Artist Feature: Dood
“My childhood dream has always been to be a comic book artist... After seeing Lore Olympus, I realized that time was passing and other creative, talented people were following their dreams, while I wasn’t. So I got down to the drawing table and started plotting my own story.”
Dood is a Romanian artist publishing her first comic, Knights of Lion, on Webtoon. Lore Olympus is one of the sources of her strength and inspiration in following her passion for comics.
How long have you done art? What mediums have you tried?
I’ve done art for as long as I can remember, since I could hold a pencil in my chubby baby hands. My mother had to put paper on the walls so I could draw on them! I started as any kid with pencils and xerox paper, but it was when I was about 8 years old when my mother noticed my growing passion for painting and signed me up for lessons with a tutor.
My art journey thus began in second grade, with an overly patient teacher trying to get me to stop mixing ALL the colors. I stopped taking art lessons two years later in favor of “real” studying and have been self-taught ever since.
I’ve explored a long list of mediums, but here are some of my favourites: pencils, pastels, charcoal, tempera, oils on canvas and wood, quilling, collage, origami, inks, sculpting in clay, colored modelling clay, and others. My absolute love is watercolor, because it’s easy and to the point, but also allows for corrections. Whenever I travel I take my watercolor set with me and paint my favourite spots. Painting in watercolor is as comfortable to me as speaking, and I see it as an extension of my body.
My default medium is digital, and I use an IPad and the app Procreate. I tend to be impatient and I have lots of ideas that I want to express as fast as possible, so digital art is the most convenient way to do that.
How would you describe your style?
I think most people would describe my style as cinematic digital painting, because it resembles the concept art from studios such as Disney and Pixar. I keep away from lineart and focus on light and color. My priority is always to express a message, a feeling or an action, and I prioritize these aspects over details and flashy techniques. I’m always looking for that happy middle where the viewer understands what I want to say, while hopefully finding some beauty in my work.
This being said, I most enjoy using vibrant colors and I do my best to make each work unique and brand new. The world is a wide place and our time here is too short to not explore it as much as we can. I’m in love with life and that is the message of my work at all times.
Tell us your Lore Olympus story.
I found Lore Olympus when I was researching platforms where I could publish my own comics. At the time, the beginning of 2020, LO was the most popular webcomic on the Webtoon app and I was curious about it. I was ready to learn from the best and I didn’t expect to become a devoted fan from the first 10 episodes.
Surprisingly, the characters didn’t win me from the start and the early style seemed simplistic. But the story had a charm and humour that kept me reading and before I noticed I had read everything available. It was clear to me that Rachel (our beloved UsedBandAid) was incredibly talented, the story was clear, the episodes were well paced, the characters were unique and easy to identify… As a marketing and mythology nerd, I was IN LOVE. I was so excited I instantly asked all my best friends to read it, and 3 of them became hardcore fans too.
What I most enjoy in Lore Olympus is the immersive universe, the unique take on the Greek Mythos, and especially the Easter Eggs and subtle references. I get incredibly excited whenever I spot a new detail and I fall even more in love with the story. I’m also a fan of Rick Riordan’s books for the same reason.
How has the fandom received your work?
It was July 2020 when I made my first Lore Olympus fanart and at the time I wasn’t considering joining a community. I posted a fanart of Persephone on my Instagram account and it blew up. It had 10 times more likes and views than any other post on my account. I was very surprised but also intrigued. So I made a few more posts and very soon I was approached by other fans.
My first interaction with a member of the LO community was wholesome and sweet and I’m very grateful for that. It really shows the values and qualities of our fandom. Jamie (@_hebe_jebbies) approached me and requested a commission. I was flattered and excited and took her order. While working together or the drawing we started talking about Lore Olympus and became friends. By following Jamie and taking part in events I got to know so many amazing and warm and friendly people. I don’t have the words to express how welcome I felt when drawing in this fandom. I appreciate every single friend I made here, especially the wonderful people at Lore Olympians. I feel like the Lore Olympus fandom is a big family.
Which Lore Olympus fan art are you most proud of and why?
I had a few paintings that were very complex and others that became pretty popular in the fandom. However, none of those are my favourite. The one I’m most proud of is a painting of Hecate as a traditional witch, with a pointy hat and a wand. It was a commission for our fellow friend Jessie (@cat_shaped_pancakes). I just love this piece because it’s calming and whimsical, and I did my best with anatomy, clothing and details. Not to mention that it expresses my love for chaos girl Hecate. That particular drawing is the one I’d put on a business card.
If you could body snatch one LO character for a day, who would it be?
Please give me Hecate! She is my favourite of the cast, her chaotic vibes are very relatable. I want to see what kind of business she handles for Hades, how far can her powers stretch, how she looks in a swimming suit… Normal stuff, you know? I also want to know more about her personal life: does she go out on the weekends? Does she have other friends outside of work? What’s her favourite snack? Does she have a skincare and workout routine? I need more data on Hecate!
Do you have any goals or aspirations for your fan art?
My childhood dream has always been to be a comic book artist. In my teenage years I decided to become an architect in order to have a stable job, but my love for art never left me. Now I’m looking into becoming a full time graphic artist and illustrator, while investing most of my free time into drawing my own Webtoon, Knights of the Lion. After seeing Lore Olympus, I realised that time was passing and other creative talented people were following their dreams, while I wasn’t. So I got down to the drawing table and started plotting my own story.
The heart and soul of my art and of Knights of the Lion is the bravery behind accepting yourself. As a bisexual woman, I share through my characters the values And lessons I wish I’d known earlier: how important it is to be true to yourself and change for the better, how much you can harm yourself and others if you go against your own path, and how some parts of us are simply fixed and cannot be changed!
Any advice for someone looking to build their art skills?
I have so much advice I could give, but I’ll do my best to make an easy to follow summary:
Start using references for anatomy, backgrounds, color palettes, etc.
Imitate the artists you like - figure out what you like in their art and do it too! For example I really liked Angel’s (@silverwillow99) shading and highlights, so I tried to see how my own art would look with some stronger highlights.
Draw daily. On the days when you don’t feel like it, take a notepad and doodle the smallest thing you can think of. Make it fun, the stranger the better. Is it Hades with a duck beak? GOOD! Is it 20 doodles of rats? Also good! The point is to keep your mind active and your hand loose.
Have fun. The point of each of your drawings should be to make something new and fun. After you pick your references and inspiration, add your own fun to it. That is the key to art that makes you happy. Ultimately, you do it for yourself, and you are the only one who needs to be entertained by it.
Make art that makes you smile!
Just for fun: Who did you get on our Hades' dog character quiz?
I got J.P., the cone baby! And honestly, I agree. I do like to listen to indie rock and read poetry, I am pretty distracted and daydream a lot. That puts me at high risk of breaking some bones needing a cone, haha! The quiz was super fun, by the way! You had me dying at “Whatever daddy has” because I have a very dirty mind. The term “daddy” will never be the same.
Dood is a 23 years old Romanian artist, with a diploma in Marketing and Economics, and currently studying Architecture and Urbanism at a University in Bucharest, Romania. She loves making friends and teaching, but has a tendency to commit to way too many projects at once. In 2020, Dood decided to follow her childhood dream and create a fantasy comic book, called Knights of the Lion and published on Webtoon. Dood cites Lore Olympus as one of her sources of motivation and inspiration, as well as one of the sources of her strength in following her passion for comics. You can follow and work with Dood at:
