There are places in our world where fiction and dreams can come true.


10th November 2017
Community Spotlight: Karina's Alan Wake Inktober Pieces

Community Spotlight is a regular feature which highlights amazing fan projects in the Remedy community. This week I'm excited to talk about Karina's Alan Wake-inspired pieces that she sketched for this year's Inktober. 

As a storyboard artist in the animation industry, it may not be too surprising that Karina is seriously talented when it comes to her art. Yet there is something special in the way that, even while knowing her occupation and experience, you still get that instant "WOAH" reaction with every new piece she uploads; each piece is surprising and absolutely stunning. Her style is fun and expressive with incredible use of colour and negative space, and her work delightfully plays with situations. With Inktober last month, her followers were treated to daily postings, with a familiar friend making an appearance. 


For some of her pieces, Karina took inspiration from a number of sources including the Alan Wake series, combining the protagonist with the daily prompts that are posted on the Inktober website. Even after seven years since the game was launched, her work reflects how its influence has continued with fans. It's also people like her that keeps that passion alive.

Her sketches are wonderful, with each new situation bringing a smile with it's gorgeous designs, nerdy in-jokes and nostalgic scenes. As soon as I stumbled on her Inktober work, I nstantly fell in love with her style and pieces. Take a look at some of them below and make sure to check out her Tumblr page for more!

(Photos below from Karina's Tumblr page) 


Recently Karina took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions about this year's Inktober challenge and her passion for art:


1. Tell us a little about yourself?
I am a storyboard artist working in the animation industry who draws a lot of fun stuff everyday. I tend to storyboard comedic scenes, and I have a lot of fun making other people laugh, and providing fun and silly character moments for others to enjoy. On the side I love drawing fanart because I can express my love for different fandoms, as well as my appreciation for different characters or stories.

2. Where did you get your passion for art?
My journey into art actually started a bit later between my middle high and highschool years. I grew up watching a lot of animated Disney and Pixar movies, and I wanted to work in the animation industry, but I didn't know what I wanted to do in animation, I just knew I wanted to be a part of the creative process. It wasn't until highschool that I started taking animation art classes and my passion for animation and drawing skyrocketed. From then on, animated movies, shows, and even video games provided me with inspiration creatively, because I began to respect the artwork and work that went into creating the content.


3. How did you become an Alan Wake fan?
My sister first played Alan Wake and Alan Wake American Nightmare, and she recommended the game to me as a good spooky game for October. Prior to her playing the game I was unaware of Alan Wake, but I am glad that she introduced the game to me. I really enjoyed the spooky atmosphere, and a lot of the thematic elements reminded me of Twin Peaks and Gravity Falls, which made it perfect for October. I still need to play American Nightmare, and I hope that Remedy continues the series.

4. What made you want to try the Inktober challenge this year and how did you find it?
I started participating in the Inktober challenge in 2013, and I've been taking part of Inktober every year since then, because it's not only a fun exercise in drawing everyday, but it's also a lot of fun seeing everyone else's Inktober drawings. I found out about Inktober through social media, and decided to give it a go. Since then Inktober has grown significantly and I look forward to participating in it every year.


Thank you to Karina for the interview! You can check out more of her wonderful work on her Tumblr page, HERE


-- CONSOLE & PC GAMES --

Formerly "Vanguard"

The Crossfire Series

The Control Series

The Quantum Break Series

The Alan Wake Series

The Max Payne Series

-- MOBILE GAMES --

-- LIVE ACTION SERIES --

Icons by the incredible, Evil-Owl-Loki.

Beyond the shadow you settle for, there is a miracle illuminated.