Fan Artist Feature - Nips

Hey Summoners! This week we’re speaking with Nips, an esports and comic artist extraordinaire with strong ties to the community. She’s also created a unique library of skin designs, and genderbends that will leave you inspired!

Follow her on Twitter and Facebook to see even more of her art!

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How did you get started creating League of Legends fan art?

I started playing League in 2013 when Thresh came out after A LOT of convincing and hassling with friends. I couldn't wrap my head around how people could fall in love with a game that only had one map (but who needs a map, anyway). It didn't take me too long to get to "just one more game".

Friends started telling me about the competitive scene and they always mentioned a team that reminded them of me....Ninjas in Pyjamas....because their initials were NiP....like Nips! haha. I looked up the players and discovered streaming. I drew little characters for Bjergsen / Malunoo and, not too short after, I discovered Cloud 9. They became my favorite team (still are!! #C9WIN!!!) and fell in love with the competitive world! I soon started following LCS games and did team skins for every team that won! Cloud 9 has been a huge catalyst and supporter in my growth as an artist and in the community. They've been so kind and have become a virtual family for me.

What's been your favorite piece to create, and why?

This is a tough one! I've definitely enjoyed all of them a great deal for different reasons. However, even though it's not a specific piece (rather a "series"), I've had the most fun making the champion genderbends. A concept that allows me to work with character personality (my favorite!) to bring a champion to life as the opposite gender while still maintaining the essence of the original. It's a challenge I love to take and hope to one day bend all of them! I even had Bjergsen and Snoopeh request some of their own. xD

Do you have a dream project you’d like to work on?

As far as dreams go (other than swimming in a pool of Nutella), I've been very fortunate to be able to work on my personal comic OFFcell. I love creating characters and telling their stories. I'm so grateful to be able to do that on the daily! The project is still growing and there's many things I've yet to learn but I'm excited to work on it all!!! I do have League-related dream projects too though! How amazing would it be to take part in the creation of a champion; bring them to life! Tell their story! If I ever had that opportunity, I could probably die happy haha.

Who’s your inspiration? Do you have any favorite League fan artists?

I follow so many artists. Everyone has such a different way of putting their ideas on paper and that alone is such an inspiration! My favorite League artist is Alvin Lee . His work is filled with top notch energy and dynamism! He pushes artistic boundaries with every piece and it's nothing short of impressive every time. As for fan artists, hands down, Rachel J. Like me, she does comics and loves telling stories. Her pieces are always so expressive and smooth! Ippus , Kalce , Melissa, Duet and Uguubear are also some very talented friends and keep me motivated to always get better!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the community?

I studied biology in hopes of going to medical school and had no dreams of doing any form of art full time. What made me fall in love with the game, and eventually made me commit to art, were the splash arts. I constantly think about how different my life would've been without League of Legends; 12-hour days as a heart surgeon with no breathing room to draw! I can't even picture a day going by without painting! I'm so grateful to have discovered the game and become a part of the community. Constantly growing every day and it's almost frightening. I've had nothing but pleasant experiences with the people I've met through sharing my art and I'm in awe with the kind support I've received! Words can't express how inspiring everyone's been!! It's truly, truly, truly outrageous!