Hakan Öztunalı
- Feb 18
- 5 min read

The Apricity w/ Paadparadscha

Roksana, known with the alias Paadparadscha, a digital and occasionally traditional Senior Artist from Poland. Accepted the offer to be interviewed and I cannot show my thanks enough. Roksana is the dawn of a new day of me to reach a different level of understanding in the art and illustration realm. The apricity. To put it simply, a sunrise in an icy cold season. Their work hooked on me, technical drawing and the colors they use are absolute mind boggling. Somehow, reminded me Hayao Miyazaki's animations, expressiveness and coloring. I am deeply passionate to explore the hidden gems around the tunnels of internet. And seeing Roksana, I will definitely continue to this journey to search for more. Frankly, I was in despair for the last 2 weeks. And still I do. However, I have lovely memories pushing me to go forward, despite the melancholy I need to endure. I gathered every fragment of my memories and now carrying them altogether. It is not a burden, but hope. A heart is a heavy burden.

Super happy to have you here! Could you please introduce yourself?

Paadparadscha: Hello! I am Roksana, but some may know me under the name of Paadparadscha, a digital and (time-to-time) traditional artist from Poland :)

Fundamentally it might be insignificant to categorize art into subgroups, however I need to ask it. How do you define your artwork with all the technicality you integrate?

Paadparadscha: I have been thinking for some time about the wide-ranging history of art, how it percolates itself and how the past is referenced by the following masters a lot. Classification comes right after a certain art movement ends and its name might go through various changes until it matches the outlook of the timeline perfectly.

That is why I am unsure about the categorization but essentially it is what it is - digital, stylised art, mostly fanart, highly popular amongst young people. I prioritize texture and color, which I combine in abstract-like backgrounds, more or less blurring the boundary between the actual form and illustrative ornaments, resulting in a dreamlike image. My outcome in both digital and traditional art is inspired by the art of the end of 19 th and the beginning of 20th century: impressionism, post-impressionism, les Nabis group, Kapists and Young Poland period as well as the whole Art Nouveau itself.

How do you adjust the artistic balance between impressionism and post-impressionism since you oscillate in between?

Paadparadscha: I love said movements equally, but I must admit that in my traditional painting I have been shifting more towards early Auguste Renoir's style; that is what my teachers said. That is why impressionism is a bit closer to my heart.

Even though right now it is a mere imitation of the brush stroke, I hope that one day I will be able to fully devote myself to the true old ways of impressionism and paint like Claude Monet - his series of Rouen Cathedral depicted at different times of the day truly amazes me, how each stroke seems so perfect, especially because of how rapidly Monet had to work.

There are solid options to choose for digital art and illustration like Clip Studio Paint and Procreate. Do you think there are overmuch upsides and downsides among them to choose, or is it depends on an artist to begin from somewhere?

Paadparadscha: In terms of choosing the software, I would recommend trying out as many as possible, since it is completely up to the person. From my experience, the main issue might be related to the device on which the software will be running. Not everybody is able to afford a high quality PC with a glossy screen, displaying colors perfectly. Unfortunately at the beginning I had to deal with one that is the opposite, I was desperate to make it run smoothly with my Wacom Intuos Draw, but those two simply didn't like each other.

Currently I adore Procreate - a simple intuitive interface paired up with the mobility is perfect for those on the run like me. Not being stuck in one position while drawing is also very forgiving for the whole body. The only drawback is the limit of the layers, after all Procreate cannot be as advanced as Clip Studio Paint. It is meant for mobile devices only. For those who prefer stationary work and value good quality, I recommend CSP. There are free alternatives too, like MediBang Paint or Krita, which are good for beginners. The truth is that no matter what program a person chooses, with enough determination everybody is able to create something special. I know amazing artists who only need Ibis Paint, phone-sized screen and their own fingers to create a masterpiece.

As you mentioned before, starting from 2021 you are performing traditional painting with incorporating digitalization. I think it’s fantastic to merging altogether and reach a further understanding phase of what you do. What is your take on this matter?

Paadparadscha: Exactly, digital art is based on traditional methods, it imitates, but also broadens them. My abilities depend on traditional art.

I think that whenever I practice still life on a B1 canvas I make the biggest progress. The act of observing real objects and then placing them on paper, setting up composition and else, it is crucial for the development. While Procreate might not fully replicate the same effect, switching from traditional to digital art gives me a feeling of freshness and it helps me translate a newly acquired knowledge into a different medium.

Where is the essence of your creativity hides that urges you to draw?

Paadparadscha: Sometimes it's the hypnagogic state, I hallucinate colorful compositions which last mere seconds, for me it rarely works out and is rather unexpected. Surrealists used this method as a source of their inspiration. Mostly I rely on my mind and the process. While the general composition has to be planned carefully, in terms of colors and the atmosphere - I prefer going with the flow.

Would you like to share your influences that blooming inside like animes, mangas, music and beyond?

Paadparadscha: Ever since I was a child I loved and paid attention to anything that was animated. The first time I saw an old episode of Sailor Moon I could not take my eyes off it, especially because it had an artistic theme, something about special pencils. I love Yoshitaka Amano and Ayami Kojima's artworks, Bloodborne and Alice: Madness Returns concept art. I am a big fan of Love Death and Robots, I also recommend Houseki no Kuni and Cowboy Bebop!

Honor to have you here. Your closing words please. Tell anything you wish.

Paadparadscha: Thank you for reaching out to me, it was a really fun experience! I want to say something that I really need to hear myself sometimes: To my fellow artists - don't you ever stop drawing and don’t forget to save your copies! Goodbye!

CREDITS

To reach the official Instagram page of Paadparadscha, tap here: @paadparadscha