Bryce Parr-
Randi Hoyt is a fourth year student in entertainment design at University of Wisconsin–Stout. She has a concentration in comics and sequential art. Hoyt plans to graduate in December of 2018.
What sparked your interest in art?
I have always had an interest in creating. I would create characters for myself and eventually started drawing from life and creating stories. I decided that art was something I was passionate about and thought to myself, ‘this is what I need to do to be happy.’ I became really interested in drawing the environment when I got to college. This is when I knew comics was the right fit and that studio art was something I could do for fun on the side.
What styles or mediums do you prefer?
My favorite mediums have to be watercolor comics/illustration and white charcoal on black paper. Watercolor has such a flow and softness that creates a strong emotional aspect to a story. I use white charcoal on black paper when I create realistic portraits; it’s like drawing in reverse. Instead of shading the dark areas, I like to draw where the light is.
Do you take influence from any artists in particular?
I am really interested in Arthur Rackham, Rockwell Kent and Emily Carroll’s works. These artists and illustrators create strong visual stories, an emotional tether with the viewer and have unique styles that separate their work from other artists. Their work greatly influences my approach as an artist.
Are there any projects that stood out during your career at Stout?
The semester of Spring 2018, my comics class did a project about an important person in history. I was given a woman who made a big difference for the environment in Kenya: Wangari Maathai. I got to create a six page comic about her life. I was very proud of this project. I completed this comic in ink and watercolor. It was accepted into three different galleries at Stout and I feel it is one of my strongest pieces. I got to explore someone’s life and recreate it in a comic.
What are your plans after graduation?
I just recently obtained a job at Kari’s Create and Paint Studio in Stillwater, MN. However, I would like to continue my work as a freelance illustrator, comic artist and studio artist. As long as I am involved in the arts and I get to use the skills that I have developed throughout my time at UW–Stout, I know that I will learn and grow from there and push to be the artist I want to become.
