Meet the Artist – Shelby Soto
When did you start drawing?
I would have to say I began very young. Probably around two years old. My mother was an art major, and I kept getting into her supplies and drawing on things I wasn’t supposed to draw on! It was around then that my parents purchased my first pack of crayons.
What are your favorite things to draw?
I really love designing characters. You can interpret their background, personality, age, and timeline. I love being able to offer representation of different people. As a biracial woman, I didn’t really get that growing up, so I want every kid or teen or adult to look at my characters and be able to go “Whoa! They look like me!” or “I really feel a connection to this character!”
Who are some of your artistic inspirations?
Bruce Timm is a given. His art style really drew me into the world of DC Comics, and that led me to really start reading them. I also want to say Mia Ikumi. My first manga was Tokyo Mew Mew, which a friend had let my brother borrow. I fell in love with it, and now my style has both very western and very eastern aspects to it.
Any projects you’re working on or looking forward to working on?
I’m currently working on my original comic book series, which I hope to have out by the summer, titled S.Project. Its a science fiction based story that focuses of family, cultural differences, and the idea of change and growth both individually and as a group of diverse people.
What’s a good way for fans to check out your work?
I’m on so many! I try to connect with fans as often as I can because I value their support! You can find me here:
tumblr: Kirei’s Work
Instagram: kireiscorner
Twitter: @kireis_corner
DeviantArt: Kirei’s Corner
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kireiscorner
okiecomics.com 