RMRK Artist Spotlight #9: Justine Cruz and his Alien Pets

Hey NFT enthusiasts.

On this episode of RAS, we had a quick chat with talented illustrator and art director Justine Cruz, a crypto artist that resides in the Philippines.

The first thing one notices about Justine's work is the exciting characters at the center of it all. This isn't to suggest that the pencil work and paintwork are subpar. On the contrary, his sketching and paintwork are some of the best in the cryptoart space.

Check out some of his works and the interview below:

Q: How did you start your art career?

Justine Cruz:

I studied to become a nurse, but by the time I graduated, I couldn’t find any Nursing jobs here in the Philippines because of the oversaturation of nurses at the time. So I decided to do what I loved the most: drawing and painting.

Q: How did you get into NFTs?

Justine Cruz:

Months ago, I noticed the NFT trend and saw it as a chance to finally sell my digital artworks.

Q: What is your favorite kind of art to work on?

Justine Cruz:

Card game-related illustrations are my favorite. They let me enjoy what I love the most--painting.

Q: Tell us about your Alien Pets project and how it came to be

Justine Cruz:

I was inspired by some of the creature artists that I follow and hoped to make something from my own imagination. That, plus I also have a dog and wanted to create an alien version of him. :) Excited to share more!

Q: NFTs have provided accessibility and exposure to various forms of digital creations. Do you have new artists that you follow and what do you find interesting about them?

Justine Cruz:

I love the works of Peter Mohrbacher, Jason Chan, and James Jean. I just love their unique styles. They inspire me to improve on what I do.

Q: What is your creative process like?

Justine Cruz:

Nothing special really. It starts with collecting inspiration and references, sketching, and then painting until it's finished.

Q: What are your inspirations?

Justine Cruz:

Nothing specific. I am mostly inspired by the works of different artists.

Q: What are your goals in the NFT space?

Justine Cruz:

I want to be part of the growth of NFTs, I believe that this is the future of art.

Q: How do you see the NFT space shaping up?

Justine Cruz:

Slowly but surely.

Q: What exciting new stuff can we look forward to from you?

Justine Cruz:

I will continue this Alien series and will start another one the Mask series. :)

What do you think of Justine's art? Great stuff, right? His Artstation page is an artist's dream. Looking through the different characters, it's hard to stop myself from dreaming up backstories for them.

We had a good time chatting with Justine and are looking forward to future installments to his Alien Pet series. You can catch up with him on Twitter.

Know any interesting crypto artists doing something cool, wild, or groundbreaking? Drop a comment and we'd love to check them out.

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