ABOUT FRANKYYY

Frankyyy is an Italian artist and content creator known for his victories in Supercell Make competitions for Brawl Stars. He began drawing fanart for the game back in 2019, and during the pandemic, he became interested in creating skin concepts, becoming one of the first to actively pursue this.

His approach to design is based on personal experience: he only draws what he would buy himself, and spends most of his time thinking about the idea rather than drawing it. Two wins in official campaigns have earned him recognition in the community, although he admits to being surprised by the results each time.

Despite his success, Frankyyy remains humble and doesn't chase fame. He takes breaks after competitions to recharge and prefers to create at his own pace. He plans to launch a Twitch channel where he would like to offer advice to newcomers. His main principle is simple: do what you enjoy and don’t be afraid of failure.

INTERVIEW

Q: Hello Frankyyy! Can you tell us a little about yourself: how did you discover Brawl Stars, how long have you been part of the game community, and how long have you been creating arts related to it?

Frankyyy: I discovered Brawl Stars through my group of friends in 2019, and since then I’ve been drawing fan art of the characters just for fun.
When the pandemic began, I had more free time to devote to fan art, so I took the opportunity to draw character skins - I think I was one of the first, haha

Q: Just two months ago, you won the Supercell Make campaign again, and alongside your Mr. P skin, there will also be a skin for Lily! Share your feelings about both occasions: were you just as happy the second time as you were the first?

Frankyyy: Winning for the second time came as a shock to me (I remember a follower had to tell me - I hadn’t even realised, hahaha).
I think Lily’s victory was even more significant than Mr P’s; the competition was much fiercer and, to be honest, I didn’t think I’d make it.
With Mr. P, I won by a narrow margin and, although ‘a win is always a win’, I was keen to redeem myself a second time.
That redemption came with Lily, who secured a completely unexpected 50 per cent of the votes.

Q: Which of these skins was the most difficult for you to create, and why?

Frankyyy: I think the hardest one was actually this one by Lily, who won - getting the colours just right wasn’t easy.
The hardest one by far, though, was the one by Carry Clancy (from the most recent SupercellMake) - the jacket that resembles the head of a Japanese Oni; all those logos had me wasting whole days on it.

Q: If you compare Mr. DragonFruit and Twilight Queen Lily - how did your approach to design change between them?

Frankyyy: Not much has actually changed.
I always start with a specific idea; if the idea is clear in my mind, everything else falls into place sooner or later.
Perhaps the hardest part is always finding a balance and not including ‘too many elements’

Q: The campaign featuring Mr. P and Amber, which you won, was one of the very first you took part in. What do you think helped you win the first time and beat the competition?

Frankyyy: Actually, the first time I took part, I did it just for fun, without putting much effort into it, to be honest, ha ha ha.
The second time, though, I wanted to put more effort in, partly because, having been a creator for so long, I wanted to leave my mark on the game in some way.
So I have to say, my determination really helped me.

Q: Describe your initial feelings when you saw your skin in the game for the first time: did the developers do everything exactly as you had planned, or did they make minor changes?

Frankyyy: It was strange, to be honest (in a good way, ha ha ha), but it was obviously like a dream come true.
I have to say that the team didn’t want to change a thing and they immediately understood how certain parts needed to be shaped.
I gave them complete freedom and, in the end, I think it turned out perfectly!

Q: Where did you draw inspiration from to create your winning skins? And how different are your initial sketches from your final version?

Frankyyy: My inspiration comes from “what the character conveys to me” and “how would I like to see it?”; ultimately, I only draw things that I would buy myself. If I ask myself, “Would I buy this?” and the answer is “yes”, then I carry on drawing.
I know that my way of working might be completely different from what’s taught on various online courses, but I spend 70% of my time thinking about the idea; once it’s working in my head, I draw it.
You’d be amazed to see my sketches - there aren’t many of them, and they’re practically identical to the final versions.

Q: Which stage of skin creation is the most difficult for you: the idea, choosing colours, detailing, or adapting it to the Brawl Stars style?

Frankyyy: I think the hardest part is balancing the colours; with a few exceptions, if one colour is too dominant, the skin doesn’t work - the same applies if there are too many colours

Q: How do you know when the skin concept you’ve created is fully finished and ready for release?

Frankyyy: I think this is one of the hardest things - you have to know when to stop so you don’t go overboard.
I usually don’t look at the skin for at least 12 hours (from when I think it’s ready); if I notice anything when I come back, I work on it, otherwise I stop.

Q: Lately, you’ve been appearing less frequently on social media compared to March and previous months. What’s the reason for this? Are you taking a break or something else?

Frankyyy: Yes, the SupercellMake campaigns are still mentally draining for me (and I work in the arts, so I need to recharge every now and then).
What you might not realise is that, as well as coming up with ideas and designing the skin, turnarounds and thumbnails, I also have to keep on top of various social media platforms.
This takes up a lot of time and energy, partly because I reply to everyone and engage with everyone.
So I usually take breaks

Q: Frankyyy, how has your career as an artist changed since you won the Supercell Make campaign twice?

Frankyyy: Not much to be honest, posting a lot does help in that respect, which I don’t do anymore, ha ha ha

Q: Do you plan to take part in future Supercell Make campaigns? Or will you be content with what you have achieved so far?

Frankyyy: I think I’ll take a break after the Clancy campaign.
To be honest, I didn’t even want to take part in the first place, and deep down I’m hoping to lose - I’d be happy just to come runner-up.
There are people who’ve been trying for ages, and some of them deserve it - I’ve seen some great entries!
Of course, there are exceptions, and they are:
TICK, CROW, CORDELIUS, EDGAR

Q: Is there a piece of work that you personally like even more than the winning skin, but which has gone under the radar?

Frankyyy: Yes, I’ve got a few things I haven’t posted because they’re not related to Brawl; maybe I’ll do so in the future

Q: Frankyyy, as a two-time Supercell Make winner, what key advice can you give to aspiring artists who want to make a name for themselves in this field?

Frankyyy: No advice here - you should draw for fun. If you draw what you like, defeat might be less bitter, but victory can be 1,000 times better.
Competition can be frustrating if you don’t approach it in the right way, so you must always give 100 per cent and create skins that are better than your previous ones.
With a good idea, plenty of perseverance and a bit of luck, anyone can do it.

Q: To wrap up the interview: what are your future creative plans? How do you plan to delight your audience?

Frankyyy: I haven’t decided yet, but I’d like to start a Twitch channel to go alongside my Instagram account to give advice to newcomers. I hope to find the time to do it before the end of the year - stay tuned!

Frankyyy’s social networks and links

If you’d like to see more from Frankyyy, you can follow him on his official social medias:

X (Twitter) - (x.com/BsFrankyyy)

Instagram - (www.instagram.com/frankyyy_art/)

Supercell Make - (make.supercell.com/en/user/frankyyy/creations?sort=date&status=all)
Carry Clancy - (https://make.supercell.com/en/creation/carry-clancy)
Clutch Clancy - (https://make.supercell.com/en/creation/clutch-clancy)