“As for all of the emotion behind an image, I think that is brought about by every stroke that goes into creating it. If there is no emotion behind something I’m painting, it shows..”
At 2DArtist we welcome all kinds of suggestions from our readers, and we recently had the pleasure of receiving requests for an interview with the popular and talented artist, Jason Chan. Jason has very kindly agreed to let us interview him for this month’s issue, so let’s get down to business!
Hi Jason! Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview. Without a shadow of a doubt, I know that you’re making many of our readers happy little bunnies this month! Now for those who aren’t familiar with your background as an artist, I should really start off by asking you to tell us a little about yourself and how you came to find yourself where you are today …
Well, I’m a freelance illustrator and a concept artist for Massive Black Inc. As a kid, I was really into movies and video games and I started learning 3D. I enrolled at the Academy of Art
University of San Francisco, with 3D as my major, but soon switched to illustration – my true
passion – and got a BFA. I’ve been freelancing for a number of years now. Most of that work is focussed in the fantasy and sci-fi market.
I started off doing small projects and RPGs, and have since moved on to do some trading card games like “Magic: The Gathering”, and a number of book covers. I recently did some sequential work that appeared in the extras of the movie I Am Legend. For the past couple of years I have been working full-time next to a number of amazing artists at Massive Black Inc. as a concept artist for games and movies.
So you originally started out studying 3D, but soon switched over to illustration. What was it that made you realise, “Hey, this isn’t for me!”? Do you have any advice for any other artists out there who might be thinking of making a similar switch, and how do you think the opportunities
between the two genres differ in today’s CG industry?
Well, growing up when 3D was taking off and new technology was constantly allowing filmmakers to turn out new special FX in movies, like Jurassic Park and Terminator 2, I was really excited at the idea that I could be involved in something like that. But at the same time I loved coming up
with characters and creatures, and just drawing in general. I don’t think I really realised I could do that as a job. When I finally did realise I could be a concept artist, I felt a bit discouraged because I learned how hard it was to get in the field, so I decided to learn 3D. But once I was in school, I found that I did in fact have some drawing skill after all and my teachers and peers encouraged me to go for it as an illustrator and concept artist.
Now that I’m working in a studio with both concept artists and 3D artists, I can see that there is a big difference. 2D artists are the idea guys! Our job is to come up with ways to show what the client wants. They might not necessarily be our own ideas, but the job is a little bit more creative than the 3D team’s. Their job is to take our concepts and recreate them in 3D. While there may be less freedom in this, it can be very rewarding to see this idea brought to life. Also, this will be the finished product that the public gets to see. I think both jobs are cool, just for different reasons.
As for finding work – I’m not sure, but I’d bet it’d be easier to get a job as a 3D artist just because there is so much demand for 3D work in games and movies!
Many 2D artists employ 3D techniques and tools in their works to gauge things such as scale,
perspective, backgrounds and so on. From your brush with the 3D world, did you pick up anything there that you are now able to recall and utilise in your 2D practice? Or do you keep
the two very separate?
I think that working in 3D can definitely help you understand form and perspective a bit better. After I stopped studying 3D, I pretty much stopped using any 3D at all in my work. However, lately I have been tempted to brush up on it and use some 3D elements if it will save time or make things easier on a project.
So it seems pretty obvious for me to mention anime at this point. I wonder: what is it about anime that originally captured your heart, and what is it in anime that continues to drive and
inspire so many of your great artworks today? Do you have any examples of your favourite anime films and books that we can check out?
Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a fascination with anime, manga, and just Japanese and Asian culture in general. I’m Chinese, but I was born and raised in America and I’ve never been to Asia (yet). I just find that all of the rules of Western culture don’t necessarily apply to Eastern culture
and, to me, that’s interesting. When you grow up on American cartoons by Disney or Warner Bros, and suddenly you watch Neon Genesis Evangeleon or Akira, they just blow you away! I just thought to myself, “They’re not afraid to express their ideas!” The very adult and sometimes shocking content in anime really appealed to me, because I was suddenly aware of how safe and censored our media was. To me, anime symbolised free expression.
And a good book I think everyone should own is Rakugaking by Katsuya Terada. It’s a 1000-page compilation of sketchbook pages by Terada.
There will be so many people Google-searching that book now - thanks for the tip! Yes, it’s very true that by growing up on Western cartoons, we’ve been protected by a big bubble of censorship. Which artists, Eastern or Western, past or present, do you find the most inspirational in terms of the free expression that they portray in their artworks? Are there any artists in particular that you aspire to?
There have been a number of artists that I’ve found interesting, but none of them really stand out in my mind at the moment. I don’t really focus on one artist and aspire to be like them; I feel that if you do that, all you will become is a copycat. Even if you are really good, you will still be just a good copycat. So when I look at artwork, a lot of times I don’t look because of who is the artist is; the artwork itself is what attracts me. I absorb what it is about that particular piece that I enjoy and try to keep that in mind as I continue with my own work.
You mention in your bio that since falling for anime and studying Western culture, you have been aiming to “marry” the two together in your artwork. Can you give us an example of how
you go about marrying East with West in your work? How do you tackle and embrace this in your everyday practice as an artist?
I don’t know if I do it as often as I would like, but I do try to incorporate some Asian aesthetics
into my work whenever possible. I must admit that this has probably died down somewhat over the past few years, simply due to what clients want from my work. Basically, there are certain aesthetics that are different. For one, a lot of Asian art is about line, shape, and design. Western art, on the other hand, is generally about form and technical accuracy. Another example is that in America, to depict an attractive female we try to make her overly sexy and naughty, whereas in Asia they use a delicate mix of sexiness and innocence. This is probably the more obvious one that I use.
Having been browsing your Gallery in awe, I’m totally in love with the “life force” that you manage to capture in every single one of your images. Even though the characters that you paint are quite clearly anime in style and therefore our brains don’t instantly perceive them to be “real” (in realistic terms!), there is a sense of life behind each character that is completely undeniable. In a way, you actually manage to paint situations and characters in an even more “real” way than if they were painted hyper-realistically! What elements of characters, and the situations that you paint, are “key” in making sure you capture this sense of life? For example, is it all in the eyes...?
I’m glad that you feel this way! That is another thing that drew me toward Asian art: I found that even though anime and manga did not look realistic, it was somehow able to express more emotion than realistic western art was able to.
For me, I suppose it is all about the eyes... I like to draw faces in a certain way that is probably
not common in normal humans. I find that this slightly “off” look catches your attention more than a completely normal face, and is thus is more memorable and interesting. As for all of the emotion behind an image, I think that is brought about by every stroke that goes into creating it. If there is no emotion behind something I’m painting, it shows.
Okay, so do you have to get into a specific frame of mind for each piece that you create, and literally throw yourself into it? Do many of your artworks actually represent your own personal thoughts and feelings, or are you able to adopt the mindset of your characters to be able to feel
your way through a painting? That also makes me wonder: do you find that you can give as much emotion to a digital painting as you can to a traditional one, or is there a certain distance that the monitor creates?
Yes, if you want to create a successful painting, you have to be giving it 110%. This can be tricky when you are working professionally, as you are most likely not going to be working on things you enjoy all of the time. When I run into this problem, it’s all about finding something in the image that I can find some fun in and just concentrating on that. It can actually be really rewarding to take an idea that you are not too fond of, or even dislike, and turning it into a piece of art that you are satisfied with.
