Steven Estrella• Spring 2025
Steven Estrella (@stevencreate) is a Filipino illustrator based in Toronto, Canada, whose art radiates warmth, positivity, and energy. Through each piece, Steven captures a spirit of liveliness and celebrates the beauty of life in constant motion, inviting viewers to feel uplifted and inspired.
Born and raised in the Philippines, Steven draws inspiration from his hometown and things he loves most– sports, music, nature, and the everyday moments that bring joy. For Steven, creating never stops. He’s always drawing, filming, playing music, or cooking something up, both on the canvas and in the kitchen.
Dive in to learn more about Steven and his artistic journey and what drives his passion for creativity.
Hi Steven, can you share a bit about yourself and your art journey?
Hi, I’m Steven Estrella or Steven Create. I was born and raised in the Philippines, and I've been a creative as young as I can remember - I started drawing when I was 4 years old and like most 90’s kids, I was inspired by anime and cartoons and I just really loved the style. I started competing in editorial cartoon contests for newspapers and posters for around 7 years before going to the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, where I studied fine arts and majored in advertising. During this time I became a photographer and videographer; illustration just became a low-priority for me and I never really considered it as a professional job.
In 2022, I decided to move to Canada and studied marketing at Humber College. I was excited to work in a creative agency but eventually decided to pursue illustration full-time. Next thing you know, projects just started coming in and it just felt right. I still dabble and play around with photography and videography because I can’t stick with just one thing, I feel like I've exerted so much time and effort in improving photography and videography that I feel incomplete if I don't tap into those once in a while.
Steven’s first oil painting in 2003
Recent work by Steven in 2024
What sparked your interest in illustration?
Like I mentioned, it started when I was as young as I can remember but what truly sparked my intentions of pursuing illustration was when I first attended Graphika Manila, an artist convention in the Philippines where the best creatives in the world gather and speak to young artists. I was exposed to so many different mediums and styles and realized there’s a whole world of art I never knew about, I was mainly trained in fine arts and still life so I never really explored abstract and colourful styles. There was this specific artist who spoke that captured my attention, his name is Matthew Encina and he was a creative director at Blind LA. He talked about working on a music video for Coldplay’s song “Ink” in 2014, and I was just really inspired. This was the first time in my life I started to intentionally and consciously explore illustration as a form of expression, instead of just drawing what I saw.
Matthew Encina at Graphika Manila in 2016
“Ink” by Coldplay (Blind LA, Creatively Directed byby Matthew Encina)
How would you describe your art style?
It’s warm, vibrant, and colourful. I like to think it’s positive and inspiring, and I try to squeeze in lots of natural elements mixed in to keep it fresh. A big part of my style comes from my childhood in my hometown where I grew up— spending a lot of time outside and playing basketball from sunrise to sunset. I think that’s why I like incorporating so much light and warmth in my artwork, it adds so much personality and emotion.
How long did it take you to develop your current style?
To be honest, this is a question that I've dodged for so long because I never really thought about "having a style", I just drew what I liked. But in my first year in college, I had a professor who was one of the best artists I’ve ever met, and he said “There are a lot of great students here - some that have figured out their own voices and some are just technically excellent and can replicate art” and that sent me into a crisis. I started questioning myself completely, asking myself things like “what am I doing as an artist?” and “what is my goal?”. But after I went to Graphika Manila and started experimenting with different art styles, I kind of started to find what feels right to me. Even now, I would say my style is still evolving and I think that’s how it should be. As an artist, you need to be open to where your art will take you and be open to accepting those changes.
What are the important tools you use in your daily work?
I'm a really simple guy; I have my 8-year-old iPad, Adobe Fresco, and sometimes a traditional pen and paper. Recently, my go-to has been any form of writing– I would say this is the most important part of my process because ideas pop in my head so randomly that if I don’t write them down, I’ll lose it. So I jot down notes either on my phone or my Field Notes notepad that I keep in my pocket.
Can you describe the process you take when illustrating designs with a lot of dynamic movement?
Basically I learned this technique when I was doing a lot of photography. In high school, I used to film a lot of skateboarding videos so that opened me up to capturing a lot of different movements. The idea is to capture the peak of the movement where there is tension and anticipation. For example, if someone is dunking a basketball, I don't focus on how the person would jump or after the ball goes into the net– it's those split seconds while they’re in the air. I watch a ton of slow motion videos to find the “sweet spot” or “climax”, and then from there I narrow it down to exaggerate the motion and find little details that tell the story, like people’s faces in the background. The same example with someone dunking a basketball, I’d stretch out the limbs to accentuate the movement, and add small lines to add direction and motion. I think those subtle details are really the cherry on top in making a 2D piece that’s usually really flat, into something really dynamic.
Have you ever run into an artist’s block? If so, where do you turn to for inspiration?
Yes, 100%. For me it usually hits when I feel lost or overwhelmed, like when I was first moving to Canada. I completely lost my drive to create, because I needed to focus on becoming a resident first. During this time, the one thing I did a lot was self-evaluation and reflection - I would check in with myself through journaling and writing, and this made my goals become a lot clearer. Losing my sense of direction is definitely discouraging, but I find that it also allows me to appreciate the things that exist outside my creative bubble like my family, friends, nature, and the privilege of living in a new country.
