ABOUT ME

Marta Patalão | Mar 2, 1990 | Portugal

I'm a digital artist who has been drawing my whole life. I do illustration and comicbook work for clients, and spend my free time making digital paintings and sketches.

I have been drawing pretty much my whole life. Ever since I can remember, my teachers and classmates told me that I was "talented" at drawing, which motivated me to keep practicing. I was born in Portugal, I was very much a homebody and didn't had the chance to know a lot about the world around me, but I always had a passion for reading specially fantasy themed stories and manga.

When I was 16, I discovered digital art. I had a friend who gave me the trial version of Photoshop which I liked to experiment with, and I also discovered Deviantart, one of the first online platforms for artists to share their work and passion. I spent all my free time drawing and when I was in my senior year of high school, I had the chance to participate in a comic drawing competition, the Manga 24hrs, which open the doors to be published and work with a manga studio, while studying graphic design at ESAD.CR for 3 years, where I got my bachelor's degree in 2014.

I decided to start as a freelancer after graduation and moving to the UK for 5 years, took all sorts of odd jobs making illustration, comics and commissions. Next to my client work, I always prioritized working on my personal paintings and drawings in my free time.After coming back to Portugal in 2020, I started giving workshops at events and private tutoring. Through these workshops, I discovered how much I love teaching and helping aspiring digital artists to follow their own voices and dreams.I'm currently based in Portugal, where I live with my partner in crime, Tiago Bulha, who wrote the stories of Opal Flame and Ikarya (our free to read webcomics).Still have questions? Check out my FAQ, where I give more information about my art, career, and advice for artists.

For business inquiries, please contact:
[email protected]

• Email

For more information check my commissions page.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Categories

01 Tools & Settings
Information relating to my personal digital tools and settings.

1.1 Software
I have been using Procreate since 2020, as a more portable option, since I spend a lot of time at my desk everyday.
I also use Photoshop CC and Clip Studio Paint for finalizing and post production editing.1.2 Hardware
Most of my work is created on my workstation which I have assembled from various parts. It consists of:• An iPad Pro with Procreate and 2nd generation Apple Pencil
• A PC with a Intel Core i3 6100 CPU Processor, running on a Windows 10
• A HUION Kamvas 24 Plus (that doubles as a screen)1.3 Canvas Size
I'm usually very "free style" about the size that I pick, but there is always one thing that I never dismiss, the minimum size of my canvas.
Usually I never go smaller than an A3, which is around 3500 x 5000 pixels (in case I need or decide to use my illustration as a print) at 300DPI. The larger the canvas the better! Just make sure that your PC can handle it without lagging.1.4 Brushes
I’m not very adventurous when it comes to digital brushes, and prefer to stick with one brush from the beginning to the end of the drawing process, switching minor settings according to my needs.
As for Procreate brushes, my preferred brush sets are Evenant Concept Art Brush Pack and Marc Brunet Brush Pack.1.5 Recomendations
1.5.1 Do you recommend a particular tablet?
I tend to stay in my comfort zone when it comes to hardware and software. I’ve been using some combination of a Wacom tablet and a Windows PC since 2009. I know that there are many competing tablets which work great, and lots of artists who do professional work on the iPad. There’s so many options out there these days, so if you’re looking for new hardware, take the time to research which options best fit your budget and needs!.

02 Tips & Advice
Some tips based on my personal experiences and perspective.

2.1 When did you start drawing? I'm a beginner. Any advice?
I have been drawing since I can remember, but only start thinking about taking it more seriously around 2006, when my personal life pushed me to self isolate more, due to my parents divorce, and my huge passion to write stories kicked in even harder, inspiring me to start illustrating my first book.
My advice would be to start simple, draw and paint from real life, fruits, bowls, water pitchers, and other things that are really basic. As you master the most basic, you can build out and begin adding shadows, light, and other elements that give your work dimension.
One more thing, don't compare yourself to other artists. Their work can inspire you and give you ideas, but should never make you feel demotivated. As artists, we never ever stop growing in regards to our skills, talent, and learning – it’s an ongoing process. Never give up!2.2 How long does it take you to finish one illustration? How can I become faster?
It really depends on my health and the complexity of the piece I'm working on, but It’s usually 8 hours to days.
I usually create a lot of smaller drawings in a day, rather than putting a lot of my time into just one large, more elaborate piece. My work became more detailed as my skills improved. I think one of the best things you can do to get faster is to practice live sketching and speedpaints, since it prevents you from getting hung up on details and allows you to become comfortable with the tools you have. Keep it simple and practice as much as you can!

