I’ve also done a bit of concept art stuff, and I could see myself doing concept art. I’m going to keep trying, and building that skill, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve tried and tried, but I just cannot do sequentials! I just cannot draw pages or storyboarding. As I get older, I know I love storytelling, but … well, actually, I learned this recently: I love doing cover art, and that is what I like to do for superheroes and in comics storytelling. In terms of specifically comic art, it’s something that I still want to do, but lately I’ve kind of shied away from a little bit. I’m never going to stop loving Spiderman. They have definitely shifted, and they’re going to continue to shift in ways that I think I’m never going to be able to describe! A perfect example is that still lifes, and the weird, abstract, fine art stuff that I hated when I was growing up, is like my favorite thing now.Įverything you do is always changing you, and I’m never going to be stagnant. Many variations of Spider-Man drawn by Ethan How have your thoughts shifted over the years about comics or art as a career path? So, I think, the “mainstreamization” of comic has been the biggest change. Let me do my own thing and try comics.” Even just 10 years ago, I don’t think that comic art was yet a respected thing as much. And I thought it was the most boring thing because it wasn’t superheroes.Īt that point, I thought, “this is not the kind of art I want to do.” What’s funny is, now I love that kind of stuff, I love fine art! But in that moment, I was like, “if this is what older generations want me to do with art, then I don’t want to do it. When my parents learned that I wanted to get into art, they put me in some art classes at school, and they would teach you how to draw, like, still lifes. Because other generations would say that they didn’t used to be, you know?Īnd I also think that comic art was something that was not as respected before. It wasn’t really like that before, and I was lucky that I grew up in a time where comics were beginning to become cool again. The biggest thing that I’ve seen is that comics and the superhero genre have become such a mainstream phenomenon. Even younger Ethan drawing on a Wacom tablet As someone who’s been tabling at conventions for 10 years, what in your opinion has changed over that time period? Either the convention scene, or comics, or the art industry in general? They made sure I took breaks and had snacks and that it wasn’t too serious. And they were really just about making sure I was having fun, and tabling was about that. They helped me put together some sketchbooks and prints. And that’s not a question that very many 8-year-old kids were asking at that point! I was very lucky to have an amazingly supportive family. At a certain point, at a comic convention, I just asked my dad when I could have a table like the people I was seeing there. So I kind of grew up around comics and obviously superheroes. My dad was a big comic head growing up, and I had a lot of his back issues … that’s actually where I learned to read, from comics! At a certain point, we started going to WonderCon in San Francisco. My teachers would say the same thing to my parents: he’s a great student, and he has a great imagination, but he’s not paying attention to the other half of assignments. I would always get in trouble in class because I would spend too long on drawing and not enough on writing! I would never turn in an assignment that was completed, because I would spend all my time on the art part, and none on the writing part. How did you get so invested so early, and get to the place of tabling at a Con when you were so young?ĭrawing has been my passion forever. I’d been drawing my entire life, but that was the first time I publicly presented it and had a space to show it off. I was eight when I tabled at my first comic convention, which was called Big Wow Comic Fest in San Jose, CA. How old were you when you first tabled at a Comic-Con? You’ve been making art publicly since you were very young. Young Ethan tabling at a comic convention We spoke with Ethan in advance of his Instagram takeover, about his journey from precocious child artist to college student, what he’s up to these days, and what he has planned. He recently finished his first year of college, studying art at USC.įollow along on Instagram to get a glimpse into this young artist’s world, hear his tips to improve your art and get the most out of your Wacom device, get expert advice, and get a preview of what he’s working on as he prepares for Comic-Con. Ethan Castillo, an 18-year-old art phenom who’s been exhibiting at conventions since he was only EIGHT, will be taking over Wacom’s Instagram from July 7-9th to share his creative process and art journey! Despite his youth, Ethan has contributed to TV animation project books, been a sketch card artist for Spider-Man card sets, and much more.
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