I also like consuming different forms of art because there’s always something new to learn, so I just let myself get vulnerable and explore different mediums. Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of acrylic paintings again - I find that it opens up a lot of new perspectives and creativity for me, so I suggest others do the same if you feel like there’s some blockage. I’ve also been trying to build a community where I can talk to fellow creatives and I was honestly so surprised at how supportive people are here– like the stereotype of Canadians being really nice is actually so true. There’s so many creatives here that I've met online who are so amazing and helpful in fueling my creativity.
Which of your work is your favourite so far?
My “36 Days of Type” in 2022 is where I think I broke the ceiling of becoming the illustrator that I am today. It was the first personal project I did where everything just felt right– no pressure at all, creativity just flowing. I was also in the middle of moving to Canada during this time and I gained almost half of my followers just from this project; so it was really nice to work on something so effortless and smooth, and meet a lot of great people that are still supporting my art to this day.
36 Days of Type by Steven Estrella
Who is your biggest inspiration or illustration idol?
Matthew Encina again, his work ethic is just incredible, he loves what he does while staying true to himself, and has gained a proper audience that appreciates this which I really admire. There’s also Greg Gunn who worked at Blind LA with Matthew, and he absolutely helped me figure out my art style and my approach to colours. And lastly, Chris Do, who is an absolute genius and where I found all my knowledge in becoming a better entrepreneur as an artist.
And if I’m going to revisit art styles, I love the works of Ignasi Monreal, Christoph Niemann, and Gian Galang.
Work by Gian Galang
Work by Greg Gunn
Work by Ignasi Monreal
What's your dream client or project?
This is a sort of manifestation, but Steven Create x Nike SB – a full-on collab with my own customized Nike SB sneakers and skateboarders like Paul Rodriguez, Nyjah Houstan, Yuto Horigome, and Dashawn Jordan wearing the shoes. Then I’d be painting a mural for the campaign and there’ll be ads all over Times Square. That’s it. I’ve been dreaming of this client for so long, any project with Nike just drives me crazy so that’s the ultimate goal.
And maybe on the side, I’ve been into animating recently so maybe a visualizer for Tom Misch, FKJ, Olivia Dean, or Fred Again.
Can you tell us more about your inspiration behind the Spring 2025 Menu art and what messages you wanted to convey?
It’s mainly inspired by my personal excitement towards experiencing spring again. Where I grew up, it's either super hot or it's flooding– no in-between. So when I think of spring, I get excited by the idea of blooming flowers, trees coming back to life, the grass being green again, and people just being less grumpy. The idea that we can finally chill outside, wear less clothes, and just enjoy the warmth - I like to think of it as a ray of sunshine after the rain (and heavy snow in Canada).
I was also really inspired by Alice in Wonderland, where the flowers are XXXL, you can actually eat the leaves, and cakes are growing out of trees, adding a more whimsical feel to the piece.
What's your ideal creative environment? Do you listen to anything in the background - music, podcasts, movies? Do you have favorites that you recommend?
I'm big on optimizing my working space. I appreciate people who can work in the library or cafe– but that's not me. I prefer working at home because my mind is always running and popping ideas out randomly, so if something comes up, I need to be able to act on it right away. It can be as simple as writing something down in my notepad, or even sketching and painting something on a canvas. But if I’m at a cafe, I can only do so much.
Music-wise, I don’t really play my favourite songs when I’m working because I get too distracted and just want to grab my guitar; but if I were to suggest some artists it’d be a lot of Olivia Dean, Tom Misch, Dijon and MkGee, Fred Again, and Juan Karlos. If I don’t feel like listening to any music I would put Abstract on Netflix on loop or cooking shows like Babish, Matty Matheson, Brad Leone, and Joshua Weissman - just as a white noise to keep me going.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing most in your spare time?
I'm always creating no matter what time of the day it is. If I'm not drawing, I’m with my guitar in my room, playing the same song for 10 hours and dissecting how it was made and trying to replicate it. Or I’m in the kitchen for hours cooking, meal prepping, and plating my food like a five-star dish (before reheating it a few minutes later because I took too long admiring it).
Meal cooked by Steven
If you can give a piece of advice to anyone new in the industry what would it be?
First is to lean into your curiosity. Once you do, don't just scratch the surface, actually actually dive deep into it because that's where the good stuff is. When I went to Graphika Manila and was inspired by Matthew Encina, I didn’t just stop there - I went to his agency to find out more about him, his team, and all their specialities. That’s where I got most of my inspiration and who I am as an artist today. During the process of finding your groove, you will fail and you will fail a lot. But don’t be afraid of it because you only truly fail if you believe you failed and stop pursuing it. Eventually, all the knowledge and skills you learn along the way will compound, even if you may not see it in the moment. Being a successful artist takes time, so just be patient and know that as long as you are putting in the work, the fruits of your labor will come. Like Bob Ross says, there are no mistakes - just happy accidents.
Second is to consume art in different forms– paintings, films, music, food, dance– just allow yourself to get inspired. And third, stay true to yourself because nothing feels worse than making something beautiful that doesn't sit well with you. It will only be a matter of time until you get exhausted, burnt out, and lose that drive to create.
Oh and let’s break the stigma of artists not sleeping enough because you won't get those ideas if you don't take your 8 hours of sleep everyday.
