by Monika Blichar

1-When did you know you wanted to be a make up artist?

I think I realized that I wanted to be a makeup artist when I recognized that there are more options than painting on a flat canvas. I really enjoy the 3D aspect of the art form and also that it’s more socially acceptable to talk to living models rather than an intimate object.

2-Why do you love working with make up?

I like having the freedom of being creative while also simultaneously following the natural bone structure for each person’s unique characteristics. It’s much more challenging being able to walk in to something with so much artistic inventiveness, but also having to follow the rules of realism at the same time. It’s a perfect mixture of art and balance!

3-You won at the IMATS in 2016. What was your inspiration for your character submission at that competition?

I’ve always been inspired by the Star Wars franchise and the creatures that lived in it, and though it was such a crazy random happenstance that it was chosen as the theme for that years IMATS competition, Star Wars was, ironically enough, my inspiration. That being said, when we were told to create a unique character complete with costume and a story, I immediately started to plan one around the desert planet of Jakku. I was inspired by the story line of Ray and her struggle of living alone on such a deserted bleak desert planet and wanted the thriftiness and cunning of her character to come across through my own.

4-You do make up and prosthetics. What has been your favorite character design so far?

It’s incredibly difficult choosing my favorite design, I put hours of planning and preparation in to each creature and they all hold a special place in my heart. Though I think it’s safe to say that the most entertaining character designs so far were when I turned my two best friends in to Mike and Sully from my favorite childhood film, Monsters Inc. It was a strangely satisfying feeling getting to see the animated characters that I held so close to my heart for all those years be given life and personality from the two people that now share that same spot.

5-Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Do you have any goals for your business?

In 5 years I’d like to be able to look back on all that I’ve done and be proud of what I’ve accomplished in that short amount of time. I would love to be able to work as a full time freelance makeup artist that specifies in creature design and prosthetics, but at the same time I don’t think that I could ever limit myself to just one form of makeup artistry since it’s such an amazing art form. So I guess the goal for my freelance makeup artistry business is to have as many opportunities as possible so I can enjoy the unexpected journey of where it takes me.

6-What are you looking forward to the most about competing in Art World Expo this year?

I’m looking forward the 6 hour time-span that we have for painting, usually I’m used to working with smaller durations of 1-3 hours so having that extra time will be wonderful for detail work. I’m also looking forward to seeing what the other artists bring to the table for the ‘7 Wonders of the World’ theme, each person has such a unique art style which will cause some truly incredible ideas and designs.

To learn more about Devon Burbank, have a look at her FACEBOOK PAGE or WEBSITE