The Learning Zone

Tell us a little about yourself?

I am an illustration student going into my third year. I like to draw whimsical characters and environments inspired by nature or surrealist paintings. My favourite mediums to work with are inks, watercolour, graphite and pencil crayons. Recently, I’ve been enjoying the process of creating textures using ink washes which I then like to scan and colour digitally.

What influenced your decision to major in Illustration?

I don’t think there was one specific moment or person that influenced my decision to pursue art. However, I remember one of my teachers asking us to envision one thing we see ourselves doing for the rest of our lives, and the answer, for me, was drawing.

I chose illustration because I always liked the storytelling aspect of illustration. In high school, I volunteered at a local art hub near my home, and I met a few artists who graduated from OCAD. Some of them had majored in illustration, and I liked their artworks, so I would ask them questions about how the program was. Their experiences at the school left a remarkable impression on me, which helped me decide on illustration as a major.

Who is your favourite Illustrator?

Victo Ngai is one of my favourite illustrators. She does illustrations for newspapers and magazines, book covers, and packaging and advertising campaigns. What I love most about her work is the surreal atmosphere composed of whimsical characters and playful environments. Her process inspired me to play around with unique perspectives to tell a story.

Rovina Cai and Zoe Van Dijk are two other illustrators whose work I admire. I really enjoy Zoe Van Diijk work because her process inspires me because I enjoy drawing with ink and experimenting with washes to get textures.

How do you discover illustrators?

I discover illustrators mainly through social media such as Instagram and Pinterest. I also look through the Design Annual books like American Illustration and Society of Illustrators annuals in the library for inspiration. For one of my classes, I used Artstor Digital Library to search for historical artists who impacted art movements.

Sophie Babenko

Bachelor of Design, Minor in Art History

Sophie Babenko will be graduating this June from OCAD U’s Advertising program with a minor in Art History. Between classes and working as a Learning Zone Remote Student Monitor, Sophie also divided her time offering pro bono Art Direction work with The New Kid Collective; a collective created by her friends and classmates, Louise Delfin and Alvin Zheng.

Painting and drawing has been a part of Sophie’s life ever since she can remember, from taking art classes as a child, to studying fine arts in Ukraine. After moving to Canada with her family, she enrolled in the Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) fine arts program in high school.

Last week, we sat down with Sophie:

What influenced your decision to major in Advertising?

I have always known that I wanted to work in a creative field but never saw myself pursuing a fine arts career. I took some business classes in high-school and really enjoyed them. For me Advertising is a combination of my interests in arts and business.

I considered enrolling in the drawing and painting program but was always interested in business. My dad worked in marketing in Ukraine and so I have always been surrounded by that industry. I told my parents that I want to enroll in Advertising, they said that made sense because when I was a kid I memorized ads and sang the jingles—it came full circle.

What did you most enjoy about your program?

I definitely enjoyed getting to know people in my program and becoming good friends with them. I think that I got really lucky to be a part of such supportive class. The Advertising program also provided the opportunity to explore the many sides of advertising. You could study photography for advertising or retail which is how some people became interested in UX/UI design, Social Media Management, Strategy etc. I enjoyed how much variety you have in looking at advertising—it was not one straight path, you explored the discipline a little more from different perspectives, and you get to choose what you enjoy the most.

Where are you most productive? Tell us a bit about your creative space.

I am most productive when I am alone at my apartment. I need to focus and not get distracted. However, I am most creative when I am talking to other people. Since I can’t be around my friends during the pandemic, I like to change the setting and to take my work outside when possible.

What kind of books do you enjoy reading?

I really enjoy reading books on art history, especially Renaissance and Baroque. I have always loved reading about artists from a very young age; I would read art books cover to cover. Besides that, I like books based on historical events and the ones that tell individual life stories. My favourite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.

What are your next steps after graduating?

I am looking forward to starting out in the creative industry.  The next step will be getting a creative/art direction internship.

What will you miss the most about OCAD University?

I will definitely miss being able to work on all types of projects with other students from my program. The first thing that comes to my mind is the walk to the 6th floor. There would always be someone there, sitting at the big table and you would join them. We were all friends with each other too so, you go and sit and tell them some of your ideas or work on your own—I will miss that collective mind and creative group work.

You can find more of Sophie’s work:

OCADVERTISING Website:

My Portfolio Website

The New Kid Collective

 with Atika Tariq

Hi my name is Atika Tariq. I am going into my final year of Environmental Design and minoring in Sustainability. As a designer, I believe in the ability to strengthen to improve our communities and have a positive influence on the environment through architecture and research combined with design thinking. I don’t just want to create buildings; I want to inspire others with my imagination and ingenuity, designing structures that are out of the ordinary and make people feel at ease in their surroundings.

Drawing has always been a passion of mine since I was a kid. I enjoy making realistic drawings, focusing on the nuances, and attempting to mimic anything I see. I took an architecture class in high school because I enjoyed drawing and wanted to learn how to use AutoCAD and SketchUp. I’ve always loved creating things that people can build and use.

Do you have a favourite Architect or designer or style of architecture that inspires you?

Islamic architecture is a style that inspires me, Islamic architecture is one of the world’s most celebrated building traditions. It’s known for its bold colours, intricate patterns, symmetrical silhouettes, and meticulous attention to detail. Geometric designs adorning Islamic architecture have always captivated me.

What are you reading?

Currently, I am reading Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz written in 1960. This book is about changing your perception of yourself and mastering your mind. It focuses on how to use your mind to help you achieve positive goals and achieve success. As the name suggests, psycho- cybernetics takes you on a quest to discover how the human mind perceives the world and its psychological makeup.

Be sure to visit the OCAD  U Library and discover your next read.