Stunning Stippler

She’s the winner of the National Art Honor Society Inktober contest. She’s in robotics and architecture. She loves mochi. Long story short, she’s Heidi Martinez. 

Why did you compete in the Inktober contest? 

I really wanted to compete because I wanted my message to get through about tigers being endangered due to animal cruelty.

What sparked your interest in art?

It all started in elementary school. I remember this one girl from elementary school who was a big inspiration to me. Every time I looked at her art work, I always thought, “Wow, that’s amazing.” When people looked at my art, I wanted them to react the same way. 

What is your favorite type of art (painting, inking, watercolor, sketching)?

I’m really strong with stippling (using numerous small dots to create an image), so I really wanted to put my love of stippling into the artwork. I really like realism as well, so I like to mix those two together.

How did you plan out your piece?

I looked up pictures of tigers and tried to get inspiration from those pictures. I tried to draw a picture of a tiger roaring at first, but then I decided I wanted to show how tigers aren’t dangerous. Tigers are not dangerous unless we humans make them feel threatened. Instead of looking at pics of tigers roaring, I looked for sad tigers. At first, I wasn’t gonna do the muzzle. But then I thought, muzzles are put on animals that are savage, so I wanted to put the muzzle on a tiger that was scared to show that tigers are scared of humans. 

What prize did you win and how do you intend to use it?

The art teacher had a series of prizes to choose from, and I chose micron pens, the same pens I used for my piece. 

Are there any other contests you plan to participate in in the future?

Definitely. After the project we are doing now, art students are joining VASE, or the Visual Arts Scholastic Events. We compete with other campuses until we make it to state. 

Do you plan on pursuing a career in art?

I plan to be a part time artist. 

In a dash–

Boba, overrated or underrated? Overrated, but it’s really good. 

Last show you binged? Attack on Titan

Favorite band? I really love the band Mother Mother

Superpower? Time stopping

Biggest fear? Drowning in a tight space

What would you say if you had the world’s attention for 30 seconds? Be the change you want to see in the world. I live by that every single day.