Bored Panda reached out to Landysh, the artistic soul behind Lingvistov, to learn more about the comics and how her creative journey has shaped these amusing cat-centric creations. She has been drawing cat comics for a while now, so we were curious about how she thinks her drawing style has changed over the years and if there were any significant moments or things that inspired her along the way. "Practice is obviously the key," the artist shared. "My style has changed and is changing—it's an inevitable and rewarding process for any artist. You get to play and experiment, choosing things that you think work the best!"
"I believe I've become better at using color and form, although a lot is still challenging for me. For example, I'd like to be more succinct, and it's still hard for me to convey more subtle emotions. In that case, I like to look at mangas—the Japanese artists are so good at showing all human emotions in one small picture! Besides, I admire some modern illustrators, such as Pascal Campion (his ideas and observations inspire me) and Pernille Ørum (I love her use of color)."
Whether you're an artist, writer, or anyone navigating the creative terrain, unlocking inspiration can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Thinking about that, we asked Landysh to share any specific rituals or routines she follows to get into the creative mindset. "My therapist told me that I need a ritual to switch to a creative artistic mode. And I realized that smells are a powerful tool! For me, this ritual now is brewing coffee - it helps me start. Another thing I do - I try not to push myself. I have one or two drawings scheduled for a week, not ten or fifteen like I used to - this way I can enjoy the process, avoid burnout, and actually accomplish more! It's important to have a hobby and do something physical. I have been swimming competitively for six years! This helps me not to get sucked into the black hole of self-doubt and overthinking."
Among all the comics she's created, we wondered if Landysh has a personal favorite or one that holds special significance. The artist shared that there are a number of comics that are important to her. "They usually involve my mom," like the one about taking care of plants. "There are some comics [like this one and this one] about my older cat Augustus, who is 20 years old. When I see these comics, I remember some funny episodes from my past."
"And these [this and this one] are comics about my little tuxedo cat Hoshiko. We spent the quarantine together and she was with me during some tough times. She was a playful little kitten! I love looking at these comics! Now she's a serious lady."
