Artists of Redwood: Anthony Elenes and Sierra Cranston

By: Sherrie Clark

Redwood contains a handful of talented artists that go unrecognized including Seniors, Anthony Elenes and Sierra Cranston. Both of them have been drawing since they were kids and work on the same medium, yet they both have unalike experiences.

Anthony Elenes

Elenes is a digital and traditional artist steadily working on animation as well. When asked on what does the word “art” mean to him, this is what Elenes had to say:

“Something that expresses what is in your head, mind, and soul.”

Elenes states that he has been drawing in his younger years, “When I was a wee lad I got bored at school so I drew stuff. Then I watched “Hellboy,” the animated series and I drew multiple characters fighting giant monsters and junk,” he says. When he became a Ranger, Elenes continued his art journey by taking Studio Art 1 and 2 to gain more knowledge on what he can improve.

While “Hellboy” initiated him to start drawing, Elenes’ biggest inspiration to keep creating is Russian-American animation director, Genndy Tartakovsky. He has followed Tartakovsky’s works, such as Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and Elene’s favorite, Primal. Fascinated on how he executes a story, he aspires to do what Tartakovsky does one day.

Though he enjoys creating art, claiming “it’s very satisfying,” he has his struggles such as drawing “Hands, eyes, and lips.” Elenes explains, “While I draw something I always stress out thinking how my drawings always land in the typical details that aren’t new, so I over-do it and try to draw it more detailed than it should.” Practice does make perfect however, and he continues to draw over and over to work on his skill. For those who want to jump into art, take Elenes’ advice:

“DRAW A LOT! And don’t do what Butch Hartmen does.”

To watch Elenes’ art journey, you can follow him on Instagram and Twitter under the username: Big_Red_Ape9000.

Sierra Cranston

Cranston is another artist, following a more cartoon style. She started out as a traditional artist, but has recently dug more into digital artwork. Cranston was also asked what art meant to her, and her response was different to Elenes’.

“It’s just a way to express yourself visually. It’s a way to share your creativity to others, it encourages inspiration, it’s to convey all sorts of emotion and skill. It’s an escape from reality, and yet at the same time, it makes you reflect on reality. Art is all around us, and truly it’s a beautiful thing,” she states.

Cranston recalls she grew up drawing a lot “like most people do as kids.” However, it was not until last year she dedicated herself more into her illustrations more seriously and discovered her passion.

“I think just seeing some of my close friends draw a lot inspired me to try it out more, and it’s taken me this far,” Cranston states. She took a 2D art class in 8th grade, but she continues to grow by “watching/seeing others, picking up techniques/references online, [and] seeing all sorts of different art styles” to shape her current art style.

Inspiration also takes many forms, sparking creativity in others in various ways. Cranston explains she continues to draw with the power of social media, “Scrolling through social media and seeing what others create tends to be my main motivational push to follow that path.” Additionally, watching animated movies and looking at their concept art (especially Disney) is another factor that innovates Cranston due to her admiration for them.

While these aspects of Cranston’s life push her creativity, every artist goes through some endeavors. Though she holds a great passion, she struggles with making her ideas a reality. “I find it difficult sometimes to acquire such motivation to start/complete a project, and on top of that, making it look as good as it does in my head is definitely a challenge,” she expresses.

As she questions herself while drawing, she manages to push those thoughts aside and “prove them [the thoughts] wrong.” She advises to fight against those demons and pull throws, and also mentions for beginner artists to avoid comparing themselves.

“Don’t compare your creation to others. Well, you can because it may be helpful in motivating/helping you with improving your art where you see fit. However, don’t make that a habit to the point where you allow yourself to doubt your abilities because ‘their art is way better, I’ll never be that good.’ Don’t ever go down that rabbit hole, because it’s difficult to get out of and can be severely harmful to yourself. Everyone has their own style, their own pace, their own abilities and skill. And I think that’s a wonderful thing. It’s part of how everyone is their own unique individual,” she says.

To follow Cranston’s art journey, be sure to follow her instagram @cheetahspyproductions.