What do you do in the face of the darkest moment? For Luis Coelho, he draws. Though his work are in black and white, they never seemed to be dull with the adorable creatures he illustrates. Get to know more about him and maybe you can also find peacefulness amidst illustrations as he does.

AWW: Where do you like to draw? 

Luis Coelho: I usually like to draw at my desk. It is very simple and I try to keep it as clean and organised as possible. Sometimes I will prefer silence but generally, I stay there for hours listening to music or a podcast while I draw.  

AWW: Do you still remember your first piece of work? What made you start drawing? 

Luis: I started drawing like everyone else at a very young age. Because of that, it is very hard to remember the first drawing I ever made. I only remember drawing a very naif version of superman.

At around 3 years old, I was fascinated with the DC and Marvel comic books my older brother brought home. This kind of fiction is most probably what motivated me to start drawing, and I felt like I want to be good at it.

I do not keep any drawing from that time though. I was not very good at keeping things for myself. However, I do have some old comic books here. 

AWW: How do you come up with the style of illustrating animals? 

Luis: If it is a free drawing and not a commission one, I generally search on the web for some images of the creature I want to draw and then select a few pictures as reference. I will try to do some very rough pencil sketches and simplify the shape of that specific animal. When I feel like I have found something, I'll start inking line by line for the interior of that shape. There are no rules and I do not have an idea of how it will end. I will slowly discover what feels better for the shape that has been created.

AWW: Could you explain your message behind your work?

Luis: Drawing is like an active meditation for me. It is good for my mental health and I also like to have fun and smile. While some of the drawings do have a hidden message, most of the time they do not have that intention.

I do it because it is good for me and if it also does good to someone else by making them smile or laugh, then I will smile again. 

AWW: What’s your beloved project/product/book/tv show/movie with an animal theme? 

Luis: I have a really hard time choosing favourite stuff. I just looked around and first saw this book here at my room: Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

I would not say it is my favourite because I don't have a favourite but I love it and I think this can perfectly fit your question.

To find out more about Luis Coelho please visit the artist's IG account  |  @purr.in.ink