The GIRUDO Artist Feature series brings visibility to the artists who participate in and create work for the anime, comic, fantasy, and gaming spaces. As part of GIRUDO’s launch, we have commissioned original artworks from select artists to bring the GIRUDO platform to life. Today, we interviewed one of these artists, Alyse Stewart.
Alyse Stewart (they/them) is an illustrator from Manteo, NC with a passion for creating and telling stories. They work in a variety of mediums both traditionally and digitally, as well as a variety of subject matters and genres (but fantasy is their favorite). Alyse has done work in the tabletop gaming industry as well as the book publishing world, with some of their clients including Hit Point Press, LitJoy Crate, Panakal Art, Elizabethan Gardens, and many independent or private commissions.
GIRUDO: Thanks for joining us, Alyse! Tell us a bit about your style and how you came to develop your identity: what or who inspired you as a young artist, and where do you draw inspiration from today?
Alyse: I appreciate you having me! My style comes from a blend of realism and stylization. A lot of the artists who’ve inspired me throughout my life were those whose drawings pushed the stylization of their subjects via exaggerated forms, expressions, and so forth. I especially loved this kind of stylization when it was blended with elements of realism, whether that be through lighting, color, or rendering. Something about bringing the wonderful and whimsical into the realm of reality always intrigued me. Artists like Tony DiTerlizzi, Clare Wendling, Jesper Ejsing, and Justin Gerard have been some of my greatest inspirations, even since I was a kid. When I was young, I carried around Tony DiTerlizzi’s Spiderwick Field guide everywhere I went, and must have copied every drawing in the book, trying to learn how he drew the way he did!
GIRUDO: When we look at your portfolio, this certainly shows! You’re no stranger to the gaming community and have done work for a variety of clients. For GIRUDO’s launch, you were asked to create three original artworks. What was your first reaction?
Alyse: When I was approached by GIRUDO about this project I was very excited! I loved the idea of Girudo being a place for this wonderful gaming community to connect with one another, and to be able to contribute some original art to this space makes me feel so proud! It’s because of games like Magic: the Gathering and Dungeon & Dragons that I started pursuing Fantasy Illustration as a career, and the more I’ve gone down that path both in my professional and personal life, the more fulfilled I’ve felt. I’ve met some of my closest friends because of this community and I’m so excited to be a part of something that will help foster that community even more!
GIRUDO: Tell us about one of the works you created for us. Can you share a bit about your process and what you want us to take away from it?
Alyse: The one I had the most fun creating would probably have to be Regdum, the Architect. I envisioned a god-like knight who was a protector or guardian of civilization. I already had the image in my head of an enormous statue-like figure, with their armor being a massive city itself, but turning this into reality was a challenge. I love a challenge though, so figuring out the structure, the armor-city, and the perspective on this massive figure overlooking a sprawling landscape was so much fun and made it my favorite!
This piece for me is a celebration of human ingenuity, with many of the references for this piece I used having been based in art history and architecture. I hope looking at it instills a feeling of pride for all we’ve accomplished as humanity, but also the hope for a brighter, more united and peaceful tomorrow.
GIRUDO: Love it. Since we’re talking about the future, if you had a dream commission – anything in the world for any client – what would it be? Why?
Alyse: While there are many dream clients who I’d love to do work for, my real ‘dream commission’ would be to illustrate my own worlds and stories. I want to create my own games, and books, etc., and to share them with people, who can find excitement and inspiration in them to create their own works. I’d love to open doors to work with other creatives to create even more things like this. I also have a great passion for the things I create that I come up with, and one day would love to be able to share those projects with the world.
GIRUDO: Spoken like a true creator. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. To wrap things up, please give us a message that you would like to share with the GIRUDO community.
Alyse: A message for any aspiring artists out there: Whether you are an artist well into your training or you’re just starting out, I want to say that you are wonderful, and to keep going on your artistic journey! Art can be a very scary thing, it can even feel impossible to pursue at times, but creativity is something that everyone has in one way or another. Don’t be afraid to explore that creativity in whatever form you wish! Whether your goal is to become a professional or you just want to explore it as a hobby, know that you are good enough and with enough time and practice anything is possible. If you are ever feeling down, or unsure about what to do next, remind yourself to create like you’re a kid again, and the rest will fall into place!
Note: Interview edited for context and clarity.
For more information, please visit: Art of Alyse Stewart
