Fandom Spotlight: Matuk

Meet Renata, also known as ‘matuk’! She is a 32 year old artist from Mexico, currently creating a lot of amazing fanart for the Umbrella Academy. We had the chance to talk with her a bit about her process, her love of the “found family” trope, and why Five Hargreeves is so much fun to draw. 

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Obsessive, rebellious, loyal

How long have you been an artist?

I’ve been creating art since I was very young. My mother taught me. She is also a painter (among other things) and she used to teach art. I was one of her students. She taught me all the basics of drawing and painting. For as long as I can remember, I’ve liked working in creative activities. I like to write and draw and develop ideas, break down concepts, art, music and movies. All of this comes from an insatiable need for creation and discovery. 

 

 

What fandoms have you been in and made art for? 

I’ve created fanart and fanfiction for basically every fandom that has interested me. I’ve not always shared it, of course. Harry Potter was the first fandom that I was very passionate about, my favorite characters are the marauders. I love wounded, misfit, pretentious and morally ambiguous characters. I am a big fan of Don Draper, Sirius Black, Gregory House, Sherlock Holmes and of course Five Hargreeves. My favorite trope, as you can imagine, is ‘found family.’ The marauders [from Harry Potter], IT (2017), The Umbrella Academy, X-Men, and The Old Guard all have something of that. I’m not a big fan of romance, but of course I have a couple of ships to which I am very faithful: Reddie, Wolfstar, Yukito/Touya (my first ship ever) among others. I also like fandoms with ideas about morality, religion, physics, consciousness, AI, anthropology and philosophy. Black Mirror and Love, Death and Robots are amazing in that sense. 

Tell us about your process. How much planning is involved? 

My process is extremely untidy and super unoriginal. Ideas come to me inspired by the most random things. I can be in the middle of a conversation, reading a book, listening to a song and suddenly a word, an image, a dialogue or just a definition produces an idea. I immediately write them down in a notebook and decide if I’m going to use it for a short story, an edition or a drawing, sometimes I use it for all three with slight variations. If it is for a drawing I start a sketch on paper. There’s something about the texture of a blank sheet and the grip of a pencil that can’t be surpassed by anything. If I like the sketch enough I pass it on to the iPad to clean it up and add color.

 

 

During this process music is essential for me. Many times the final product has nothing to do with the original idea. The time it takes me varies a lot. Sometimes I surprise myself, drawing something worthwhile in just a couple of hours. But sometimes it takes me a long time to finish the most inane work; I get obsessed and work non stop, until I realize it is 5am and I haven’t moved. I have trouble letting go of something that just isn’t working. Other times my process becomes very intermittent, as my focus branches to writing or editing or whatever, so the drawing is created little by little.

I have a rule, before publishing: I let the drawing rest for a couple of days. When I return to it if I still like it, I publish it. If not, I file it where no one can ever find it. 

What do you find the most difficult to draw?

What I find most difficult to draw is perspective because of my need for perfection. Trying to integrate every element of a drawing into a background with depth and an awkward vanishing point is so frustrating. And feet, I still struggle a lot with feet, can you imagine? They are more complicated to me than hands. When I’m not in the mood, everything is difficult to draw. 

 

 

What do you like drawing the most?

What I enjoy drawing the most are…noses mainly [laughs]. And hair, lips, eyebrows, facial hair and eyelashes. Blush, scars and moles. I enjoy observing overall anatomy, especially faces. I like to find what is the predominant trait of a person or character and capture these details, trying to preserve their essence and personality. I also like drawing highly detailed outfits, full of texture. 

We see that you’re currently making art mainly for the Umbrella Academy. What is your favorite episode or scene from The Umbrella Academy and why? Who is your favorite character(s)?

I don’t actually have a favorite episode, because each episode contains something that I love. There are many sequences, plot lines, a couple of well-paced lines and memorable phrases. Every time we see the bond between the siblings, I’m served. But my favorite scenes have to be the ones with Diego and Five. They are my favorite characters, simply because they are the ones that care the most. The funny thing is that although they both want the same thing — that is, to protect their own and save the world — their approaches to the cause are extremely different; Diego is very emotional and moralistic, and Five is very pragmatic and slightly amoral. Their temperaments, which are quite similar, make their exchanges so funny, intense, and also very authentic. I also like the scenes where Five interacts with Vanya, because we find a softer side to Five that we don’t really see with any other sibling. If I had to choose a favorite episode, it might be the end of the second season. 

 

 

Who is your favorite character to draw right now?

My favorite characters to draw at the moment are the Hargreeves siblings. Each of them has a very peculiar face, with very particular characteristics. I really like that they all vary so much: the shape of the eyes, the color of the skin, the hair texture, the size of the body. The contrast between them is just so pretty. I especially like drawing Five. Aidan [Gallagher] has a face that is very expressive, and he has strong, angular features. I adore his big, long nose and his super bushy eyebrows [laughs]. 

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

I love the work I did for ‘MerMay’ [a multi-fandom event themed around the sea], which was the Hargreeves siblings as pirates and mermaids. It was a very laborious, extensive, and detailed job. I am not totally satisfied with all the drawings in the series, but I feel pleased because it is harmonious, the idea is as I imagined it and I am happy to have completed the challenge of drawing all of them.

 

 

Do you have any upcoming creative projects you are working on? 

Now that The Umbrella Academy Season 3 episode titles have been released I’m thinking of doing something with that, maybe a speculative entry for each title. I still don’t know exactly what, but I’m developing a concept. For the month of June and LGBTQ+ pride I am doing a couple of drawings about my favorite couples from all the fandoms that I enjoy. I’m also considering taking on a few commissions, maybe later this year. At the moment that is all I have planned, but there are always spontaneous ideas throughout.

 

 

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Love this art as much as we do? Go check out Renata online! 

Twitter: renatamatuk

Tumblr: matuk-art

Instagram: renatamatuk