Design Dept: Spotlight’s On Betsy Continuado

Thousands and thousands of artists are emerging in today’s new generation. They all shadow unique aesthetics and styles as they aspire of making a mark in the industry. Meet one of the freshest talents on the rise, Betina ‘Betsy’ Continuado . She took up Fine Arts major in Advertising at University of Santo Tomas. She creates dainty artworks as seen in some local pop-up shops.

To get to know more about Betsy, we asked her a few questions.
How did your passion for creating illustrations start?
My uncle was a huge influence to me when I was a kid. I would draw with him all the time and from then on I just never stopped drawing. At a pretty young age, I realized that “Hey, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life” and that I was going to take this art thing seriously. Thankfully, my parents were supportive and had my back.

How would you describe your style and what makes it unique?
As of the moment, I am still discovering myself as an artist and I’ve only recently settled on more or less a consistent style. My current style right now has a lot of western influences and looks very feminine and twee. I appreciate my style as it is right now but hopefully it’ll still evolve and explore other themes.

Where do you seek inspiration in creating artworks?
I find inspiration in a lot of places. It could be a song that I like, a certain emotion, or whatever thing I think is cool. Probably, my main sources of inspiration are the artists I look up to.

What are your influences?
Pin ups and illustrations from the early 20th century especially from the 60s to 70s have been heavily influencing my art. I just love the look and feel of old comic books and adverts. Al Parker and Roy Lichtenstein are a couple of my favs from that era.

What is the best thing about being an illustrator?
I think the best thing about being an illustrator is being able to create. To take your idea and make it into a visual thing that you can share with people is kind of amazing when you think about it.

Which do you prefer, being an artist or designer? Tell us why.
I’ll always be an illustrator first and second a designer. Illustrating is what I enjoy doing the most. If I had to choose one thing to do for the rest of my life it would be that.

Can you tell us how do you overcome creative block? Do you have any tips on creativity that you can share?
Sometimes, I think a creative block is your brain’s way of telling you that you need to take a break. It’s good to take a breather once in a while but it shouldn’t stop you from trying to think of new ideas. Writing your ideas down help even if you think they’re pretty stupid. Try not to get frustrated or beat yourself up over it; a good one will come up eventually.

How do you see the future of graphic design in the Philippines?
I would say the future is looking bright. The local art community is alive and thriving. More and more artists are getting their art out there. There’s definitely a lot to look forward to.

What are your words to live by?
“Finished not perfect”! It took me a while to learn this. For a long time I felt self-conscious of my art and felt that most of my works weren’t good enough. I haven’t completely gotten over that feeling but now I just do not care and I’ll just post my art anyway.

See more of Betsy’s works by following her on Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram.

Betsy’s creations are part of the newest Design Dept. September 2017 Collection #TheFutureIsNow.
Get yours now and visit us at 3F Valdelcon Building, 20 Jupiter St. Brgy. Bel-Air, Makati. Also, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Categories Art + Design, Collection, Design Dept., Products