My personal work is usually jump-started by something – either an emotion or an idea - but I tend to play it up beyond what I really feel, just for a stronger effect. Sometimes the emotion in my work is not really something I’m feeling, but just something I want the viewer to feel because I believe the painting will be stronger that way. Working digitally does not make this too difficult for me. In fact, I find it easier to do this in digital work than in analogue work because I am free to adjust my painting in lots different ways that are both much quicker and non-permanent.
Your understanding of anatomy is clearly demonstrated in all of your artworks and I notice from your bio that you studied life drawing at art school. Do you have any advice for artists out there, who perhaps don’t have access to life drawing classes but would like to learn? And how do you keep “topping up” your knowledge on a day-to-day basis? How important do you find an understanding of anatomy to be in today’s CG industry?
You must understand anatomy. Period. You might not need to know the names of everything, but you should have a pretty good understanding of how it looks and works. Get some books. I have a number of anatomy books and specific anatomy books for artists. There are a lot out there and most of them are pretty decent. Study from those; learn the names of the muscles and their functions. Draw every image in that book multiple times until you know the human body like the back of your eyelids. It’s a lot of work but it’s got to be done if you want to be able to draw people. To keep yourself “in shape”, you can sketch in public. I take a train to work everyday and I always have a small sketchbook with me so I can draw people I see. Draw at a cafe or in the park. There are people everywhere, so it’s not hard.
Well it sounds like art is your life and life is your art, but let’s say we happen to find you far away from the computer and your sketchbook… What would we find you doing to relax and get a bit of
“me” time in before the next big deadline?
When I’m not doing art I’m spending time with my family or my girlfriend. I’m also an avid gamer, a movie watcher, and I like to read when I get the chance.
I wanted to mention one of my favourite images from your gallery: Pandora’s Box. This image
demonstrates such a beautiful sense of scale and a true understanding of light and colour, as
well as emotion and anatomy. Could you briefly walk us through some of the fundamental basics that you consider when starting a new image?
Well, the first thing I think about is the idea. What am I trying to say with this image? For this
one, I wanted to depict the despair of Pandora as she opens the box and unleashes all of the world’s evils. The next thing I think about is composition. What will look good and help to tell this story? For this image, I ended up composing it like she is falling and drowning in a suffocating darkness with the box’s evil seeping out above her, polluting her environment.
From there, it’s just an exercise of technical knowledge. I have to consider anatomy, acting, and clothing behaviour for Pandora. I have to know how stuff looks underwater. I have to understand light and shadow as well as colour theory. All of these things, and more, come into play as I “render” the image to final.
When you say you have to consider and understand anatomy, light, colour and so on, are these all things that you have a well-developed sense for at this stage in your career? If so, can you pretty much get straight to work from the reference library that you have stored in your mind, or do you still do a big reference search before starting each new piece?
I still like to use references. I don’t always use models or anything, but I do gather references for inspiration. For example, if I’m drawing cars in my image, I will need references of cars so that I understand how they are made and how light and colour reacts on their surfaces. I might not draw the same car, but I learn something from my references that I can apply to my image. If I am drawing people, I might find references of people with features I want to include and just use those ideas as reference. I only take specific photo references for complex poses that I have trouble drawing picturing in my own mind.
From your blog we can see that you quite recently created a remake of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. How hard was it to take on a masterpiece such as this and give it your own spin?
Not that hard, actually. The basic composition has already been established, so it’s all about changing the elements. Composition is probably the hardest step for me, so having that step taken care of really makes things a lot simpler!
Wow, I never would have guessed that you struggled with composition - all of your images seem extremely well composed. It’s good to have something that makes you work hard though. What steps do you take to help improve your understanding of composition and do you have or use any “golden rules” that you might be able to share with us here?
I just spend a good amount of time on this step when I can. I try to come up with new compositions that are more interesting and dynamic than things I’ve done before, but most of the time I find myself falling back into a safe composition. I’m still working on it. Many of my
compositions rely on the rule of thirds and just central or pyramid compositions.
Finally, after thanking you for this lovely interview, can I just ask: if you hadn’t discovered
manga and anime, do you think the western approach to art would have eventually dampened your desire to draw? Or is this art in your blood and would have found its way through to paper/screen somehow or another?
Oh, of course not! Although I love art from Asia, that does not mean I don’t enjoy Western art.
My style might have been a bit different, but my love of art would be just as strong.
Thanks so much for all this insight, Jason. We look forward to seeing more from you soon!
JASON CHAN
For more work by this artist please visit:
www.jasonchanart.com
Interviewed by: Lynette Clee
17 tháng 8, 2009
16 tháng 8, 2009
Interview with KeKai Kotaki
“I try to locate where an artist’s talent lies and then try to funnel that type of work to them. I also make sure that the work is varied enough so that nobody gets bored and un-creative. Keeping them on their artistic toes is how some would put it!”
Concept art lead for ArenaNet, Kekai Kotaki recently took time out from his daily schedule to talk
to 2DArtist about everything from his background in art and what it’s like to work alongside the talents of Daniel Dociu and Jaime Jones, to how he keeps himself and others inspired and how to best sample a buffet. Along with a stunning portfolio from another of ArenaNet’s greats, this is an interview
not to be missed!
Hi Kekai, thanks so much for taking this time out to speak to 2DArtist magazine. To kick things off, can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about how things got started for you in terms of digital art? And what you’re currently up to in your career as a concept artist?
Hello, I am happy to be able to do this interview. I was born and raised in Hawaii; I am of both Hawaiian and Japanese ancestry. I got my first taste of digital art back when I was a senior in high school; it must have been a copy of Photoshop 5, or something. And the Wacom tablet that they had was one of those huge clunky things the size of a desk with the pressure sensitivity of a brick! I was only able to use it for a short period of time and it wasn’t until I got into art school almost a year afterwards that I was able to truly start to learn how to useit. That was almost 10 years ago now.
I am currently busy working at ArenaNet on Guild Wars 2. My position now is Concept Art Lead. I still work on concept art, but also I have the additional responsibilities of taking care of my team and making sure everything is on track to ensure that Guild Wars is still recognised as one of the most beautiful games on the market.
Ah-ha, yes, Guild Wars! Such a title must bring a high level of responsibility and keep not just you, but also the whole of your team, at the top of your game and producing the quality artwork that the Guild Wars name demands. But just how to you go about maintaining a team of happy scribblers? What is the studio environment like at ArenaNet – do you feel the space that you work in as an artist has an impact on productivity? Any tips?
It truly is a balancing act. On one hand you want your artists to be happy with what they are
working on, but on the other hand it is a job and you do not want someone burning out on you. I try to locate where an artist’s talent lies and then try to funnel that type of work to them. I also
make sure that the work is varied enough so that nobody gets bored and uncreative. Keeping them on their artistic toes is how some would put it! There is no real time limit on most of the
work that people do, except for those times when somebody really needs something right away or if there was a set deadline beforehand. Allowing an artist room to breathe and time to explore a concept is very important here at ArenaNet. However, at the end of the day, this is a job. I trust the artists to be responsible with their time. If someone is spinning wheels on a pretty painting that does little to push the concept that was assigned to them, it is partly my responsibility to get them back on track.
There are many assignments that may not be the most glorious jobs to work on, but they must
get done and done to a level that matches the high artistic standard that we have worked so hard to establish here at ArenaNet.
To this end, the environment here is both loose and studious. The environment you work in can play a huge roll in your productivity. Too many distractions can detract from your concentration,
while eight hours a day, seven days a week of no talking and just drawing can quickly kill creativity. One of the big strengths of working in a team is the interplay of thought and ideas. Sharing thoughts with one another creates a fertile ground for bigger and more unique ideas.
In this way it is not just one artist working on a concept; it becomes a team effort, with everyone contributing in their own way. If there is one particular tip I can give it’s that information is key. Being an informed and knowledgeable person will help others because you can bring something new to the table to share.
Having studied a degree in animation, art and design before starting your career in the games industry, do you feel that your education greatly helped to get you to the level/position that we find you in today? It’s an age-old question isn’t it: To study at a university/institute/academy, or to self-teach? What are your thoughts?
[Laughs] It is a very tricky question. In hindsight, I learned more on my own than I ever did in school. Also, nothing compares to the things you learn once you get your first job in the industry. Having said that, I do think that going to art school was an important step. I came here to Seattle in 2000 after graduating from high school with no clue of what I really wanted to do. All I knew was that I loved to draw and that was it. In art school I was able to find out where the ground was so that I could put my feet on it. I also made friends, some whom are co-workers with me here at ArenaNet. So even though I could say that I learned nothing from art school and that it might not have been worth it, I can’t knock the fact that it was a beginning for me. Maybe that’s
what the real question is: How do you want to begin your path as an artist?
Very well answered, Kekai! I’ll keep that question in my ideas pot for a future interview – love it! Can you give any examples of experiences, whether at art school or in your job, that really defined what and who you wanted to be? For example, any particular conversations, lectures or meetings that gave you one of those “light bulb” moments?
There are too many to count! It all blurs together and the end result is the artist that I am today and striving to become tomorrow. Hearing one of my teachers talk about the differences between Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta; how composition and emotion create greater art than staid highly rendered images; the first time I stumbled upon Craig Mullins’ website and saw what was possible with digital art; seeing Justin Sweet’s art for the first time and being able to say, “I want to create art like that!”; to the many conversations with Daniel Dociu about art, careers and life; meeting people like Jaime Jones and seeing the dedication up front in person; opening up my first copy of Bridgeman and studying the human figure. There are too many to name. I just try to live out the results.
After working with you on the Digital Art Masters: Volume 4 book project (like the plug?), I know that you’re greatly inspired by the books that you read. Also checking out your blog, http://kekai.blogspot.com/, your latest piece seems to have been inspired by a mythology book. But when books just aren’t doing it for you, how do you get yourself inspired and painting again? Any tips?
I am greatly inspired by the books I read. But sometimes there are no really good books out there. But there is a wealth of inspiration out in the world and all you need to do is go out there and find something that clicks with you. Look at photographs of beautiful places in the world. See the latest in graphic design. Look at artists, both current and past. Go and see the latest summer blockbuster or rent the indie hit of last year. Buy that hot new game that just came out. There are many things out there, and I try to make sure that I taste them all. When you go to the buffet line you should try and get as much different food as possible. Only when you’ve worked out which ones you like do you go back and pile your plate with those select choices!
Loving the food analogy, Kekai (I feel hungry now – buffet, anyone?) – great answer! With so
much inspiration and so many ways with which to feed your brain, how do you get everything
down into material form? Do you carry a sketchbook, or perhaps an electronic one? … Make notes on the train? Could you also give us a pretty basic outline of how you go about your
average concept painting, from initial concept through to the final painting?
I always seem to have a sketchbook handy. Or if not, then any sort of variation on a pencil and
paper will do if I want to jot down a quick idea. But that is really just visual information. The stuff I am really interested in is the mood, feeling and emotion of a particular idea. And that is best kept with memory. Taking down a quick sketch helps jog the memory. When starting a concept
it is a very similar process: I begin with some sort of prompt, whether it comes from design or me, and I try to have a finished “feeling” in my head that I want to happen. Painting the
concept is just me trying to remember that feeling and expressing that in the concept. All the compositions, figures studies and design rules are there for me to use in order to better express myself. I start rough and simple; grey and white to begin with, moving later onto a monochromatic colour scheme that is usually warm browns and greys. When I am getting towards the end of a piece I try to pick a colour to paint into the concept. Details in figures and environments are done in the same fashion – rough and loose with continued refinement. Since the concept is based on the feeling that I am trying to find, nothing is safe. Things change according to how I feel about the piece. I try not to get hung up on small details that may look cool by themselves, but overall aren’t helping anything. This continues until the piece is done.
We’re huge fans of the Guild Wars concept art here at 2DArtist. What is daily work life like exactly, working at ArenaNet as a concept artist alongside great artists such as Daniel Dociu,
Jaime Jones and Jason Juan to name just a few?
Invaluable. Humbling. Fun. One of the great things about working in this sort of environment is that you are “there” when it happens. It’s one thing to see the finished product, but to be there and actually see it happening before your eyes? Nothing really beats that, and the flow of ideas that happens naturally. I am always learning something on the job. There is always something more to push. It is a great place to be, and I hope I never leave.
Well, we hope you don’t leave either! It’s rare to find a place of work that makes you smile in the morning, so it’s really wonderful that you’ve found your place in the world. Kudos! Now, I’m just being nosey here, but could you possibly give us a “day in the life of Kekai” and tell us a little about what happens on your average day as concept art lead?
My average day consists of me trying to keep ahead of everyone else, while still trying to create art on my own. The main goal is to try and stay aware of what is going on in the different departments that are connected to concept art. This happens by keeping in contact with the various art leads and producers of the company, finding out what is being worked on and what is coming up next in the pipeline. Since we outsource a fair amount of art, but not concepts, keeping track of the various drop off dates and making sure concepts are prepped properly has become a major part of my job description. Also making rounds through my own department to make sure everyone is on track and that everyone has the proper information plays a big part in my day too. There are also a fair amount of meetings that happen to deal with different issues that pop up. Actually formal meetings do not make up that much of my day; most problems are solved on a case by case basis as they come to my attention. In between all of this I try to sit at my desk and finish what work needs to be done. Somehow it all comes together, which I am not sure is part of my job description [Laughs]!
I’m often interested in the tools that artists use - hardware, software etc. - and also how they
go about backing up their work to insure against HD crashes or other such problems. So what are your chosen tools to aid you in your fantastic creations? I know that having all the right tools doesn’t make a great artist, but it’s always interesting to learn what artists and using and why.
That is a very true statement. But at the same time it is nice having the best stuff. My setup when I am working is a very basic one: I use Photoshop CS2 – nothing really grabbed me about CS3 – and I am still waiting to get CS4. I tend not to change something just for the sake of changing it. I use an Intuos 3 tablet. And there’s nothing much beyond that. I have a work laptop that I like to back stuff up on. I am a big believer in keeping things simple.
Sure, I agree with you there! Talking about keeping things simple: do you paint traditionally,
at all?
I dabbled in traditional painting a few years ago, but I lacked the patience and motivation needed to learn something like that. I hope to pick it back up again someday in the future. Right now the only traditional art I do is the sketches in my sketchbook and charcoal life drawing studies.
Okay, so we’ve discussed life as a concept artist, work at ArenaNet, tools of the trade … but what about the artist beyond the art – what do you get up to in your free time (if there is such a thing!) when you escape the world of pixels for the one made of all things bright and beautiful?
[Laughs] Free time…? What is that? I joke … kind of. There are very few things in my life that
aren’t connected in some way to art. I could say that I like to read books, go to movies, look
at comics … but then I am using that as a way to help me better my art. I like to hang out with
friends, but of course many of those are great artist themselves. I guess the best way I get a break from art is by kicking back with a beer and watching the latest TV drama with no redeeming value ... then again, that only makes me want to get back to doing art!
Well, you’re a true artist, Kekai – you live and breathe the stuff! Finally, I’ve just realised I haven’t asked you about your artist favourites: whose artwork do you regularly follow and turn to time and time again?
I try to keep up with any number of artists on the different art forums. I try to stay aware of
what is going on in the concept art world. But there are a few favourites of mine that I look to for inspiration: Justin Sweet and Vance Kovacs; Ashley Wood is another; Jaime Jones falls under this too. Daniel Dociu is in here by default; I work under his nose and he is my art director, so it is kind of hard not to be affected by him. Alex Kanevsky and Jenny Saville are two amazing fine artists. I also have a huge number of friends that I try to keep tabs on. There are also the random art book that I have open on my desk - right now there’s an awesome dinosaur book that Matt Barrett lent to me. But the fact of the matter is that I try to find the good in all art. There is always something more to learn, and you cannot limit yourself.
Thank you for giving me the chance to do this interview. I had a fun time.
The pleasure is all ours Kekai, talk to you soon!
Kekai Kotaki
For more work by this artist please visit:
http://www.kekaiart.com
Interviewed by: Lynette Clee
Concept art lead for ArenaNet, Kekai Kotaki recently took time out from his daily schedule to talk
to 2DArtist about everything from his background in art and what it’s like to work alongside the talents of Daniel Dociu and Jaime Jones, to how he keeps himself and others inspired and how to best sample a buffet. Along with a stunning portfolio from another of ArenaNet’s greats, this is an interview
not to be missed!
Hi Kekai, thanks so much for taking this time out to speak to 2DArtist magazine. To kick things off, can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about how things got started for you in terms of digital art? And what you’re currently up to in your career as a concept artist?
Hello, I am happy to be able to do this interview. I was born and raised in Hawaii; I am of both Hawaiian and Japanese ancestry. I got my first taste of digital art back when I was a senior in high school; it must have been a copy of Photoshop 5, or something. And the Wacom tablet that they had was one of those huge clunky things the size of a desk with the pressure sensitivity of a brick! I was only able to use it for a short period of time and it wasn’t until I got into art school almost a year afterwards that I was able to truly start to learn how to useit. That was almost 10 years ago now.
I am currently busy working at ArenaNet on Guild Wars 2. My position now is Concept Art Lead. I still work on concept art, but also I have the additional responsibilities of taking care of my team and making sure everything is on track to ensure that Guild Wars is still recognised as one of the most beautiful games on the market.
Ah-ha, yes, Guild Wars! Such a title must bring a high level of responsibility and keep not just you, but also the whole of your team, at the top of your game and producing the quality artwork that the Guild Wars name demands. But just how to you go about maintaining a team of happy scribblers? What is the studio environment like at ArenaNet – do you feel the space that you work in as an artist has an impact on productivity? Any tips?
It truly is a balancing act. On one hand you want your artists to be happy with what they are
working on, but on the other hand it is a job and you do not want someone burning out on you. I try to locate where an artist’s talent lies and then try to funnel that type of work to them. I also
make sure that the work is varied enough so that nobody gets bored and uncreative. Keeping them on their artistic toes is how some would put it! There is no real time limit on most of the
work that people do, except for those times when somebody really needs something right away or if there was a set deadline beforehand. Allowing an artist room to breathe and time to explore a concept is very important here at ArenaNet. However, at the end of the day, this is a job. I trust the artists to be responsible with their time. If someone is spinning wheels on a pretty painting that does little to push the concept that was assigned to them, it is partly my responsibility to get them back on track.
There are many assignments that may not be the most glorious jobs to work on, but they must
get done and done to a level that matches the high artistic standard that we have worked so hard to establish here at ArenaNet.
To this end, the environment here is both loose and studious. The environment you work in can play a huge roll in your productivity. Too many distractions can detract from your concentration,
while eight hours a day, seven days a week of no talking and just drawing can quickly kill creativity. One of the big strengths of working in a team is the interplay of thought and ideas. Sharing thoughts with one another creates a fertile ground for bigger and more unique ideas.
In this way it is not just one artist working on a concept; it becomes a team effort, with everyone contributing in their own way. If there is one particular tip I can give it’s that information is key. Being an informed and knowledgeable person will help others because you can bring something new to the table to share.
“If there is one particular tip I can give it’s that information is key. Being an informed and knowledgeable person will help others because you can bring something new to the table to share.”
[Laughs] It is a very tricky question. In hindsight, I learned more on my own than I ever did in school. Also, nothing compares to the things you learn once you get your first job in the industry. Having said that, I do think that going to art school was an important step. I came here to Seattle in 2000 after graduating from high school with no clue of what I really wanted to do. All I knew was that I loved to draw and that was it. In art school I was able to find out where the ground was so that I could put my feet on it. I also made friends, some whom are co-workers with me here at ArenaNet. So even though I could say that I learned nothing from art school and that it might not have been worth it, I can’t knock the fact that it was a beginning for me. Maybe that’s
what the real question is: How do you want to begin your path as an artist?
Very well answered, Kekai! I’ll keep that question in my ideas pot for a future interview – love it! Can you give any examples of experiences, whether at art school or in your job, that really defined what and who you wanted to be? For example, any particular conversations, lectures or meetings that gave you one of those “light bulb” moments?
There are too many to count! It all blurs together and the end result is the artist that I am today and striving to become tomorrow. Hearing one of my teachers talk about the differences between Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta; how composition and emotion create greater art than staid highly rendered images; the first time I stumbled upon Craig Mullins’ website and saw what was possible with digital art; seeing Justin Sweet’s art for the first time and being able to say, “I want to create art like that!”; to the many conversations with Daniel Dociu about art, careers and life; meeting people like Jaime Jones and seeing the dedication up front in person; opening up my first copy of Bridgeman and studying the human figure. There are too many to name. I just try to live out the results.
After working with you on the Digital Art Masters: Volume 4 book project (like the plug?), I know that you’re greatly inspired by the books that you read. Also checking out your blog, http://kekai.blogspot.com/, your latest piece seems to have been inspired by a mythology book. But when books just aren’t doing it for you, how do you get yourself inspired and painting again? Any tips?
I am greatly inspired by the books I read. But sometimes there are no really good books out there. But there is a wealth of inspiration out in the world and all you need to do is go out there and find something that clicks with you. Look at photographs of beautiful places in the world. See the latest in graphic design. Look at artists, both current and past. Go and see the latest summer blockbuster or rent the indie hit of last year. Buy that hot new game that just came out. There are many things out there, and I try to make sure that I taste them all. When you go to the buffet line you should try and get as much different food as possible. Only when you’ve worked out which ones you like do you go back and pile your plate with those select choices!
Loving the food analogy, Kekai (I feel hungry now – buffet, anyone?) – great answer! With so
much inspiration and so many ways with which to feed your brain, how do you get everything
down into material form? Do you carry a sketchbook, or perhaps an electronic one? … Make notes on the train? Could you also give us a pretty basic outline of how you go about your
average concept painting, from initial concept through to the final painting?
