Love it or hate it, you can’t ignore Instagram! A platform that’s open to different talents and content from art, travel, food, fashion to lifestyle and much more. Well, if you wanna refresh your feed and mood then you totally need some artistic inspiration. One such creator who maximizes your laughs with her content is Christine Furtado, an illustrator and animator who always hits the mark of perfection with her style and finesse. Read on to know more about her and get your daily dose of colour and creativity!

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About Christina Furtado a.k.a. Potatoface

As a kid, the world of cartoons intrigued Christina a lot but creating a career out of it was a far-fetched dream for her. She started her career as a corporate employee but the lockdown was her turning point as she reconnected with her passion and love for cartoons. She went back to animation and illustration and never looked back. Today as a young artist she’s spreading smiles, laughter and nostalgia through her content that covers a wide genre of topics from comedy videos to the ones which take us back in time and makes us admire the beauty of simple things. But the one thing that remains constant in all her videos is the authenticity that she puts in all her projects.

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A post shared by Christina Furtado (potatoface) (@_potatoface__)

We got the opportunity to know more about Christina…

1. How does your content stand out and what connects it with your audience?

When I started creating animations, I focused solely on comic pieces. ‘Turture’ was my first hit comic video which I never thought would reach over 90 million hearts. I enjoyed recreating works of popular comic artists like Kusha Kapila, Ashish Chanchalani, and Niharika NM. People really loved and enjoyed it because it was something no one was doing at the time. I always wanted to create something of my own, something which is all me! So, I started a little series based on a small-town Indian kid called ‘Tales of Chikooo’. I wrote stories that were inspired by my childhood, and I knew people would love them. Amidst all the chaos in the world, I wanted people to find a happy place. I think that’s what connected my viewers to my work.

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A post shared by Christina Furtado (potatoface) (@_potatoface__)

2. How difficult was it to decide to become an illustrator/animator on Instagram? Did you ever have second thoughts?

It was one of the most nerve-wracking decisions I have ever had to make. I’m a mechanical engineer with a major in supply chain management and I’ve never pursued any relevant degree in arts. Before working as an illustrator/animator, I worked as a sales representative at a cruise company. Art was always my hobby.

One day, mindlessly scrolling on YouTube, I found a funny animated video of a YouTuber who had NEVER studied animation. I was hooked and inspired to my core. I spent 3 months researching about animation and how I can learn to create them. I failed so many times and then just gave up chasing this dream for almost 5 months. I decided to take it up again, with a fresh mind and I never stopped! Finding my passion was pure serendipity!

My first animated video did not work that well on my profile, but I did not give up. I then created ‘Turture’ and that video put me on the map. As my page kept growing and people started contacting me for work opportunities, I decided to make social media my side hustle and continued working as a Sales Rep.. After almost going crazy trying to juggle between two career choices, I finally decided to stick to one. The choice was then easy. It was work vs passion and passion is what I chose.

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3. What makes you stand out from your peers and other illustrators on social media?

I have been following all the illustrators on Instagram for the past 8 years now and if I am here making art, I owe it to them. So many inspiring artists that are far superior to my work. Every artist has their own way of creating magic. People call it ‘art style’. Art Style is something that resonates with your personality the most and that’s something that makes my work different from other creators. People seem to like big googly eyes, haha. When I design a character for a video, I make pointers on what kind of impact I want this character to make on the audience. For example, I designed the Indian mom character, I added a coriander bunch and a rolling pin in her apron pocket. It’s these bits of funny-quirky little details that people really enjoy about my work.

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A post shared by Christina Furtado (potatoface) (@_potatoface__)

4. What challenges did you face when you started out?

I’m a self-taught artist and that is one of my biggest challenges. I am exploring new ways to do things and teaching myself at the same time. This approach is time consuming, exhausting and if you don’t find a quick solution to your problem, it can also be discouraging sometimes. One good thing about this painstaking process is that it’s so rewarding. When you learn as you go, and finally get the output you envisioned, you feel so much more confident about yourself and what you do. That does not mean you should choose this way of working towards your goal. In retrospect, I should have probably listened to my gut and pursued my education in arts.

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A post shared by Christina Furtado (potatoface) (@_potatoface__)

5. How bright do you think are the career prospects for someone who would want to follow in your footsteps and become an illustrator on social media?

Illustrator, arts, and animation is such a dynamic career choice. If you are any one of these, you can literally work with any brand that comes to you. You can also design your own merchandise, create content pieces for brands, illustrate books, design packaging, logos, apparel, and how can we forget NFTs! The possibilities are endless. Every project and brand collaboration I receive is through my social media. So yes, if someone is wanting to be an illustrator or animator, social media is going to be the face of your brand! If you create something unique and authentic, you are bound to get noticed.

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A post shared by Christina Furtado (potatoface) (@_potatoface__)

6. What is the best part about being a content creator?

I am doing what I love, and people enjoy it. Whenever I read comments and DMs of people who enjoy my work, it encourages me to work harder. Growing up you have your parents, siblings, and best friends who constantly support you. They are your cheerleaders. Now, I can proudly say I have 600k cheerleaders! Isn’t that pretty damn amazing?

Well, to sum up, with over 600k + followers on Instagram, Christina is creating some amazing, relatable content about things that we come across daily and it’s truly heart-touching. On that note, we hope you go and follow her right now if you haven’t already.

Also, follow @missmalinitrending to get more information about your fave influencers and creators.

Christina Furtado: A Creator Whose Illustrations Are Spreading Smiles & Nostalgia

Christina Furtado: A Creator Whose Illustrations Are Spreading Smiles & Nostalgia