Genshin Impact Fanart Illustrator Interview: 雲こ猫 (雲小猫) @kumokoneko

As we may all know, choosing art as a career is not a easy decision, what makes it more challenging is to have it far from your homeland.

Yet, illustrator 雲こ猫/雲小猫 @kumokoneko has demonstrated how passion for art and perseverance can drive one to overcome the discomfort.

Just like Genshin Impact that continuously revealing its world map, the journey of 雲小猫 in Genshin fan-art has not come to an end. She is still at the stage of exploring ideas and getting inspired.

We believe, and are looking forward to more fascinating art-pieces created by her.

Q. How long have you been working as an illustrator?

雲小猫 @kumokoneko: Since I was a child, I have loved drawing characters from the animations that I was fond of, and now I’ve been working as an illustrator and game character designer after my graduation four years ago.

Q. What propelled / motivated you to become an illustrator of Genshin Impact?

雲小猫 @kumokoneko: When I first entered Genshin Impact, I was attracted by its beautiful scenery and charismatic characters. I am very proud that I became a Genshin Impact player on the day the game was launched.

Before Ganyu went online, she looked so cute that I was looking forward to having her. So I painted the first fanart about Genshin Impact, an illustration of Ganyu wearing a swimsuit. That illustration quickly climbed to the top of the monthly ranking on Pixiv. Since then, I have been continuously creating fan works about Genshin Impact.

Q. Tell me about your favorite character of Genshin Impact.

雲小猫 @kumokoneko: I like many girl characters in Genshin Impact. If I had to name my favorite, it would probably be either Kamisato Ayaka or Ganyu. I like Ganyu because she is very sexy. I also like Ayaka because she has a very good temperament, and her DPS is so high that I have been taking her to explore the world since she went online.

But then everything changed when her brother Ayato came online. He has become my favorite male character and my permanent first character in the team. The biggest reason is that I have loved his voice actor Mr. Ishida Akira so much since I was a child.

Q. What’s your favorite region and/or location in Genshin Impact?

雲小猫 @kumokoneko: Probably Liyue, although two of my favorite characters are from Inazuma. I’m a Chinese citizen myself but working in Japan. Due to Covid-19, I have not returned to my hometown for two years, which makes me miss it so much. When I visit Liyue in the game, listening to its background music and looking at its buildings bring my heart back to my hometown in China.

Q. From start to finish, how long does it take for you to create your work?

雲小猫 @kumokoneko: I often do fanart work about Genshin Impact on weekends and after getting off work on working days. If it’s just the half body of a character, it can be done over the weekend or within a few nights. If it’s a character with standing poss, it will probably take more time to draw. The more characters are there, the longer it takes. For example, during Lantern Rite 2021 I drew a fanart with six characters which costed me half a month, on evenings and weekends.

Q. Describe and share the best piece of Genshin Impact art you’ve created.

I’m glad to introduce this painting to you. It features two of my favorite female characters, Ganyu and Kamisato Ayaka. Their recreated outfits were inspired by Japanese Kimonos and Chinese Hanfu. I hope one day these two will have a chance to talk to each other in the plot

Q. How do you define success as an illustrator?

Works that make the audience happy and make yourself happy.

Q. Name one of your favorite artists / illustrators.

There are many authors I like. It’s hard to tell which one is my favorite, but I’d like to introduce Atdan (https://www.pixiv.net/users/6662895).
Atdan’s technical skills are superb, and painting style is very charming. Atdan has been invited many times to create official promotional illustrations for Genshin Impact. I have great respect for this artist.

Some more drawings by 雲こ猫 (雲小猫)

We thank her so much for the sharing with us.
Please visit the talented artist’s profile and portfolio on different social platforms. Don’t forget to like/follow to show your support!

雲こ猫（雲小猫）

Weibo 🔗 画画的雲小猫
pixiv 🔗 雲こ猫（雲小猫）
Twitter 🔗 雲小猫 @kumokoneko