Alumni Spotlight: Sara Sarhangpour

Illustration alumni Sara Sarhangpour graduated from the Illustration diploma program in April 2019. Since then, her playful and heartwarming drawings and comics have been featured in children’s magazines, art fairs, and gallery exhibits.
Over the past year, Sara has been experimenting more with traditional mediums – using acrylic, oil, and gouache paint to create artwork on wood or canvas. She has also discovered a new love for needle felting sculptures.
“ I do think it’s crucial to be in touch with analog, tangible mediums as a digital artist.”
From old childhood shows to conversations with friends, and even the lessons she has gained from therapy, Sara finds inspiration in many facets of her life. She also likes to reference vintage illustrations, the paranormal, and popular culture found in the media to create her humorous drawings.
“I remember during my Seneca days, my wonderful classmate Steph Brennan introduced me to Michael DeForge. He was a critical influence in my work and opened my mind up to what I thought art and comics could be.”
One of Sara’s most recent projects include illustrating a children’s book titled Willa and Wade and the Way-Up-There. Following the release of the book, Sara showcased her process work at the RAID Gallery. The exhibition included sketches, character designs, layouts, and colour studies – offering viewers an exclusive look at the making of the storybook.
“While creating the look of the characters and the book, I tried a bunch of different textures, brushes, and colour palettes before we eventually settled on a simple and muted colour palette that Barb Kelly, the designer, suggested. After drawing these characters for more than a year, they’ve become so cemented in my mind that their personalities match their look to me now so, so much.”
“I pushed myself as an artist and surprised myself with the final result. The exhibit showcases all the ideas that come out at first, and then when you really have the “vision” that everyone is happy with and looking for, it becomes fine-tuned, and cements these characters into reality. Sometimes I have to pinch myself knowing I got to do this and hopefully, kids and parents enjoy it!”
Images courtesy of Sara Sarhangpour
View more of Sara’s work here: https://www.sarabearie.com/