I always seem to have a sketchbook handy. Or if not, then any sort of variation on a pencil and
paper will do if I want to jot down a quick idea. But that is really just visual information. The stuff I am really interested in is the mood, feeling and emotion of a particular idea. And that is best kept with memory. Taking down a quick sketch helps jog the memory. When starting a concept
it is a very similar process: I begin with some sort of prompt, whether it comes from design or me, and I try to have a finished “feeling” in my head that I want to happen. Painting the
concept is just me trying to remember that feeling and expressing that in the concept. All the compositions, figures studies and design rules are there for me to use in order to better express myself. I start rough and simple; grey and white to begin with, moving later onto a monochromatic colour scheme that is usually warm browns and greys. When I am getting towards the end of a piece I try to pick a colour to paint into the concept. Details in figures and environments are done in the same fashion – rough and loose with continued refinement. Since the concept is based on the feeling that I am trying to find, nothing is safe. Things change according to how I feel about the piece. I try not to get hung up on small details that may look cool by themselves, but overall aren’t helping anything. This continues until the piece is done.
We’re huge fans of the Guild Wars concept art here at 2DArtist. What is daily work life like exactly, working at ArenaNet as a concept artist alongside great artists such as Daniel Dociu,
Jaime Jones and Jason Juan to name just a few?
Invaluable. Humbling. Fun. One of the great things about working in this sort of environment is that you are “there” when it happens. It’s one thing to see the finished product, but to be there and actually see it happening before your eyes? Nothing really beats that, and the flow of ideas that happens naturally. I am always learning something on the job. There is always something more to push. It is a great place to be, and I hope I never leave.
Well, we hope you don’t leave either! It’s rare to find a place of work that makes you smile in the morning, so it’s really wonderful that you’ve found your place in the world. Kudos! Now, I’m just being nosey here, but could you possibly give us a “day in the life of Kekai” and tell us a little about what happens on your average day as concept art lead?
My average day consists of me trying to keep ahead of everyone else, while still trying to create art on my own. The main goal is to try and stay aware of what is going on in the different departments that are connected to concept art. This happens by keeping in contact with the various art leads and producers of the company, finding out what is being worked on and what is coming up next in the pipeline. Since we outsource a fair amount of art, but not concepts, keeping track of the various drop off dates and making sure concepts are prepped properly has become a major part of my job description. Also making rounds through my own department to make sure everyone is on track and that everyone has the proper information plays a big part in my day too. There are also a fair amount of meetings that happen to deal with different issues that pop up. Actually formal meetings do not make up that much of my day; most problems are solved on a case by case basis as they come to my attention. In between all of this I try to sit at my desk and finish what work needs to be done. Somehow it all comes together, which I am not sure is part of my job description [Laughs]!
I’m often interested in the tools that artists use - hardware, software etc. - and also how they
go about backing up their work to insure against HD crashes or other such problems. So what are your chosen tools to aid you in your fantastic creations? I know that having all the right tools doesn’t make a great artist, but it’s always interesting to learn what artists and using and why.
That is a very true statement. But at the same time it is nice having the best stuff. My setup when I am working is a very basic one: I use Photoshop CS2 – nothing really grabbed me about CS3 – and I am still waiting to get CS4. I tend not to change something just for the sake of changing it. I use an Intuos 3 tablet. And there’s nothing much beyond that. I have a work laptop that I like to back stuff up on. I am a big believer in keeping things simple.
Sure, I agree with you there! Talking about keeping things simple: do you paint traditionally,
at all?
I dabbled in traditional painting a few years ago, but I lacked the patience and motivation needed to learn something like that. I hope to pick it back up again someday in the future. Right now the only traditional art I do is the sketches in my sketchbook and charcoal life drawing studies.
Okay, so we’ve discussed life as a concept artist, work at ArenaNet, tools of the trade … but what about the artist beyond the art – what do you get up to in your free time (if there is such a thing!) when you escape the world of pixels for the one made of all things bright and beautiful?
[Laughs] Free time…? What is that? I joke … kind of. There are very few things in my life that
aren’t connected in some way to art. I could say that I like to read books, go to movies, look
at comics … but then I am using that as a way to help me better my art. I like to hang out with
friends, but of course many of those are great artist themselves. I guess the best way I get a break from art is by kicking back with a beer and watching the latest TV drama with no redeeming value ... then again, that only makes me want to get back to doing art!
Well, you’re a true artist, Kekai – you live and breathe the stuff! Finally, I’ve just realised I haven’t asked you about your artist favourites: whose artwork do you regularly follow and turn to time and time again?
I try to keep up with any number of artists on the different art forums. I try to stay aware of
what is going on in the concept art world. But there are a few favourites of mine that I look to for inspiration: Justin Sweet and Vance Kovacs; Ashley Wood is another; Jaime Jones falls under this too. Daniel Dociu is in here by default; I work under his nose and he is my art director, so it is kind of hard not to be affected by him. Alex Kanevsky and Jenny Saville are two amazing fine artists. I also have a huge number of friends that I try to keep tabs on. There are also the random art book that I have open on my desk - right now there’s an awesome dinosaur book that Matt Barrett lent to me. But the fact of the matter is that I try to find the good in all art. There is always something more to learn, and you cannot limit yourself.
Thank you for giving me the chance to do this interview. I had a fun time.
The pleasure is all ours Kekai, talk to you soon!
Kekai Kotaki
For more work by this artist please visit:
http://www.kekaiart.com
Interviewed by: Lynette Clee
Interview with Marta Dahlig
Wow… Marta Dahlig! I never really know where to start with names this big, so can you help me out a little and ease us into the interview with a little information about yourself; how you originally got into the digital painting field and how things have led you to where we find you today?
Oh, please don’t say that! As uncool as it might sound, I am very far from what you might describe as “artistic”. I have an immense talent for making a great mess wherever I go, and sure, it’s a great excuse to blame it on my “artistic soul”, but other than that I am as normal and down to earth as it gets, really!
As for my beginnings, I have been painting since my earliest childhood – art started as simply a way to spend my free time and has gradually become a means of expressing my opinions and emotions.
I was introduced to digital art around seven years ago, at the age of fifteen, by an acquaintancewhose CG manga fan art I adored. I fell in love with the technique instantly! I started painting with a computer using a mouse in Painter 7, and, after a couple of months bought my first cheap
(and very trashy) tablet.
In search of feedback, I started displaying my works on various Internet forums, which helped me to evolve in terms of technique as well as the content of my work.
The evolution of my so-called career as a digital artist came quite suddenly. Actually, I think I was a bit lucky to paint something that became popular so quickly. The first big breakthrough in my artistic life came in 2004 when I released the first of my Seven Deadly Sins series – “Vanity”. The warm, enthusiastic feedback came as a total surprise! Basically, from that point onwards, everything
progressed at a rapid speed – thanks to the “popularity boost”, I got my first corporate projects and have been working commercially non-stop ever since!
I’m sure it has been more than luck that has got you to where you are today; we are all extremely impressed with your talents and can see that you have worked very hard to build up this great repertoire of fantastic artwork – you should be very proud! How long did it take you to get to grips with Painter? Did you ever have those moments where you felt like giving up? If so, how did you get through those and push yourself forwards?
Learning a painting programme basically consists of two stages: learning available tools and options, as well as the actual workflow. I first started working with Procreate’s version of Painter and learned it very quickly, as it was just so intuitive. It took me only a couple of days to learn everything I needed to know in order to work smoothly. The number of brushes was rather small, but they were flexible enough to cover all my needs.
Photoshop, however, was a totally different experience. In general, I would say that I am a “software person” and learn computer programmes quickly, but it took me a long time
to learn PS satisfyingly. Learning about the options and filters only took a while, but using the program for painting felt very uncomfortable at first. The brushes seemed artificial and the lack of the natural blending that’s present in Painter felt very awkward as well.
