One of our favorite things here at Marker Supply is seeing how our markers are used once they leave the store. We also really enjoy showcasing these amazing artists and their work so you can check them out as well!

We’re excited to introduce our latest featured artist, Marazki!

Revolving largely around the use of Posca paint markers, Marazki’s drawings feature a colorful mix of original artwork as well as many creative renditions of familiar characters from cartoons and video games. Much of his artwork stands out with bright, non-customary colors, giving it a fresh “pop art” twist.

Marazki’s art is easy to become an instant fan of as it continues to evolve with fun ideas and trending styles mixed with new techniques (read on to see which one was the inspiration for Marker Supply’s latest custom Featured Artist set!)

His all-age-appropriate videos on TikTok show multiple steps in the process of creating art, include a range of retro and modern influences, and engage with fans in comment-inspired posts!

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We recently got the opportunity to get to know Marazki a little more with some Q & A! Find out how he got started, where he gets inspiration from, what it’s like to be a rising artist on TikTok, and more!

How did you come up with “Marazki” for your artist name?

A few years back, I was looking to find something unique, but still with meaning for me. I came up with the idea of using a Basque word, which is part of my ancestry. I came across the Basque word for drawing “Marrazki”. I removed one of the R’s and was happy to find that it was unique across most of the internet.

My Basque ancestry is especially important because it reminds me of my grandpa and grandma (my aitachi and amachi). My Amachi was a phenomenal artist, much better than me. I think of her when I draw.

This really good painting is my Amachi's:

Is drawing something you recently picked up, or have you been creating art for a long time?

It’s been relatively new for me. Before drawing, I taught myself guitar and wrote songs. But, as a typical dad, my 4 kids ask me to draw characters for them.

I got really into drawing when I decided to put cartoons in with my kids' school lunches. Mostly this was in effort to help my son Micah eat all his food. He was working on his speaking, so I thought having a drawing would be useful as a conversation point.

I started drawing everyday and thought, hey this is a neat story, maybe people online would find this fun and inspiring. I started sharing my art online… but with no success :) … that came much later.

What inspired you to start drawing these colorful cartoons?

When I was a kid, I only wanted to draw what I cared about (Sonic, TMNT, Calvin and Hobbes). My kids only ever ask me to draw cartoons. Sometimes I think “cartoons aren’t an elevated form of art… is this boring… too simple? … what would my amazingly talented Amachi think of these cartoons I draw everyday!…”

But what motivates me is to have someone else experience that initial spark of “wow that’s fun!” and, for now, I’m able to do that with the colorful cartoons. Some cartoons that I’ve drawn (Gravity Falls and Steven Universe) are shows that my son and I watched and really enjoyed together.

I love watching Studio Ghibli films with my family. Hayao Miyazaki is on record for also deliberating about simple vs elaborate art. When art is simple (like cartoons) it helps faster elicit emotions of fun + nostalgia.

Were there any characters that turned out to be way more difficult to draw than you thought they would be when you decided to try drawing them?

Yes! Some of my recent drawings are where I draw a character (in full) and then paint overtop with a black marker (or other color) - effectively ruining the drawing. Then, I color back over the black to bring the piece back together. It gives it a new spin when it’s done.

However, the first time, I was really nervous and held the black marker above the painting for at least a minute before committing (I have it on video, haha). I’m used to it now and have even got my son to help out in the “destroying” part.

If you plan to do more drawings on 3D objects, are there any specific items you look forward to customizing with your art?

I don’t use Poscas like most people do (painting on expensive/hype objects…) There’s a huge trend of drawing on expensive things: iPads, Jordans, cars even! It ties into hype culture and (in part) it’s a flex on the audience. I’ve drawn on a dollar twice before, but have 100% given that up. I even had a video with 3M views… that I deleted. I didn’t want it to be part of my future as an artist.

That said, I have painted on controllers, coke bottle, sunglasses, video game console, camera, AirPods… Somehow, I’ve managed to make a viral video and grow an audience by drawing on canvas paper. Imagine that!

With all things, if there is a trend, then there is also an anti-trend. I saw a popular video where someone spent the whole video just pretending they were going to draw on an iPad. They ended up drawing nothing at all! 5 million views.

SO! To answer your question (sorry haha)... I’ve been drawing and painting on skateboards for the bulk of the past year. I really like skate culture and wish I was better at it, myself. I’m going to continue that, here and there.

