Feature by Misha Liann – RandomMishaness.art

What you are about to read is an excerpt of Urban-Muse Magazine Issue #3, currently available as part of $5 pledge on Patreon.com. Over the course of the next few weeks we will release all 5 interviews on the blog. Work on Issue #4 and a new set of artist features is already in progress. When you pledge on Patreon you will be sent a download link for Issue #1 of the magazine, as well as #2, and of course issue #3. Your name will be featured in the Patreon backers page of the next issue and you can even include a link of your own choosing. If you want to read all the features, see the specific layouts/images chosen, read additional articles that will not be on the blog, view the images in High Res Lossless Quality, and support the project ensuring future issues can be made. Please consider supporting the Urban-Muse Magazine Patreon here:

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Geneva Benton is a self-taught freelancing illustrator, who specializes in character art and portraits with a fondness for color theory.

We welcome GDBee to Urban-Muse Magazine. As the curator of Random Mishaness I love to showcase portrait art of various styles and color. She is one of my favorites; an incredible digital artist whose use of color theory. Geneva has been featured in Photoshop Creative, Cross Genres Magazine, ImagineFX, and more. She has tens of thousands of followers and the creator of Magical Girl Monthly magazine. It is an honor and pleasure having her in this issue of Urban-Muse Magazine.

Urban-Muse: Where do you get your inspiration/ideas from?

Gdbee: Lately, a lot of inspiration has come from going outside, hence the amount of flowers and greenery showing up in recent work. Going outside and getting fresh air is important!

Urban-Muse: What do you do want an audience to take from your artwork?

Gdbee: At least a quick smile and inspiration. 🙂

Urban-Muse: What memorable responses have you had to your work?

Gdbee: I’ve gotten some notable and astonishing comments from people who have picked up drawing again or for the first time because of my art. To even move someone to action like this is incredible. Every time I hear a story like this it’s very humbling!

Urban-Muse: What’s your opinion of traditional vs digital illustration?

Gdbee: Both are great. I do mainly digital as there’s no clean up and I’m often short on time in the day. I love the vibrancy and potential cleanness of digital while being able to just pick up and draw for a moment. Of course, you can do the same with a sketchbook, but it doesn’t have such eye-piercingly strong colors readily available. Traditional art I have great respect for, as it’s harder to clean a mistake, or just clean up or setting up in general. There’s also the added benefit of it being one of a kind, and you can admire its texture and technique. They both have their respective places in media and usage.

Urban-Muse: How does personal viewpoint reflect in your work?

Gdbee: It leaks in from time to time. My fiance and I have a lot of in-jokes, so sometimes that makes it into a small part of a drawing that no one else would notice, probably. Trends I’m liking at the time also seep in, like fashion choices.

Urban-Muse: Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?

Gdbee: It is a little. I’m rather introverted and prefer loneliness a good portion of the time, so I am not personally bothered by the long string of quiet days. I do have a wonderful fiance and a couple of amazing friends who break up the silence with occasional puns and ininsightfulness however!

Urban-Muse: Have you ever dealt with depression? What do you do to counteract it?

Gdbee: I’ve had to deal with depression in late teenage years, though I didn’t recognize it as depression at the time. I don’t remember much of the nitty gritty, but seeking someone to talk about it helped tremendously.

Urban-Muse: What are the exciting projects you are working on at the moment?

Gdbee: Nothing at the moment, but there are some ideas that have been floating around for an idea or two.

Urban-Muse: We noticed an ArtBook on your website, could you tell us more about it?

Gdbee: It’s a compilation of art completed this year! Every 1-2 years I just like to put out a compendium of drawings. It feels better in printed form and I like having a physical copy of works around, just in case. This year I didn’t have the personal means to make my own copies, so I turned to Kickstarter and it was amazingly successful.

Urban-Muse: What keeps you curious, dedicated, and or obsessed with your art?

Gdbee: The quest to make it “perfect” keeps it going. Of course, you can never make it perfect and will always learn something new, but that’s what keeps it exciting!