Student Spotlight: Solongo Mellecker

We are proud to shine the SCAD-Atlanta Illustration Student Spotlight on Solongo Mellecker, MFA candidate, amazing artist, and a delightful young lady. As usual, we asked her the obligatory 10 questions so everyone could get to know her a bit better. Enjoy her answers and her fabulous artwork...


1. Where are you from (hometown, country, etc.)
I'm from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.


2. Where have you been to school?
I went to The Institute of Fine Art in Mongolia. I attended for four years and received my BFA in Traditional Mongolian painting.


3. What attracted you to Illustration?
I always loved to read folktales and myth books with illustrations as a child. I didn't know there was an illustration major in art schools until I came to the States.


4. Who are your biggest influences?
My biggest influence is my early teacher Batbayar Dovdon , who is a great calligrapher and artist in Mongolia. He taught me all the basics of illustration, brush strokes, layouts, scale etc. I was also inspired by Hieronymus Bosch, Hokusai and Tibetan thangka painters.


5. If you weren’t studying illustration at SCAD, what would you likely be doing?
I would probably be trying to get freelance work, or painting murals. I would still be painting for sure somewhere.


6. What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to surf illustrators' blogs and websites and check out who is up to what. It gives me inspiration. If I have any more spare time left I like to do crafts. Scrapbooking is my favorite, it's a really fun thing if you get serious with it. I scrapbook all night sometimes, it's really addicting.


7. What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I guess I don't talk a lot about myself. When I was younger I trained to be a pianist, I also smoked rabbit poop thinking it would help my allergies :-) Do not try it, it didn't help at all!


8. What would your dream job/client be and why?
It would be great to work for Chronicle Books or Candlewick Press. They are my favorite publishers right now.


9. What’s your typical process for creating your artwork (technique, media, etc)?
I think about the project everywhere I go, even when I'm talking to someone, the idea just wraps me and it never stops until I complete the project. Even colors, details come into my mind. I usually start with thumbnails. Then I pick one and start drawing. Scanning or using the Artograph is next, then transferring the drawing onto the final surface using transfer paper. Then its onto rendering in whatever medium is best.


10. Sum up your personal philosophy in 25 words or less.
See things through to the end.