03 Education & Work
Info about where I studied and what I do now.

3.1 Where I Studied
I studied Graphic and Multimedia Design for three years in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal (at the ESAD.CR - Escola Superior de Artes e Design) obtaining a Bachelor in Design. In relation to illustration and comic art I'm a self-taught digital artist.3.2 Current Work
I start working as a freelance artist in Portugal since I graduated in August 2014. I do mostly illustration and comic book related work at the moment, as well as generating income from Ko-Fi, Twitch, prints and merch.
If you are interested you can read some of my previous comic projects for free at Tapas!

04 Contacting me about
Info about requesting commissions, reviews, etc.

4.1 Art Related4.1.1 Commissions
If you'd like to commission my work, please check my Commissions Page where you can find an updated status on availability, prices and how to be included in the Waitlist.
If you are a professional/company and want a commission for commercial purposes, please contact me by email: [email protected]4.1.2 Requests
Sorry, no. No free requests unless I specifically make an announcement about it.4.2 Information & Feedback4.2.1 Interviews
If you’d like to interview me, please contact me to inquire as to whether my schedule allows!4.2.1 Reviewing artwork & mentoring
I sometimes get requests to give portfolio reviews or mentor artists. I’m not always able to do these due to a lack of time, sorry about that! But I will do my best to reach out to you.

05 Permissions
Information on whether my images can be used for tattoos, layouts, and more.

5.1 Profile pictures, avatars and icons
You can use my art for your profile picture, avatar, or icon, but only if there is some way to clearly credit my work. Please credit the image with “Art by Black Curls – blackcurlsart.carrd.co” in the description. If there is no way to credit me for the image, please refrain from using it as your profile picture.5.2 Licensing artwork
If you’re interested in licensing my artwork for commercial use, please contact me at [email protected] with more information about why and how you want to license it. However, I am not interested in having my artwork licensed for use in signature tags or any other stock usage, so please do not contact me about those!5.3 Reference
Using my artwork as a reference for your own is not a problem. This applies to referencing specific parts of my art as well as ‘style borrowing’ or trying out elements of my digital painting approach. All I ask is for you to link to the image you used as a reference and provide proper credit by linking back to my social media accounts or website.5.4 Tattoos
No need to ask my permission to have my art tattooed on you. Go right ahead! All I ask in return is for you to send me a photo of your tattoo when you have had it done, and if you like, you can support me on Ko-Fi!5.5 Personal use
Using my image as your phone wallpaper, printing out a small version for yourself, or any other small-scale personal use is perfectly fine. Please just don’t sell my art or claim it as your own!5.6 Website or blog features
I am always happy to have my artwork featured on your journal, blog or website. There is no need to ask permission beforehand, and I am very grateful to anyone who wants to share my artwork! Please post my images with a link back to blackcurlsart.carrd.co.5.7 Can I make you a gift/draw your OC's? Can I draw them with mines?
Of course, you can! No need to ask for permission.
Remember to link/tag me so I can love and share your work!

06 Other Questions

6.1 Do you only draw in manga style?
Yes and no, I can draw in other styles, but "manga" is the one that I enjoy and identify myself the most.6.2 Do you have an account on...?
Click here to find the full list of all my social media.6.3 Is there a way to show you my support financially?
You can support me on Ko-Fi by donating any amount or by becoming a subscriber on my Twitch channel.
I also have an online Store where you can get brushes, tutorials and more.6.4 Who are your favorites artists?
Simz Art, Carol Cao, Mengxuan Li, Yo Hosoyamada, Carlotta Dicataldo, Minna Sundberg.

If you have any questions about me or my artwork which are not answered in this FAQ, please do not hesitate to ask. You can do so by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
However, I will not answer questions that have already been answered in this FAQ, so please be sure to read through this page before typing your question! Thank you so much for reading ❤

Where to find me

The following is the full list of all the places you can find me on social media.If you see someone on another website with my name and/or art but it's not listed here, be careful as it is probably not me.