Lilit Sarkisian - blogger, fashion illustrator, editor

Lilit Sarkisian is a fashion illustrator from Ukraine. She worked at Ukrainian Fashion Week shows, prepared invitations for the show of designer Maria Bekh as part of the Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days. In addition, Lilith is the publisher and editor-in-chief of TheNorDar, an Armenian-Ukrainian magazine about culture and art.

1. When did you first see fashion illustration?

When I drew it. Many years later, one artist rather sharply told me that I do not paint pictures, but illustrations. He wanted to offend me. Like, do not call a painting that is just an illustration.

2.What was the reason for your desire to become a fashion illustrator?

The raisin is that I do not consider myself either a fashion or any other "platformer" illustrator. I like to call a spade a spade. I still need to find myself in illustration in order to boldly say: I am an illustrator. Generally speaking, though, I believe that being an illustrator is not a luxury. An illustrator is an ordinary interpreter. No more.
Plus, I'm more proud of my editorial accomplishments. For over a year now I have been publishing TheNorDar, an Armenian-Ukrainian magazine about culture. This is colossal work, colossal experience and colossal development. Gathering a team, defining a concept, creating a quality non-commercial product is worth a lot. People often ask me: "So are you an illustrator or an editor?" I do not see any problem to be both in parallel. By the way, we publish works of illustrators in the magazine. For each issue of the issue, I personally draw thematic illustrations.

3.With what tools do you create your work?

Since most often I draw "on the go", because the rhythm of life is crazy, I use simple materials - liner, ink, pencil. Working on more serious projects, I also add watercolors and time to all of the above. I love that the illustration combines two extremes: a rough liner and a light watercolor. I like simple works. Honest. No screaming. Simple ink lines and watercolor transparency help me with this.

4. How would you describe the style of your work?

I do not like to characterize something. Moreover, something of their own. I do - period. No dashes, commas, or ellipsis.

5. What should a fashion illustrator know and be able to do?

A fashion illustrator must have moral capital and a little knowledge of fashion. If at all it is possible to understand it.

6. Today in the West, fashion illustration is becoming more and more popular, we can even talk about the revival of interest in this type of art, but what about our latitudes? Are fashion illustrators in demand in Ukraine?

We should understand one important thing: today people are in demand who do and know how to promote themselves. It doesn't matter if they illustrate fashion, depict the menstrual period in the form of a flower, or improvise with the image of shit, for example, if you know what I mean.

7.What fashion illustrators work do you like and, possibly, serve as a source of inspiration for your creativity?

I am not inspired by the work of illustrators. Maestros have always been my teachers. Gino Ruber, Alphonse Mucha, Martiros Sarian, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Salvador Dali. There is such a lump in their works that you can draw, draw and draw. But there are some great aspiring illustrators who have partnered with TheNorDar magazine, and I love what they do. For example, the pencil works of Marina Murycheva. Or book illustrations by Evgenia Gaydamaka.

8. What inspires you?

Beautiful people with strong character. Very often they are beautiful only for me.
Errors.
People who know how to forgive. Unspoken words. Feelings beyond words. Concerts of performers whom I listened to all my childhood on cassettes and disks.
Armenia.
Children. Especially children.
Trips.
Delicious books that you want to eat letter by letter, point by point. In which you want to live.Part of which you want to become. The last such book was the novel by Fannie Flagg "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Polustanok Cafe."
French films. Especially the arthouse.
Collections of Maria Bekh, for whom I prepared invitations to the last show as part of the Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days. And especially, the concept of her new collection, which is still under development.

Inspiration is something about which there is always something to say and every time you don't really want to.

9. Your motto for life.

Don't lose yourself.