When record temperatures put paid to our plans for a Great Gatsby-inspired cover shoot, we called on Ana Caspão to illustrate us all looking suave and sophisticated - and it’s safe to say she did not disappoint. We hear all about how she put together this proper swanky piece…
Tell us a bit about yourself...
My name is Ana Caspão, I was born in lovely Portugal and lived most of my life close to the beach. Even with this natural luxury, my usual habitat was in my room drawing relentlessly, something that was paired with a healthy dose of video games. When I was about to hit young adulthood I decided to go study the arts and since then I haven't been quite the same. After many adventures, I now find myself in Nottingham hoping to explore more of the city and the UK.
What was the biggest challenge you faced from creating this cover?
I knew it would be difficult to have so many people in one illustration and keep it cohesive. So I looked for inspiration from the work of Sterling Hundley and 1920s artists like Erté and George Barbiert. In the end, though, it was just a matter of taking a deep breath, trusting what you do and getting to work.
Tell us about some projects you’ve worked on in the past...
One of the standouts was with the institution Cineclube do Porto; they asked illustrators to draw something related to their film exhibitions. Some of my favourite drawings came from the unique experience of having to watch a film and finding out how to reflect the substance of it compellingly, especially to an audience that might be completely unaware of the specific director's work.
What have you got planned for the future?
I'm trying to find my place in the UK. It's very difficult coming to a new country without most of my family, old friendships, habits and especially the art community I loved to participate in. All in all, I know many drawings await me and it's one of those things the future will always have for me. So if I can share that with a community, the coming years will look bright!
Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers?
Life can be tough, but through art we can make it a bit easier for ourselves!
anacaspao.com
@anacaspao
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