So indeed, I faced motivation problems like never before! To resolve the issue I dealt with the problem in little steps: I worked mainly in Painter, giving Photoshop a small try from time to time – it took me a couple of months of working on and off like this to be able to paint in PS freely. The process was long and, I daresay, a bit frustrating – but it was sure worth it in the end!
Looking at your portfolio as thumbnails on my monitor, I am pleasantly met with a vast array of stunningly beautiful character illustrations, all of which are highly regarded images in the digital art community! So how do these images generally come about? Can you talk us through the creation of your artworks from concept through to final image?
In general, I would say my working process consists of two stages: planning and actual
painting. The thinking stage is as important as it is painful. I never paint for the sake of depicting something pretty – there has to be at least some edge to a painting or a hidden meaning to keep me interested in it!
I am extremely scientific about the whole process, which might not sound super cool, but I can’t imagine myself painting first and then thinking about what was it that I wanted to convey afterwards. Art, in my understanding, has to be as intellectually appealing as it is visually.
I devote hours to planning my works out. Usually I take something I find aesthetically attractive and push the idea to make it intellectually challenging. I introduce contrasting symbols or storytelling elements that will enrich the piece’s narrative. Of course, more often than not I end up
changing things as I paint, but having a plan for an image ensures that I know what my goal is – what it is exactly that I want to achieve.
Only when I know what to paint and how, can I start the actual painting part. If the chosen subject is especially challenging, I dig for references and research on the topic to understand its historical and cultural contexts.
Quite often I end up planning an image for a longer time than what is required to paint it – I
sometimes spend two weeks on and off thinking about an image, while the actual painting takes
a couple of evenings. For a standard painting, the technical execution usually lasts from 20 to 40 hours spread among a couple of evenings, powered by cups of steaming tea or coffee and obligatory almond chocolate!
It’s really great to learn a little about the thought process that goes into your artwork creation – thanks for sharing all that with us! Have you ever tried to paint something without putting thought to it beforehand, letting your mind and hand roam freely? Or do you find (like me) that a blank canvas can be pretty daunting if you haven’t already decided on what you’re going to do? With this in mind, how do you keep your motivation up and the ideas constantly flowing? Can you work on more than one piece at any time, or do you generally take each as it comes?
To be honest, I feel absolutely lost when I try to paint something without any plan. I can do loose
practice sketches or speedpaintings without any preparation but, as the meaning of a piece is far more important to me than anything else, I would simply not feel comfortable painting a full blown image without having anything to convey.
It is very frustrating at times, since it requires much more pondering and “theory crafting” than spontaneous painting would. To keep my motivation up and my ideas flowing in harder situations, I simply try not to think about painting! Usually, the more I try to force myself to think of something,
the harder and longer the process gets. So I do other things instead; I listen to music, read and generally try to relax my mind. For more “active” remedies, I sometimes write down word associations with a theme of choice to boost creativity or browse art online in search of inspiration.
When it comes to workflows, crossed deadlines quite often require me to work simultaneously on a few images at a time but, whenever possible, I try to work on one painting at a time. Feeling
emotionally involved in most of my pieces requires my full attention in terms of planning
and execution, which makes multi-tasking for various projects quite complicated. For example,
I never work on personal and commercial projects simultaneously, so that I don’t distract my attention for one project with the other – I prefer to carefully plan one image at a time and be sure every painting gets my full commitment.
Viewing your works you can actually feel the emotions of your characters – almost as if the works were photographs of real people captured in life. I’m sure you get told this all the time, but it’s really quite exceptional that you can illustrate a character in such a way that we can feel exactly what he or she is feeling through the strokes of paint applied to your digital canvas. Incredible! So do you have any artist secrets that help you to achieve this depth of emotion in each painting?
I suppose that is where the aforementioned painful planning stage comes in. If an artist knows exactly what they want to depict, it is a natural step to extend their idea onto the facial expression.
It is such a common problem of fantasy art, modern as well as past – you see a beautiful character, an original design, but no emotion at all. Especially nowadays; the search for perfect technique replaces the ambition to actually state something through a painting.
My remedy for this is treating my characters as real people – I underline their personality with
facial features. I love to paint strong women – no weeping princesses or bland fairies, I prefer “my girls” to be provocative and daring (never sexually though). This doesn’t mean I never paint subtle characters though; I just always try to search for something original in a face and make it less sugary-perfect. And so, I tend to paint stronger jaws, bolder eyebrows or bigger noses than the beauty cannon would suggest.
I think it’s great that you’re going for a more real woman – have you ever thought about going to extremes and painting images that show something more “real”, perhaps even verging the grotesque (I’m thinking along the lines of Jenny Saville’s works, now!)? Or do you find that the industry wants to see beautiful painterly women in magazines and books – is this where the money is?
I find Saville’s work absolutely amazing, as she shows the highest level of understanding of the
human form – you have to be a true master to exaggerate proportions or perspective while still staying realistic!
However, to be honest, I have never really considered going in her direction. Not because it is obviously more profitable to draw what is commonly considered beautiful and “easy to digest” intellectually, but because I don’t think I am yet artistically mature enough to dare to experiment so much. Moreover, I think that the focus of our work lies in different places – while Saville makes the essence of her works lie in the human shape, I use characters, combined with other elements, as a means of depicting something else, like creating an allegory or a variously interpretable story.
You tend to use both Painter and Photoshop for your artworks. What does each type of software have over the other that makes it necessary for you to switch between the two? What do you generally use each software for, and how do you know when to switch to the other for a certain part of your painting?
It took me a very long time to actually learn Photoshop – I used to work in Painter for years. If I was to generalise, I find Painter best for highly stylised artworks with looser brushstrokes, while PS is best for extreme photo realism.
The biggest advantage of Painter over PS is the unimaginable ease of blending – there’s no need to play with opacity while eye-dropping colours all the time, all you have to do is select one brush (e.g. Blender) and run over desired areas to smooth colour transitions.
Painter is also great when you want to keep your image looser. The oily brushes are wonderful for hinting details in the background (especially landscapes) – by putting in some rougher blobs you automatically blend the colours together!
What makes me love Photoshop is the ease of creating custom brushes and the unlimited number of possibilities you get by combining different tooltips with various options. You can create a universal round brush with ragged edges for general painting, or tools adjusted for specific texturing jobs, e.g. a linen texturing brush or a skin blending tool. Of course, that is not to say that custom brushes are mandatory to use, but they do make life so much easier!
Learning when to switch between the two came to me naturally, after I worked enough in both of them to compare their ease of usage and effectiveness. Nowadays, I use Photoshop for sketching, early colour blocking and zoom-in detail defining, and Painter for blending stages (especially textiles) as well as all kinds of detail hinting.
So you’re pretty versatile when it comes to painting, being able to switch so easily between the two most popular 2D programmes! Do you work traditionally, too, or are you an exclusively digital girl? We seem to hear increasingly from artists these days that they often use 3D elements in 2D works to get things like perspective correct. Is that something you’ve ever considered or tried? And how about the ZBrush movement that seems to be sweeping the digital communities worldwide – does that have any appeal to you?
I used to work in traditional mediums before I moved onto the computer, working mostly with pencils and watercolour. I have to admit that I moved away from this direction greatly over time – painting digitally is much more comfortable and efficient. The main reason I am digital, however, lies elsewhere. I still remember the frustration of spoiling a pencil image just because I wanted to experiment with it – one change too much could absolutely devastate the final effect and there was no way to take it back! With computers, we have the blessed “undo” and “save as” options, which greatly encourage artists to experiment. Nowadays, I sketch really rarely, mainly when I lack a computer and still feel a need to let myself “run wild”.
