New Jersey Artist Puts Unique Spin on Horror Art
John Campopiano
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The horror fan community is rich with creative people. From custom clothing to paintings, horror fans are diehard and often showcase their dedication to the genre in creative and fun ways.
Tara Sasarak of New Jersey is no different. She’s been popping up more and more on social media with her horror-inspired portraits so we decided to reach out to her to learn more about her artwork, inspirations, and the kinds of projects she’s got in the pipeline.
John Campopiano: How long have you been drawing?
Tara Sasarak: I’ve been drawing since I was a kid. When I was little, coloring in coloring books was my favorite activity. When I got to middle school, I became interested in drawing realistic portraits and objects. About six or seven years ago I really wanted to get into drawing portraits. Getting my first realistic portrait tattoo is what really inspired and motivated me. I’ve been drawing portraits ever since! Jason Edmiston is an artist I really admire. His work has been very influential.
JC: Did your love for drawing and interest in horror films happen simultaneously, or did one come before the other?
TS: I’ve had an interest in horror ever since I was little. I remember seeing the Michael Jackson “Thriller” video. It really scared me – but it also hooked me on horror; I’ve been hooked since. As for drawing horror content, that started about five years ago around the time I did my first portrait: Victor Pascow (from Pet Sematary). Prior to that piece I had drawn a few horror-related things, but they were from my imagination (i.e., not based on a film).
JC: What are you most passionate about when it comes to drawing icons of horror?
TS: I feel like I’m in another dimension altogether when I’m sitting down and drawing horror portraits and scenes. When I am drawing, I get so focused. Everything around me sort of disappears and I’m in my own world. It’s a great stress reliever, and it honestly brings me a lot of happiness. I feel like a million bucks during and after. It’s something that simply gives me a positive feeling.
I typically work on one section of the portrait at a time. If the eye is off, I’ll work on it for however long it takes to get it right. You have to see a portrait and just nail it; otherwise, you lose the essence of that character. I have portraits that haven’t been finished because I don’t think I’ve been able to capture the essence of that character.
JC: Which pieces in your current portfolio are you most proud of?
TS: Some of the pieces that I am proud of are my Walter White (from “Breaking Bad”) portrait and Jud Crandall (from Pet Sematary) and Dr. Loomis (from Halloween) pieces. I discovered that I enjoy drawing older people primarily because of all the detail that goes into it. The more detail, the better.
JC: Are there pieces you haven’t yet drawn but would love to?
TS: I would love to do a few different pieces from John Carpenter films. I also love b-movies, so maybe doing a piece from the film Shotgun, for instance, would be fun. Currently I’m working on a Kurt Russell piece. I love him as an actor – he’s so underrated. I couldn’t choose which character to do, so I decided to do a giant Kurt Russell-themed collage instead. Each section will have different colors representing the respective film, which should help make it more visually interesting and fun.
JC: Your style is quite unique: When reviewing your past projects, it’s apparent that diverse color palettes dominate your style. What fuels your particular, stylistic approach drawing?
TS: It started with a From Beyond portrait piece I did. In the film I noticed the color theme consisted of bright blues and pinks. So on that piece, instead of coloring in Jeffrey Combs’ character, I thought it would be visually interesting to do him in pinks and blues instead of the basic portrait colors I usually use. After seeing the piece finished, I felt it worked well. You’d see it and say, “Oh yes, that is totally From Beyond.” So I started drawing and coloring in that style. I’m using that style again now on the Kurt Russell piece.
JC: When you’re not recreating famous images from horror films, what other things do you draw?
TS: I am now a tattooer, so when I am not drawing portraits, I am working on scripts and roses and tattoo related things, which I also love. Drawing portraits and working on tattoo designs is all around a nice stress reliever, but it will also help me improve as an artist and help further my career in general.
JC: Have you begun selling any of your artwork, or is this still for personal satisfaction?
TS: I’ve sold some prints here and there, and I’ve done original drawings for friends. But for now my drawing is mainly for personal satisfaction. In the future I would love to work for a t-shirt company or design some Blu-ray covers. That would be a dream! But for now I’m taking it slow and just getting more practice.
JC: If horror fans and fellow artists want to keep up with your work, where can they find you?
TS: My fans can find me on Instagram and Facebook. I will eventually have a website for my artwork. But as of now, my Instagram page is mainly used for my art and tattoos. And my cat, too. @taraterror
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