Meet Ariana Cimino | Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ariana Cimino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ariana, how do you think about risk?
The way I think about taking risks is that in life we should all take risks even if we are afraid to because it could lead to success and happiness. Taking risks, even small ones, is needed in order to progress in life. Pursuing a career in art is a big risk I took. I was hesitant about what I wanted to do with my life career wise. I always loved to draw and paint as a child. I would doodle on any paper that was in front of me, even school work and my teachers would either praise my drawings or tell me to focus on my actual school work. In middle school I began to draw frequently and the art I was making reflected how I was feeling. As I got older people began to ask me “what do you want to be when you grow up?” or “what do you want to study in college?” I always got nervous because I had no idea what I wanted to do. It wasn’t till my junior year of high school when I started taking my art more seriously. I had to quickly develop a strong portfolio of artworks to submit to the art schools I wanted to apply to. When I was accepted into my first choice, The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, I was intimidated at first, being in an atmosphere with so many talented individuals, but I was excited to start a new journey and actually get to focus and improve my artistic and creative skills. Despite the opinions of people saying that going to art school will be a big mistake and waste of money and time, I was willing to take that risk and follow my dream. After four years of art school, I would say I’m happy that I took the risk of going because not only have I learned a lot, I’ve grown as an artist and a person. Even though being fresh out of art school I am not getting a lot of work, the passion I have for art is still there and I keep striving to reach new goals.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m an illustrator based in Staten Island, New York. I graduated in May 2023 from The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan with a BFA in Illustration. I have experience making promotional signs for businesses as well as art for special occasions. Displaying my art across social media platforms has resulted in me being commissioned to make pet portraits and even people portraits. My art has also been featured on LINK screens across NYC, which was a very proud moment for me. Another memorable moment was when I went on a cruise this past summer. I decided to bring my sketchbook and drawing supplies on board. I would wake up early and draw on the lido deck. As I would draw, many people would come up to me and praise my art. Someone suggested that I draw the cruise director and I thought it was a great idea. I spent the last few days on the cruise spending some hours in the morning drawing the cruise director. More and more people came up to me and would check back to see if I was still drawing and to see the progress I made. When I showed the cruise director the drawing he was shocked and speechless. Seeing his reaction and how grateful he was, was an unforgettable moment that brought me so much happiness. This experience was another proud moment for me and I felt appreciated for the work I made. When I first started college the art I was making was more serious and realistic. As I learned more and exposed myself to other artists, I realized that my art didn’t have to be realistic and it could be more playful. While I do like making realistic people and pet portraits, the art I love making the most are colorful, loose and creative illustrations. I work in a variety of traditional mediums, primarily gouache. My love for animals, especially dogs, is prominent in most of my art work. The world is full of so many dark and cruel things and I want my art to make people laugh, smile and put them in a good mood. I try to incorporate my child self through the expressive marks I make and the playful colors I use. My biggest dream is to illustrate/ make children’s books. While still focusing on illustration work on the side I currently work part time as an after school counselor for elementary school children. I showed them the art I’ve made and they were so excited and surprised at the work I’ve done. Seeing their reactions to my work and the praise and encouragement they give me continues to inspire me to keep doing what I’m doing and to not give up on this creative career path even though it’s not been easy. I’ve had many people tell me it would be a difficult career path with low income and it would be a big mistake. While it is challenging and discouraging sometimes, especially after recently graduating, for me, doing what makes me happy especially in a career aspect is the most important thing.
Through my years in art school I noticed almost all of my peers worked digitally on their ipads or computers while I would bring traditional mediums with me to class everyday. I’ve always shied away from using technology to make my art because I was so comfortable using physical materials and enjoyed using them. I tried drawing digitally but I didn’t enjoy it and everything I drew that was done completely digitally, didn’t have the same quality as the art I made traditionally. In my junior year I was in a class where I was the only one who worked with traditional mediums. The professor and my peers would often point out I didn’t work digitally and I would feel intimidated and felt as a disadvantage. After talking to my other professors who work traditionally as well, they encouraged me to keep using the mediums I enjoy but to use digital methods to my advantage. I invested in a flatbed scanner instead of taking photos of my art and used adobe photoshop to adjust the levels appropriately to look closer to the original painting/ drawing. I also learned ways to adjust the colors and make changes digitally so I wouldn’t have to risk messing up the original. I recently started using procreate to make some refinements and minor changes to paintings. I wish I had learned these skills earlier. Learning to not be afraid of using digital means has helped me tremendously and has made me a better artist.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Staten Island, New York but having gone to college in Manhattan has given me the opportunity to explore New York more. One of the days would start off by taking my best friend on the Staten Island Ferry to go into Manhattan. There are amazing and beautiful views of New York City’s famous landmarks that you can see while on the Ferry. No matter what season, there are so many activities to do and things to see around the city. When we get into Manhattan I would love to start the day getting a coffee from a local coffee shop and walking through Central Park. We could sit in the park and maybe draw a little and then make our way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There is so much to see in this museum we can spend so many hours there and spend some time sketching too. After that we can make our way to one of my favorite restaurants called PizzArte which is located at 69 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019. My favorite thing to get is the Margarita Pizza! After that, we can spend some time walking around the city, there is always something interesting going on that you stumble upon by just walking and exploring. I would end the day by getting insomnia cookies for a sweet treat!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my family and friends. It might sound cliche, but without them I honestly don’t know if I would have been able to accomplish all I have so far and to continue to reach new goals if it wasn’t for them. I am so lucky to have parents who have always supported and encouraged me. My mom and dad have been my biggest supporters my whole life. When I expressed my interest in art to them they encouraged me alot. Every little thing I made they would praise and cherish even if I thought it wasn’t good and that continues until this day. They always taught me to follow my dreams regardless of what others thought. When I was preparing to graduate high school, I was hesitant on going to art school. So many people said it is a waste of time and money and I wouldn’t get anywhere. My parents gave me the support and motivation to block out the negative opinions of people and pursue my dream of going to art school. Throughout my years of art school there were many challenges along the way and times I wanted to give up on pursuing my art. The constant love and support my parents show me really help me push forward to grow as a person and artist.

What really sparked my interest in art was Bob Ross, The late American painter who made instructional painting videos. The summer before starting college, my dad had brought up Bob Ross and mentioned that my late grandmother used to love watching him on television and followed along. I’ve never really watched an episode till that day. Soon after that I bought a bunch of oil paints and supplies that I needed and followed along to a Bob Ross tutorials the rest of the summer. I even would just watch the episodes while I ate a meal or got ready for the day. Listening and watching Bob Ross and seeing how much he loved doing what he did and his appreciation for the little things in life really inspired me to want to pursue art professionally. I’ve had many people tell me it would be a difficult career path with low income and it would be a big mistake. While it is challenging and discouraging sometimes, especially after recently graduating, for me, doing what makes me happy especially in a career aspect is the most important thing.

Website: https://www.arianaciminoart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arianaciminoart/