Artist Spotlight: Pidgy

Meet Pidgy! They are an artist from Canada, and are a member of the Good Omens fandom. She took some time to speak with us a bit about her process and what it is about Good Omens that makes it so inspiring to fanartists. 

Describe yourself in three words.

Affectionate. Excitable. Sentimental. 

How long have you been creating art? What is your favorite medium?

I’ve been an artist all my life. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing for myself, school, work, or all three at once! While I still enjoy drawing by hand, I started transitioning to digital in the early 2000s and never really looked back.

What fandoms have you been in and made art for?

My relationship with fandom has been a mainstay in my life since I was young, but the ways in which I express and engage with it has changed drastically over the years. Whether I was pausing VHS recordings of Pokemon to draw from as a child or sneaking Star Ocean characters into my high school art projects, my early fandom works were generally quite private and personal. But like most artists my age, the growth of online communities has provided me with access to flourishing communities of like-minded fans, and new avenues through which I can share my work. 

While I’m currently enraptured by Good Omens, my first dedicated foray into community-driven fandom culture was inspired by the introduction of the new Star Wars trilogy, in 2015. It started as a way to pass the time while I was house-bound with pneumonia, keeping myself busy by drawing other people’s writing prompts, but it quickly became something more. 

Though relatively short-lived, my experience in that community was so enriching that I felt compelled to turn my artistic efforts to my longtime, favorite form of entertainment: professional wrestling. In particular, the Japanese wrestling scene sits perfectly at the crossroads of my love for sports anime and my yearning for endless, serialized content! Currently, the landscape of professional wrestling is evolving and entering into a new age with new fans and new attitudes, and being a part of the community of women and queer folk who are rallying for growth and change in the industry has been incredibly fulfilling.

Tell us about your process. How much planning is involved with each piece, and how long does it usually take you to do a typical drawing?

My process varies greatly, from project to project. If it’s contract work then there will be an intense process of back-and-forth, developing an idea from rough thumbnails to more developed sketches, and eventually on to a final product. It can take weeks (or even months) of discussion and drafts to get from an initial idea to a completed piece. 

In contrast – and owing to this long process – I really relish the time I get to spend on more casual commissions and drawings for myself. While I still do a short development cycle for commissioned work, my personal pieces rarely get more than a rough sketch or two. Fandom is my play space, where it’s all about fun and happiness; it’s an impulsive, indulgent, and carefree time where I can jump into whatever sparks my imagination in the moment!

What do you find the most challenging to draw?

The thing that trips me up the most with casual drawing is my own overzealous work style; I tend to jump right into things with both feet when there’s no client to push me in different directions. As a result, my personal work tends to be very idea-driven, but not as dynamic as it could be! 

Admittedly, I grew up admiring character designers for anime and video games. I digested so many static images of people and costumes and buildings that I tend to focus my own work on the details in my head without stopping to think about how my compositions could be better enlivened by exciting angles and poses until after I’m done and scolding myself for forgetting the importance of dynamic composition. It’s something I really want to work on!

How did you first hear about Good Omens, and why did you decide to watch it?

Honestly, my Twitter timeline had been nothing but ads for Good Omens for awhile, and the imagery had me intrigued instantly! I adore subversive theological content, and it was impossible for me to see Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s names attached to a story and not have my ears perk up. And though I’ve yet to do more than dabble in his work as Doctor Who, I already loved David Tennant from his theatre work and his general pop culture ubiquity. It really sounded absolutely made for me (and it was!).

What is your favorite scene from Good Omens and why? 

While it’s hard to pick just one favorite part, I think the entire sequence where Crowley and Aziraphale return to Tadfield Manor is utterly priceless. It opens with the delightful detail of Crowley ignoring the footpath to walk across the grass; gives us two phenomenal bits of banter between Crowley and Aziraphale, in the paintball scene and the hallway scene; and provides my favorite line delivery (in a series full of unforgettable line deliveries) when Crowley says, exasperated, ‘Of course, no, yeah, excuse me, ma’am, we’re two supernatural entities just looking for the notorious son of Satan, wonder if you might help us with our inquiries!?’

What do you love about Good Omens, and what inspired you to start drawing fanart for it?

The series is so overflowing with inspiration that I think it would have been impossible for me not to love it and create content for it. The theological trappings, attention to visual details, and thoughtful direction and production design are all so spectacular that they practically command repeated viewing. David Tennant and Michael Sheen are so impeccably cast in their roles that their characters wedge themselves firmly into your imagination from their first lines. And the story itself highlights beautiful and important themes of friendship, love, and self-identity that no one has to look very hard to find something that speaks to them and implores them to connect with others about it.

What has been your favorite work of Good Omens fanart you have created? What do you love about it?

I think I would have to pick the Scala Theatre piece. It was preceded by a piece which was set outside a movie theatre in the 1980s because it was a time period that wasn’t depicted in the series (and I was excited about the outfits!). Michael Sheen replied to that drawing, saying: ‘I imagine they used to go to all-nighters at La Scala in Kings Cross back in those days…’ and that piqued my interest! It was really lovely looking into the history of the building and trying to infer what to draw for the time period and setting. Needless to say, this all made for a fun piece to draw. 

Do you have any upcoming creative projects you are working on? Or that you would like to do?

I’m excited to keep creating Good Omens projects for a while, as I’m currently reading the book for the first time, and the fandom is brimming with ideas and insights that I’m excited to explore. As well, New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual tournament, the G1 Climax, is about to begin; with 19 nights of some of the best professional wrestling in the world; it’s an incredibly inspiring event for me!

What has been the best part of your fandom experience so far? 

For me, the best part of all fandoms is the exchange of ideas. I’m not very good with words, so nothing makes me happier than being able to bring visuals to an inspiring text post, or drawing things that help to develop an idea. The Good Omens fandom, in particular, does a beautiful job of exploring its inherently wonderful themes and positive representations, which is something I really enjoy. Plus, let’s be real, Michael Sheen is a gift.

List your social medias and websites so fans can find you.

Twitter: @pidgysnest

Twitter: @pidgywrestling 

Patreon: patreon.com/pidgy