Tiffany Rankin is an Art of Austin artist! Read her interview to get to know more about her and her work!
Tiffany Rankin
AoA – How long have you been an Austin based artist and how did you find your way here?
Tiffany – I have been in Austin for 18 years. I moved out here to be closer to my family. I fell in love with the place and have never left!
AoA – When did you realize that you were an artist?
Tiffany – I came from a creative family. So I’ve been drawing since I was five, but I didn’t feel truly like an artist until I was 19. I created a rendition of one of my paintings in my own style, but I had so much fun doing it–it was an epiphany that this was what I would do for the rest of my life
AoA – Can you speak to your art training?
Tiffany – I’m mostly self-taught, but I did attend art school. So I have a background in Graphic Design.
AoA – Where do you find inspiration?
Tiffany – I’m a HUGE history buff. In particular, ancient and medieval. So a lot of my inspiration comes from books and documentaries. Also within that mix I have a tendency to focus on a woman’s pov. The time periods that I focus on had a tendency to write out women. I have let the heroine speak her own tale.
AoA – What is your work concerned with?
Tiffany – I am concerned with women’s role in the past, present, and future. I strive not to tell the viewer what to feel, but I hope that they get something from my work. If I can create at least a dialogue that makes me happy.
AoA – What are your preferred medium(s)?
Tiffany – My preferred use of medium is acrylic ink, but I’m starting to transition more into oils. Inks will always be my first love.
AoA – Can you talk a little about your creative processes?
Tiffany – My creative process varies, but I have an inspiration wall where I collect varies images or color palette. Once an idea starts to simmer I’ll sketch out a composition. Depending on how large or detailed the work is I might convert that sketch onto my computer where I can play with different color palettes. Larger pieces I will complete a “clean” sketch. Next I’ll convert this drawing by way of a grid. I clean up the grid marks with white paint and begin the underpainting. If I want a warmer effect I use burnt sienna. For a neutral tone I use gray.
AoA – Do you have any feelings towards Digital Art versus traditional mediums?
Tiffany – My work is on the traditional side but I’m all for digital art. I think there’s just as much complexity in creating a composition digitally as there is traditionally.
AoA – Who are some artists that you look to?
Tiffany – Alphonse Mucha, Koloman Moser, Gerda Wegener, Hannah Yata, and John William Waterhouse are a few artists that inspire my work.
AoA – If you could own 1 piece from a living artist, who would it be?
Tiffany – Hannah Yata for sure. I love the colors, and the sense of movement in her art.
AoA – Big question. What do you feel the role of art is in the world?
Tiffany – I think the role of art in this world is based on a person to person basis. Whatever the case, the simplest answer is to feel.
AoA – What else do you enjoy besides making art?
Tiffany – Besides making art I enjoy writing fantasy stories. I love reading, traveling, people-watching, and spending time with family and friends.
AoA – Where can we find your work? Do you have any shows planned for the future?
Tiffany – You can find my work in several places. First on my website tiffanyinkart.com. Also on instagram, where I have two pages @tiffanyrankin_art and @apothecarylore. I also have a Youtube channel called Fae Nite. I’m currently working on some pieces for a solo show in September at Link & Pin. I’m really excited about that and hope people will appreciate the direction I’m going with the collection.
AoA – Any final advice for all the artists reading out there?
Tiffany – The advice I can give to other artists reading this is to keep going. Your art matters if you feel it matters. The rest will fall into place if you just keep at it.
Connect with Tiffany!