite person to follow on Instagram). I've been listening to a lot of Amber Mark, Snoh Aalegra, Arlo Parks, Maggie Rogers, Haim, ... I'm always listening to music, I love it especially when I'm drawing. I'm reading this book called "Women in Art - 50 Fearless Creatives Who Inspired the World", it is written and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky. My favorite artist at the moment is CJ Hendry (I'm obsessed with her), I've also been a big fan of Connie Lim (I've been following her on Instagram for a really long time), I've also discovered and became a fan of most the of the artists featured on the Fida page. Favorite designer at the moment: Christopher John Rogers, Jonathan Anderson, Thebe Magugu, Constança Entrudo, ... there are so many!