CSP Featured Artist: Rhivenx
Contact Graphixly @
How did you become an artist?
I found myself conflicted on many things when I was about 10. Should I be a dancer, should I be a pianist, or should I be something else? I was considering all these things alongside my dreams of being a horse veterinarian. After many reruns of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, I approached the movie extras on how Spirit was drawn, and the interest to draw like the animators rapidly came to me.
I wanted to draw, and I wanted to tell stories at the same time! Soon my desires to do art outshined my desires to play piano, or dance and tumble on a stage. The visits to my grandmother's drawers where she kept my cousin's perfectly rendered Disney drawings became inspiring. Pokemon was not only a cool game to play but the designs helped me fill my sketchbooks with my renditions. Anime like Naruto not only sparked my love for the Shonen genre, but encouraged me to create my own world, my own characters, and so forth.
Fast forward to one study hall period during middle school, I found the strong desire to dive into my own world creation and build a story to share with others. I personally did not find art classes for me, so consistent observation and practice over time and a great deal of patience of self teaching, and after over a decade, we have the story that is now the WEBTOON GRIMNIR. It has had many names, many characters, many storylines, and still has many things I love. After years of crafting my story, and the struggle of finding that first job out of college, I took up streaming on twitch and began grinding out a contest entry for Webtoon's 2018 contest to pass the time. Now I'm full time at a corporate office and still grinding my way through this story.
In the end, I did not become a horse vet, but I succeeded in my desire to draw and tell stories.
Where do you get inspiration?
It's hard to pinpoint one artist as my shelves are stacked full of artbooks and I'm easily inspired by artists online, but a handful of series have really grounded me over the years.
I have always enjoyed the brain bending adventures where the pieces come together and reveal something even greater. Stories such FullMetal Alchemist and D. Gray-Man have always hit me with that inspiration, and of course the Shonen genre as a whole has always given me the drive to create action for my work along with studying sakuga takes. However, Naruto was what really ignited my passion in understanding the dynamics gone into paneling action and helped me begin my journey to polishing my style. I've also enjoyed the character design work of Shirow Miwa.
What’s your hardware setup?
Currently running on a laptop setup with a Wacom Cintiq 24" Pro No Touch.
What do you like best about Clip Studio Paint?
There are too many things to list, but CSP has efficiency and many types of artists in mind when it comes to tools and updates. It is a very flexible and robust art software that has a vast community of artists behind it. We can share our assets and assist each other in many ways. This program has set me up for success and has improved my efficiency and workflow.
How long does it take you to make a single illustration?
Typically 1-2 days.
Would you consider Clip Studio Paint an industry tool?
Definitely! With as robust and efficient as it is, it's hard to say yes to any other program at this point.
Would you like to promote some recent project?
GRIMNIR is my ongoing Webtoon that finally hit the Webtoon platform back in 2018 and currently is running on its third version on the platform. There are many secrets and truths to discover at the heart of the story, but there are plenty of monsters to take down along the way. If you enjoy the following genres, (Fantasy/Action/Adventure/Thriller/Mystery/Drama), I highly recommend checking it out!
Webtoon: GRIMNIR
Where can we follow your work?