Having a dedicated space for my art and creativity has always been important to me. That space has changed and evolved a lot, particularly over the past few years. From leaving my first studio in my home country Argentina, to building one from scratch in England, to more recently moving to a small town on Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
It’s interesting to see how the studio is rebuilt each time – always a little different, yet always carrying bits and pieces from its past versions. A little bit like myself! I spend a lot of time in this space, so I love filling each corner with things that feel familiar, bring me joy, and inspire me every day.
My perfect recipe for an inspiring studio starts with a window. I work traditionally a lot and I usually film videos for social media, so having plenty of natural light is non-negotiable to me. I have to say that this might be my favourite window I’ve ever had, because I get a perfect view of the sea while I’m sitting at my desk! A window with a pretty view of the sea. Also great for pigeon watching!
I have two desk areas, one for digital art with a laptop and a Wacom Cintiq 24, where most of my commercial work happens. This is also where I reply to emails and organise tasks for the week. The second desk is purely for traditional art fun, filled with pens, paints, and all kinds of markers.
The pegboard up on the wall is one of my favourite ways to keep my art supplies organised and neatly displayed within my reach! This area is a space for experimenting and exploring my own ideas, rather than working on client projects, though that can happen sometimes.
I tend to gravitate towards traditional art when I want to draw purely for the joy of drawing. Another absolute essential in my studio is a shelving unit to store my books and beloved items.
I enjoy collecting stickers, stationery, vinyl figurines, and all sorts of trinkets that are displayed all around the studio. I particularly love stuff from the 90s and early 00s that reminds me of my childhood and has influenced my work in one way or another. If it’s cute, colourful, and sparks my interest, it will probably end up on my shelf!
I don’t have a lot of my own work displayed in the studio, since I prefer looking at artwork from other artists instead. I find colours very inspiring, and I often choose prints with lots of pinks, blues, and pastel tones to decorate my walls.
I also love being surrounded by green, so there can never be too many plants. I don’t look forward to the day I have to move out again, but I know that I will always be able to rebuild my own little world wherever I go!
I’m obsessed with checkered patterns, so the rug was the perfect addition to the studio!
A rolling cart to store art supplies is a must-have for any traditional artist. Inside the drawers I keep the sketchbooks I’m currently using, sticky notes, paper, and my wooden stamp collection. It also features a huge folder of Deleter screentones I brought back with me from Japan.
The studio at night is filled with fairy lights and a galaxy projector my partner bought me.
Studio treasures
I won the huge stack of Copic markers in the social media category of the Copic Awards 2020. Even after all these years, most of the markers still work perfectly fine.
I bought the celestial chart poster at Griffith Observatory in LA in 2018. It’s a bit worn out because it’s been up pretty much in all my studio setups over the years, so it’s kind of a staple at this point!
The canvas lamp I use to film a lot of my art process videos.
On my nostalgia shelf, I mostly display a bunch of old Winx Club dolls. Winx Club is one of the shows that made me start drawing in the first place, so it has a special place in my heart.
My art wall features work from Natalie Andrewson, Ami Thompson, Sibylline Meynet, Maud Bihan, Kiera Won, Lara Carson, and Maxine Vee, among many others. I also love collecting riso prints and posters from Disney parks.
My shelf is filled up with artbooks and all kinds of inspirational material, particularly artists’ sketchbook compilations, which are my favourite type of books. Here, I also keep any comics I’ve worked on, and I love decorating with little souvenirs from my travels.
I also have my own artbook, Wayfinder: The Art of Gretel Lusky, published by 3dtotal! Definitely one of my most important projects I’ve done to date.
My two beloved original drawings of Starfire and Raven were kindly gifted to me by Teen Titans artist Brianne Drouhard.
More items on my shelf include a couple of Ariel vintage dolls, Sailor Moon, Polly Pocket and Sylvanian critters.