As far as mixing 2D and 3D goes, I’ve always admired artists who can do both, and the idea of giving it a try myself seemed very appealing some time ago. It is indeed a great combination, to use one’s painting skills for texturing whilst mixing it with the clean technical side of rendering. I find this “cleanliness” extremely appealing, but at the same time I am not exactly sure whether this mix would fit in with my personality and painting style. My working process (aside from the thinking part) is very chaotic and messy and so I am afraid it might make the creation part a bit too technical and scientific. But as they say: you never know unless you try, so I might still try it out someday!
I can feel that you’re a happy artist who is content with her work, but do you ever have off days where you just wish you could be somewhere else doing something else? If so, where would you go and what would you do to take a break and get away from the world of digital painting?
Well, to be honest, I am more often than not quite far from being happy about my work. I am my biggest critic and usually when I look at my works, all I see are things to improve. It sometimes gets awfully frustrating, as I rather seldom feel truly happy with what I do.
Feeling dissatisfied, however, never really made me want to be somewhere else or do anything else – on the contrary, the bigger problems I see, the harder I try. I try to treat every flaw positively, as an area of potential improvement.
I believe it is the verve and the hard work that helps us evolve as artists. Being exposed to every day critique through the Internet opens our minds towards our art as well as ourselves. The more we understand our weaknesses, the quicker we learn how to overcome them. Whether someone uses this knowledge to their advantage or breaks down is an individual matter, but it is in the toughest times when we should work the hardest.
Those are some very wise words – I think we could all do with some of that mentality from time to time, no matter what field or industry we are working in! Okay, so to round up, can you perhaps tell us a little about what we can expect to see from you in the near future, in terms of projects, publications etc.? And my final question: if you could work on any project, with any artist, what would it be, who with, and why [grins]?
I have spent the past years on intense commercial work and right now I’m slowing down a bit. I still have some illustration projects lined up, including a few books and a movie; however what I am
truly aiming for right now is improvement. For the next few months I would like to experiment with my art a bit and spend some time on anatomy and life painting studies. For the farther future, I have a big dream which I first came up with over two years ago and which I definitely plan to realise one day – releasing a huge tutorial book. I love writing almost as much as I love painting, and combining those passions in one huge creation would be truly fulfilling!
If I was to choose a dream project to work on, it would probably be character designing for a Tim Burton movie. Burton is one of my favourite directors; I have been a great fan for a couple of years, admiring his distinctive style and attitude. His touching plot lines combined with dark humour are extremely appealing to me and being a part of his works would simply be a dream come true. If not Burton, I would like to be a part of a project resembling Disney’s Fantasia. I find music a great inspiration for my art and life in general, and being able to visually interpret it in a huge project would be a wonderful and most challenging experience!
Thanks so much for this fantastic interview, Marta. We wish you the very best of luck with your future aspirations and we can’t wait to see more from you in 2009. Keep up the great work!!
For more work by this artist please visit:
http://www.marta-dahlig.com
Interviewed by: Lynette Clee
Oh, please don’t say that! As uncool as it might sound, I am very far from what you might describe as “artistic”. I have an immense talent for making a great mess wherever I go, and sure, it’s a great excuse to blame it on my “artistic soul”, but other than that I am as normal and down to earth as it gets, really!
As for my beginnings, I have been painting since my earliest childhood – art started as simply a way to spend my free time and has gradually become a means of expressing my opinions and emotions.
I was introduced to digital art around seven years ago, at the age of fifteen, by an acquaintancewhose CG manga fan art I adored. I fell in love with the technique instantly! I started painting with a computer using a mouse in Painter 7, and, after a couple of months bought my first cheap
(and very trashy) tablet.
In search of feedback, I started displaying my works on various Internet forums, which helped me to evolve in terms of technique as well as the content of my work.
The evolution of my so-called career as a digital artist came quite suddenly. Actually, I think I was a bit lucky to paint something that became popular so quickly. The first big breakthrough in my artistic life came in 2004 when I released the first of my Seven Deadly Sins series – “Vanity”. The warm, enthusiastic feedback came as a total surprise! Basically, from that point onwards, everything
progressed at a rapid speed – thanks to the “popularity boost”, I got my first corporate projects and have been working commercially non-stop ever since!
I’m sure it has been more than luck that has got you to where you are today; we are all extremely impressed with your talents and can see that you have worked very hard to build up this great repertoire of fantastic artwork – you should be very proud! How long did it take you to get to grips with Painter? Did you ever have those moments where you felt like giving up? If so, how did you get through those and push yourself forwards?
Learning a painting programme basically consists of two stages: learning available tools and options, as well as the actual workflow. I first started working with Procreate’s version of Painter and learned it very quickly, as it was just so intuitive. It took me only a couple of days to learn everything I needed to know in order to work smoothly. The number of brushes was rather small, but they were flexible enough to cover all my needs.
Photoshop, however, was a totally different experience. In general, I would say that I am a “software person” and learn computer programmes quickly, but it took me a long time
to learn PS satisfyingly. Learning about the options and filters only took a while, but using the program for painting felt very uncomfortable at first. The brushes seemed artificial and the lack of the natural blending that’s present in Painter felt very awkward as well.
So indeed, I faced motivation problems like never before! To resolve the issue I dealt with the problem in little steps: I worked mainly in Painter, giving Photoshop a small try from time to time – it took me a couple of months of working on and off like this to be able to paint in PS freely. The process was long and, I daresay, a bit frustrating – but it was sure worth it in the end!
Looking at your portfolio as thumbnails on my monitor, I am pleasantly met with a vast array of stunningly beautiful character illustrations, all of which are highly regarded images in the digital art community! So how do these images generally come about? Can you talk us through the creation of your artworks from concept through to final image?
In general, I would say my working process consists of two stages: planning and actual
painting. The thinking stage is as important as it is painful. I never paint for the sake of depicting something pretty – there has to be at least some edge to a painting or a hidden meaning to keep me interested in it!
I am extremely scientific about the whole process, which might not sound super cool, but I can’t imagine myself painting first and then thinking about what was it that I wanted to convey afterwards. Art, in my understanding, has to be as intellectually appealing as it is visually.
I devote hours to planning my works out. Usually I take something I find aesthetically attractive and push the idea to make it intellectually challenging. I introduce contrasting symbols or storytelling elements that will enrich the piece’s narrative. Of course, more often than not I end up
changing things as I paint, but having a plan for an image ensures that I know what my goal is – what it is exactly that I want to achieve.
Only when I know what to paint and how, can I start the actual painting part. If the chosen subject is especially challenging, I dig for references and research on the topic to understand its historical and cultural contexts.
Quite often I end up planning an image for a longer time than what is required to paint it – I
sometimes spend two weeks on and off thinking about an image, while the actual painting takes
a couple of evenings. For a standard painting, the technical execution usually lasts from 20 to 40 hours spread among a couple of evenings, powered by cups of steaming tea or coffee and obligatory almond chocolate!
It’s really great to learn a little about the thought process that goes into your artwork creation – thanks for sharing all that with us! Have you ever tried to paint something without putting thought to it beforehand, letting your mind and hand roam freely? Or do you find (like me) that a blank canvas can be pretty daunting if you haven’t already decided on what you’re going to do? With this in mind, how do you keep your motivation up and the ideas constantly flowing? Can you work on more than one piece at any time, or do you generally take each as it comes?
