Zakkiya Hamza

Hi, I'm Zakkiya Hamza and I'm the illustrator,designer and founder of Inkstruck Studio. My work include realistic portraits in graphite and colored pencil, whimsical watercolor illustrations and brand design.All of my work follows the basic principle of keeping traditional art alive.Although I majored in architecture,art has always been a passion. Inkstruck Studio was born in March 2014 with the aim of turning my passion into profession.Every year I make a point to learn something new and this year I've decided to take up the challenge of learning modern calligraphy.All of what I have learnt is self taught with a lot of hard work and determination to go with it.

Have you always been creative and artistic?

Yes. As long as I can remember, art has been part of my life. As a child, my mother used to encourage and help me out.As an amateur artist herself,I was lucky to have her be my mentor and guide.In the last few years, I have worked harder than ever trying to perfect my work by reading from books and scouring the internet for tutorials.

How would you describe the style of your work?

I always love to take up challenges. So, describing or pin pointing a particular style is difficult for me. I can go from doing extremely realistic drawings to whimsical illustrations which are almost like opposite ends of the spectrum.You could call my work a "mixed bag of nuts".

What’s in your pencil case and what’s your favorite tool?

Currently a pencil,watercolor brushes and a calligraphy pen.My favorite tool would be the good 'ol pencil. I started my creative journey with just a pencil and paper in hand. Hence, it will always be special.

Who is your favorite superhero?

My son! My little munchkin of 18 months who is my life. He has taught me how to love unconditionally and that the little joys of life are the best.I could;t have picked a better superhero.

If you could have one super power what would it be?

Give my hand the "time-lapse" power. Oh how much work I could get done in a day !

Where do you look for inspiration?

Nature. That being said, living in the desert can put a limitation to that. So I look into sites like Pinterest and Flickr for some good dose of inspiration. Other artists like me also serve as a source of inspiration for me. Lindsey Bugbee of "The Postman's knock" is an expert calligrapher who has been an inspiration for me to try to master the technique.

Who are your favorite artists or comic book authors?

I'm not much of a comic book person. But I love the works of Redd Walitzki,Alex Louisa and Kari-Lise Alexander. They all have such distinct styles that makes me want to look at their work over and over again.