CSP Featured Artist: Nips
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How did you become an artist?
Ever since I was little, I've loved drawing and was even in an oil painting class where I created many still lifes [that my mom still has hanging in the house]. However, I dropped it until highschool where I discovered anime and Deviantart which resparked my artistic passion. I had a friend there, who I'm eternally grateful for, that gave me their old digital tablet (The Wacom Graphire 4! My age is showing...) and it was all over from there. I kept drawing and posting well into my college years, slowly building an audience and improving my craft. I graduated with a degree in biology hoping to go to medical school but my good friend Manamoon strongly suggested I move across the country with her and pursue art instead (her boldness inspired me) so I decided to give it a go and, about 15 years later, here I am! A welcome whirlwind, for sure.
Where do you get inspiration?
The majority of my inspiration comes from music and whatever vibe I'm feeling from it at the moment but, in a very close second, comes other artists. There's something about seeing them master the craft in their own style that makes me want to draw immediately. Some of my favorites are Eleeza, Kim Jung Gi, Sasha Tudvaseva, Loish, TB Choi, SIXMOREVODKA, Chris Hong, Yuming Li, Manamoon, ffsade, Angela Sung...I could really be here all day.
What’s your hardware setup?
I use the XPPen Artist Pro 24 (Gen 2) 4K and the TourBox Elite Plus. Without these two, I am nothing. A large ergonomic tablet and a hotkey controller that allows me to never have to pause + look at a keyboard ever again (probably my favorite tool ever). As a disclaimer: Yes, I received these items through sponsorships but months and years later I still swear by them; they've improved my workflow in ways I never imagined possible. As for computer, I work on a Dell G15 5515; really strong for a laptop. Honorable mention: Elgato Stream Deck. You can hotkey all your documents, programs, websites and macros all with cute pictures too!
What do you like best about Clip Studio Paint?
I was gifted Clip Studio Paint EX about 10 years ago and I never looked back. It was my go-to for webcomic work until recently where I made it my main program for everything. It's hard to single out the top thing I like but, if I had to pick, I think it's the webcomic/multi-page document view. It's the reason I started using it and I can never recommend it enough for anyone that needs an easy way to organize your Webtoon episode files and see them all together in one doc. Not to mention the mobile preview where you can scroll through it in real time! No one does it like Clip Studio Paint.
How long does it take you to make a single illustration?
I have a problem with controlling myself from overdoing pieces so sometimes they take longer than I would like but, if we're talking sketches, anywhere between 30 min to 4 hours (like I said...). A full-blown illustration usually goes from 20-50 hours!
How has Clip Studio Paint improved your workflow?
Where do I even begin! If I had to summarize, I think Clip Studio Paint has made my process MUCH more efficient. The program rarely lags, it has a built-in asset store so I can find what I need while working within the program, UI is organized neatly, multi-page documents making it easy to keep the flow going and the ability to sync between iPad to PC makes it so I can quickly change locations reliably (especially since the mobile version is basically identical to the PC one). And that's just a summary but I truly love the feeling I get when working with CSP.
Would you like to promote some recent project?
I was recently accepted by Riot Games to table at the TFT Paris Open so I've been working on a lot of new merch! There's a little plush keychain I'm trying to make for it and it's on preorder to help cover the manufacturing cost so, if you're interested, it would mean a lot if you gave it a look at https://www.artbynips.com/shop !
Where can we follow your work?
I stream very often on Twitch (@ohnips), make commentary/speedpaint videos on YouTube (@artbynips), tutorials on TikTok(@artbynips) and post all my art on Instagram/X/Bluesky (@artbynips). My main site is artbynips.com and I have a shop there where I sell merch/prints! I also have a Webtoon (that's on hiatus) called OFFcell (https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/offcell/list?title_no=1034217). Lastly, Patreon (@artbynips) is where I post exclusive sketchbook pages, real-time art videos, speedpaints, WIPs and behind-the-scenes comic content; it's what helps put a roof over my head! All follows, likes, shares and pledges are greatly appreciated 🖤