I also have some other plans in place (drawing on gaming controllers) but nothing hard set. I really like to game and want to work that into my whole thing, if possible.

What are some qualities you like about Posca markers that made you choose those to do so much of your work with?

The quality I most enjoy with posca markers is that the paint is very flat and opaque (usually with only 1 or 2 coats). I’ve used brush markers and I’ve also painted. Markers are easier to use than painting, but you have less flexibility with colors.

One downside of Poscas is that their skin tones are awful. They need a light brown and a darker beige. I’ve had people call me out on drawings for being the wrong skin tone - seems like a silly problem considering it’s 2022 and Posca is an international company :)

I’ve been using the opaque features in order to make more compelling videos, “finishing” a drawing, then painting overtop to add something unexpected. For me, there’s a lot of art involved in creating videos, not just the artwork itself. That’s important for growing an audience online.

Have there been any notable moments for you as an artist as you started to share more of your work online?

Over a year ago, I made a TikTok for my oldest son’s favorite youtuber (DanTDM). I drew a pop-art style portrait and also customized a controller. I tried for weeks to get him to notice. One day he tweeted asking for TikToks, so I replied with mine.

Some time went by, then, out of nowhere, he featured my TikTok in one of his YouTube videos! I would have been happy if he had just noticed it, much less featured it in his video for 1M+ views.

Outside of that, for me, I have had so many awesome interactions with new people (artists and fans) and that’s been something I’ve found to be really special. People don’t talk about that as much as the more obvious things.

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Any advice for those either just starting out with their own art, or those who might be struggling with improving?

Realize that your art - in itself - is most likely not compelling enough on its own. Sorry.. that sounded mean.

Ok, perhaps a more uplifting way to think about it: Your art is worth more than just a photo on the internet. I only found success (of any variety) when I started making short videos. Giving people a story or adding context about your art is going to help people connect with it. Realize that there’s an art in creating videos and how you share your art, then you’ll appreciate sharing your art online a lot more.

Popular art youtuber tenhundred (.5M subs) says that he feels the art he creates is the video. Bottom line, if you don’t enjoy creating your art + sharing it online, you won’t enjoy the grind required to build an audience.

If you’re only in it for the views, you’ll burn out or sell out along the way. If you enjoy the whole thing, then you’ll be fueled by the views and interactions.

Keep adapting and changing your methods! If you see someone else do something that makes you think “I wish I had thought of that” then try it yourself and see what happens.

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Any tips or DOs/DON’Ts that you’ve learned about posting your artwork on social media?

For me, it’s very important to create finished pieces, over and over. Really detailed art can take weeks to finish. Getting better at art can take years.

If you go a traditional route: study in school, study masters, learn realism: you can make really complex pieces. However, that would take years to refine your skills and techniques, all while you haven’t developed a voice.

If you go the route I took, and just created pieces every day, sharing with people you care about - you’ll lose out on technical skills, but you’ll refine your voice and learn to be adaptive. There’s a lot of value in simple looking art.

Think of Keith Haring or Studio Ghibli films. If Miyazaki wanted to make more complex art, the hand drawn movies would never come out. Art is about expression and communicating.

Overall, if you feel stuck, find what resonates with you and emulate it!

Thanks so much to Marazki for sharing your time and talents with us!!

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Marazki Cartooning Kit!

More exciting news about our latest Featured Artist is that we’ve put together a custom marker set with Marazki that includes some of his recommended drawing tools!

These supplies are perfect for trying out Marazki’s technique of marking over artwork with a thick black mark, then refilling in some outlines in color to make the character pop in a really creative way!

This special new set features an extra broad black 17K Posca, 6 medium tip basic color 5M Poscas, extra fine tip 1MR Poscas in black and white, a black Pigma Micron 05 fineliner, and a mechanical pencil for sketching!

Click here to find the Marazki Cartooning Kit in our Marker Supply webstore!

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Keep up with Marazki and his creatively colorful cartooning by visiting his online channels:

TikTok.com/@Marazki

Instagram.com/marazki

YouTube.com/c/marazki

https://www.marazki.com/

And if you're feeling inspired to pick up some Poscas and get going on your own art, you can find all tip sizes and dozens of color choices in the Posca section of our Marker Supply webstore HERE: https://www.markersupply.com/posca.html

Happy Creating!
~Marker Supply