Q: Who are you and where are you located?
A: Thank you so much for inviting me to this Zedge Premium artist interview. It’s a true honor to share my journey and experiences with the amazing Zedge community. My name is Surin Jayawardana. I’m from the beautiful island of Sri Lanka and am currently based in Cyprus. I’m an artist deeply involved in the multimedia field, specializing in VFX, photography, cinematography, and graphic design.
Q: What kind of art do you make?
A: As an artist, I find joy in exploring every type of art. I love creating mixed media art by combining images that inspire me, connecting the dots of inspiration to craft beautiful final pieces. Recently, I've been using AI to help achieve these creative goals more efficiently.
Q: When and why did you first become an artist?
A: My passion for art began during my school years when I was captivated by 3D and VFX. I moved to Cyprus to study multimedia but ended up earning a diploma in web design. Over time, my interests expanded, and I became a graphic designer, photographer, cinematographer, and video editor.
Q: What else do you do for a living, if anything? What % of your income comes from that vs. your art?
A: I work as a freelance professional photographer, editor, and cinematographer. Approximately 60% of my income comes from these activities.
Q: What tools do you use most in your work, and how has that changed over time?
A: Inspired by many art styles, I try out every new tool that can enhance my work. For creating art on Zedge, I primarily use AI combined with Photoshop to streamline my workflow and save time for my other projects. For live wallpapers, I use Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro.
Q: What’s your opinion of AI image generators?
A: During the COVID pandemic, I discovered the fascinating world of AI art and began using MidJourney for my print-on-demand (POD) artworks. I discovered Zedge in 2023 and realized it was a fantastic platform for artists. I don’t upload all my AI-generated art to Zedge; instead, I select and manually edit the best 10-20% using Adobe Photoshop. I firmly believe that on Zedge, quality outweighs quantity.
Q: How and when did you first discover Zedge Premium?
A: I’ve known about Zedge for a long time and used it myself, but I didn’t realize it could generate income for artists until I stumbled upon a video by a Sri Lankan YouTuber, Macro Buddy. Watching her video opened my eyes to this incredible opportunity. Inspired and excited, I joined Zedge in September 2023 and embarked on my Zedge journey.
Q: How many profile pages do you have in Zedge?
A: Currently, I have 11 profiles on Zedge. My favorites are MagicGalaxy, Comfy Country, Turbo Gear, and my newest project, Peace Gang.
Q: How many items do you upload each day/week/month on average?
A: I upload around 2-5 images per profile each day, focusing mainly on my favorite profiles. In total, I have around 1400 images and live wallpapers.
Q: How much money do you make from Zedge in an average week/month/year?
A: Although I haven’t been on Zedge for a full year, my earnings have grown from around $80 to approximately $800 - $1000 per month. However, this can vary depending on the popularity of my images.
Q: What are some of your favorite recent pieces of work that are available in Zedge?
A: My favorite recent piece is the profile image "Rasta" from the Peace Gang collection.
Q: What tips or tricks do you have for other Zedge artists?
A: For other Zedge artists, I recommend paying close attention to image details and quality. Testing how your images look on a phone before uploading can provide valuable insights.