We are proud to announce that two promising art students have been awarded our 2022 Create Your Best Work Art Scholarship! Upon meticulously reviewing more than 300 applications, the judging panel named Anna Vyshegorodtseva, a rising freshman at the School of Visual Arts, as the $5,000 grand prize scholarship winner; along with Alyssa Dorton, a sophomore at Savannah College of Art and Design, as the $2,500 runner-up.

In addition to their scholarships, each student will receive $500 worth of Tombow products to use in the coming academic year, and the art departments of the high schools they graduated from will also receive a $500 package of Tombow products.

We chatted with each of the scholarship recipients to find out more about their passion for art and what this scholarship means to them.

Grand Prize Winner: Anna Vyshegorodtseva

How did you first get interested in art?

I’ve been creating art since I was very little. I was so little that I cannot remember when I started, probably as soon as I could hold a pen in my hand before I was two years of age.

What is your favorite type of art to create?

I am a traditional artist, so I mainly work with pencil and paper, but I am also slowly learning digital art. I enjoy working with watercolor, ink, colored pencils, oil paints, and sometimes with charcoal and markers. From time to time, I also make baked clay sculptures.

How did you first learn about Tombow?

I was introduced to Tombow by a friend who does scrapbooking and card making. Since then, I’ve also enjoyed using Tombow supplies for creating greeting cards and scrapbooks.

What is your favorite Tombow product to use when you’re creating your art?

I really like the adhesives. They are so convenient for making cards and collages. I have been using them for several years now!

How did you feel when you learned that you were selected as the winner of our scholarship?

I was excited! It’s an honor and a joy to be a recipient of such an achievement!

What are your career goals or plans for after you graduate?

I plan on becoming a professional illustrator as I start my first year at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. I hope to publish my books! I write fantasy stories. From there, I will see where life takes me, but I would like to continue to work in the field of art.

Runner-Up: Alyssa Dorton

How did you first get interested in art?

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember! It was a way to keep me busy as a kid, but I never stopped doing it. I moved on from my scribbles to more serious artworks. I was inspired a lot by comics and illustrated books I read as a child. In school, I was constantly doodling on the desks when I didn’t have paper in my hands. My teachers hated that.

What is your favorite type of art to create?

I love creating art that tells a story. That’s why I’m majoring in Sequential Arts! I’ve been coming up with stories and characters all my life, but I’m more confident in my art than my writing skills. Being able to show and share the little stories in my head with others through my art is incredibly freeing.

How did you first learn about Tombow?

I’ve always known about Tombow, but recently I had some friends who used their products. I was able to borrow some of their markers to play around and doodle with, and I loved using them!

What is your favorite Tombow product to use when you’re creating your art?

I love the Dual Brush Pens! They’re so versatile and vibrant and are very fun to use. I also really love the MONO Zero Eraser! I have the rectangular one, and it’s such a useful little eraser that I use almost daily.

How did you feel when you learned that you were selected as a runner-up for our scholarship?

I was incredibly excited and honored to be selected as the runner-up! I’m very grateful and appreciate the opportunity this provides for me.

What are your career goals or plans for after you graduate?

I don’t have any specific career goals yet, though using my art to support me has always been the goal. I would love to freelance and comics and illustrations or work with a company as a concept designer or a storyboard artist!