Artist Breathes Life Into Pieces of Wood by Just Adding Thread and Nails

year ago

Human expressions are undoubtedly one of the most striking creations on the planet. As creatures, we’ve evolved over time and so have our expressions. From just a smile to a piece that tells a story, art can never be ignored.

Our discussion at Bright Side featured a very distinguishing art form that uses wooden pieces, thread, and nails. Stunned by these creations, we interviewed @hlantakonstantin, asking questions about his inspiration and values, and how he defines this art form. Let’s get familiar with his artistic journey.

1.

Question: What was your inspiration behind this art form?
Answer: I’m self-taught (I have a dental diploma. I worked for 3 years as a dentist, and then I left it for art). I’ve been drawing since 2008. At the beginning it was pencils, then pastel, then colored pencils. In 2018, I started to do string art (thread and nails).

A friend of mine told me that some people do stuff using thread and nails. It was like, “Let’s make a cactus or a snowflake?” And I was like, “Yeah! Great idea! Let’s do it!” But I didn’t know how to make a cactus. It turned into a Chester Bennington portrait and that was my inspiration.

2.

Question: What was the first reaction when you told people about it?
Answer: No one except my wife knew that I was planning to take thread and nails and create something realistic from them. My wife was like: “Okay, do what you want when I am not around and can’t hear the hammer.”

The first reactions when people saw it were like: “Wow, nice drawing! But what is it made from?” But it was harder to achieve this reaction as I started to do colored stuff, which is more realistic and had much more thread in it.

3.

Question: How do you bring colors and continuity to drawings that are not black and white?
Answer: I don’t use any software or algorithms. It’s like drawing with pastels or painting with acrylic paint. I add colors to the areas where I need them to be, I make shades and shadows using threads in different colors and different amounts of them.

4.

Question: What is the longest time period you’ve dedicated to a painting?
Answer: I’m a full-time artist. The longest period I’ve worked with one piece was about 8 months (black and white Chester Bennington portrait with blue flame tattoos) but I take breaks for smaller pieces during the work process.

5.

Question: Do you want to share any secrets about your work?
Answer: The trick is that you don’t have to every single part of the picture in detail and hyperreal. You should direct the viewer’s eye to the main objects.
Also, you should not be worried about the nail heads. The human brain tries to see faces everywhere, and the brain itself will ignore the pieces that don’t fit.

6.

Question: What was your first painting?
Answer: My very first string art piece is here.

7.

Question: How difficult is it to be an artist in our world? Share experiences common people don’t know about.
Answer: It’s difficult, especially now. Some people think when I’m sharing my artwork on social media that I’m doing self-promotion. The hardest part for me is to keep a balance between sharing my thoughts and emotions and being real.

8.

Question: At what age did you start painting, and how important is the role played by your family and friends in this journey?

Answer: I started to draw at the age of 16. My family did everything to stop me and dissuade me from doing art. So when my income from my art equaled my salary, I quit my job and became a full-time artist. That was 2020.