September 05

Interview with illustrator Alina Scherbakova

Alina: @Olinevod
Photographer: @olya_yalo


Living the 'anything but ordinary' mantra of @pandco_women, illustrator, graphic designer & all-round badass mom Alina has been killin' it in the industry since her move from her hometown of Moscow, Russia to the beachfronts of LA. We took time out to look at some of her awesome designs and spoke about how she balances travel, work & motherhood & why she'll never lose her love for pen and paper.

Tell us a bit about yourself & your work!
My name is Alina. I am an illustrator and graphic designer. I'm from Moscow, Russia. I moved to Bali when I was 20, where I met my husband. We have travelled around Central and South America for awhile and have been settled down in LA for 3 years.

Have you always wanted to be an illustrator?
I started drawing in high school at the age of 15. Then I studied graphic design in college where I learned to draw. Aside from illustration I love doing packaging design, logos & restaurant branding.

Where do you find most of your inspiration?
I find my inspiration in things I love. Nature, surfing, traveling, beach, mountains, old cars and bikes.

Tell us about the process of creating an illustration, do you prefer to work with a pen & paper or digitally?
First I find references and inspiration. Then I make a few sketches before I finalise it. Lately I have been using my iPad a lot because it's convenient and makes the process easier. I will never lose my love for pen and paper though. No feeling like using pens.





Do you have a favourite piece you have created, what's the story behind it?
I don’t have a specific favourite piece but I have a favourite memory that accompanies each design. And I love drawing hula girls and skeletons.





Has anyone ever got a piece of your art tattooed on them?
People always ask me if they can tattoo my drawings on them. And my husband is a tattoo artist and so he tattoos my designs all the time.

You've said you love living so close to the beach, is this where you spend most of your time when you're not designing?
I love the beach and I make it down there as much as possible. We have a 2 year old and I design a lot so my hands are definitely full.

We're constantly trying to encourage people to get out & explore & we've noticed that you head out on a lot of road trips & adventures with your family. How important is this to you?
Both me and my husband love to travel. We try to keep it a priority. We always try new places as well as our old favourites. That’s how I find inspiration.
What do you think of what @pandco_women are doing?
It's badass to see so many independent babes out there getting it!

Do you have anything exciting coming up in the near future?
We have some exciting secret design projects that you will have to wait to see :] Also we have some huge travel plans for 2020 so expect to see me all over the place.





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