Goodbyes are always very sad, we say goodbye to Naila Macharia, our 18-year-old illustrator intern, and wish her the best as she furthers her education abroad. We talk to her about art and her experience at The Tsunami Studios. And the beautiful illustration above is her work.

1. Who is your favorite illustrator?

I don’t have one but I have favorite studios for animation and I look at their concept art such as Cartoon Saloon, which is an Irish studio, and Dreamworks specifically How to Train Your Dragon.

2. What has Cartoon Saloon produced? 

Wolf Walkers, Song of the Sea, and the Breadwinners

3. How has it been working in Tsunami?

It’s been really fun because of the people, the dynamic. I like that I can talk to Joe, she’s like a walking art reference book and Gathuru has very interesting stories and Dylan’s humor, bad as it is and then they are supportive – the team I am working with on Whiskers that is Joe and Dylan, they are really supportive and give good feedback and overly good criticism. And I think they really work well too. I like the fact that I don’t have to be here every single day from 9am to 5pm. It is a more chill environment compared to an office.

Any inspiring words for someone who wants to get into this field?

Keep practicing, we were told this in school – practice makes progress

And we welcome Josepha (yeah!), our concept artist/illustrator to the fold. Let’s get to know her, and check out her cool illustration!

Josepha is an artist who loves reading manga, taking long nature walks, and has a passion for cooking and learning new things. Specializing in concept art and illustration, she focuses on designing characters, environments, and props for films, comics, and games.

Her experience in Tsunami has been enriching, “I like the people at the studio and I’ve learned a lot from them and having the chance to mingle with people, who are different in the way they express creativity but having similar interests and love for their crafts, has managed to inspire me to be more expressive and put myself out there,” Josepha believes in the importance of self-discovery and taking one’s time, “ Know yourself and take your time because if you don’t, the world will dictate who you are and it will steal your time”