To be honest, I feel absolutely lost when I try to paint something without any plan. I can do loose
practice sketches or speedpaintings without any preparation but, as the meaning of a piece is far more important to me than anything else, I would simply not feel comfortable painting a full blown image without having anything to convey.
It is very frustrating at times, since it requires much more pondering and “theory crafting” than spontaneous painting would. To keep my motivation up and my ideas flowing in harder situations, I simply try not to think about painting! Usually, the more I try to force myself to think of something,
the harder and longer the process gets. So I do other things instead; I listen to music, read and generally try to relax my mind. For more “active” remedies, I sometimes write down word associations with a theme of choice to boost creativity or browse art online in search of inspiration.
When it comes to workflows, crossed deadlines quite often require me to work simultaneously on a few images at a time but, whenever possible, I try to work on one painting at a time. Feeling
emotionally involved in most of my pieces requires my full attention in terms of planning
and execution, which makes multi-tasking for various projects quite complicated. For example,
I never work on personal and commercial projects simultaneously, so that I don’t distract my attention for one project with the other – I prefer to carefully plan one image at a time and be sure every painting gets my full commitment.
Viewing your works you can actually feel the emotions of your characters – almost as if the works were photographs of real people captured in life. I’m sure you get told this all the time, but it’s really quite exceptional that you can illustrate a character in such a way that we can feel exactly what he or she is feeling through the strokes of paint applied to your digital canvas. Incredible! So do you have any artist secrets that help you to achieve this depth of emotion in each painting?
I suppose that is where the aforementioned painful planning stage comes in. If an artist knows exactly what they want to depict, it is a natural step to extend their idea onto the facial expression.
It is such a common problem of fantasy art, modern as well as past – you see a beautiful character, an original design, but no emotion at all. Especially nowadays; the search for perfect technique replaces the ambition to actually state something through a painting.
My remedy for this is treating my characters as real people – I underline their personality with
facial features. I love to paint strong women – no weeping princesses or bland fairies, I prefer “my girls” to be provocative and daring (never sexually though). This doesn’t mean I never paint subtle characters though; I just always try to search for something original in a face and make it less sugary-perfect. And so, I tend to paint stronger jaws, bolder eyebrows or bigger noses than the beauty cannon would suggest.
I think it’s great that you’re going for a more real woman – have you ever thought about going to extremes and painting images that show something more “real”, perhaps even verging the grotesque (I’m thinking along the lines of Jenny Saville’s works, now!)? Or do you find that the industry wants to see beautiful painterly women in magazines and books – is this where the money is?
I find Saville’s work absolutely amazing, as she shows the highest level of understanding of the
human form – you have to be a true master to exaggerate proportions or perspective while still staying realistic!
However, to be honest, I have never really considered going in her direction. Not because it is obviously more profitable to draw what is commonly considered beautiful and “easy to digest” intellectually, but because I don’t think I am yet artistically mature enough to dare to experiment so much. Moreover, I think that the focus of our work lies in different places – while Saville makes the essence of her works lie in the human shape, I use characters, combined with other elements, as a means of depicting something else, like creating an allegory or a variously interpretable story.
You tend to use both Painter and Photoshop for your artworks. What does each type of software have over the other that makes it necessary for you to switch between the two? What do you generally use each software for, and how do you know when to switch to the other for a certain part of your painting?
It took me a very long time to actually learn Photoshop – I used to work in Painter for years. If I was to generalise, I find Painter best for highly stylised artworks with looser brushstrokes, while PS is best for extreme photo realism.
The biggest advantage of Painter over PS is the unimaginable ease of blending – there’s no need to play with opacity while eye-dropping colours all the time, all you have to do is select one brush (e.g. Blender) and run over desired areas to smooth colour transitions.
Painter is also great when you want to keep your image looser. The oily brushes are wonderful for hinting details in the background (especially landscapes) – by putting in some rougher blobs you automatically blend the colours together!
What makes me love Photoshop is the ease of creating custom brushes and the unlimited number of possibilities you get by combining different tooltips with various options. You can create a universal round brush with ragged edges for general painting, or tools adjusted for specific texturing jobs, e.g. a linen texturing brush or a skin blending tool. Of course, that is not to say that custom brushes are mandatory to use, but they do make life so much easier!
Learning when to switch between the two came to me naturally, after I worked enough in both of them to compare their ease of usage and effectiveness. Nowadays, I use Photoshop for sketching, early colour blocking and zoom-in detail defining, and Painter for blending stages (especially textiles) as well as all kinds of detail hinting.
So you’re pretty versatile when it comes to painting, being able to switch so easily between the two most popular 2D programmes! Do you work traditionally, too, or are you an exclusively digital girl? We seem to hear increasingly from artists these days that they often use 3D elements in 2D works to get things like perspective correct. Is that something you’ve ever considered or tried? And how about the ZBrush movement that seems to be sweeping the digital communities worldwide – does that have any appeal to you?
I used to work in traditional mediums before I moved onto the computer, working mostly with pencils and watercolour. I have to admit that I moved away from this direction greatly over time – painting digitally is much more comfortable and efficient. The main reason I am digital, however, lies elsewhere. I still remember the frustration of spoiling a pencil image just because I wanted to experiment with it – one change too much could absolutely devastate the final effect and there was no way to take it back! With computers, we have the blessed “undo” and “save as” options, which greatly encourage artists to experiment. Nowadays, I sketch really rarely, mainly when I lack a computer and still feel a need to let myself “run wild”.
As far as mixing 2D and 3D goes, I’ve always admired artists who can do both, and the idea of giving it a try myself seemed very appealing some time ago. It is indeed a great combination, to use one’s painting skills for texturing whilst mixing it with the clean technical side of rendering. I find this “cleanliness” extremely appealing, but at the same time I am not exactly sure whether this mix would fit in with my personality and painting style. My working process (aside from the thinking part) is very chaotic and messy and so I am afraid it might make the creation part a bit too technical and scientific. But as they say: you never know unless you try, so I might still try it out someday!
I can feel that you’re a happy artist who is content with her work, but do you ever have off days where you just wish you could be somewhere else doing something else? If so, where would you go and what would you do to take a break and get away from the world of digital painting?
Well, to be honest, I am more often than not quite far from being happy about my work. I am my biggest critic and usually when I look at my works, all I see are things to improve. It sometimes gets awfully frustrating, as I rather seldom feel truly happy with what I do.
Feeling dissatisfied, however, never really made me want to be somewhere else or do anything else – on the contrary, the bigger problems I see, the harder I try. I try to treat every flaw positively, as an area of potential improvement.
I believe it is the verve and the hard work that helps us evolve as artists. Being exposed to every day critique through the Internet opens our minds towards our art as well as ourselves. The more we understand our weaknesses, the quicker we learn how to overcome them. Whether someone uses this knowledge to their advantage or breaks down is an individual matter, but it is in the toughest times when we should work the hardest.
Those are some very wise words – I think we could all do with some of that mentality from time to time, no matter what field or industry we are working in! Okay, so to round up, can you perhaps tell us a little about what we can expect to see from you in the near future, in terms of projects, publications etc.? And my final question: if you could work on any project, with any artist, what would it be, who with, and why [grins]?
I have spent the past years on intense commercial work and right now I’m slowing down a bit. I still have some illustration projects lined up, including a few books and a movie; however what I am
truly aiming for right now is improvement. For the next few months I would like to experiment with my art a bit and spend some time on anatomy and life painting studies. For the farther future, I have a big dream which I first came up with over two years ago and which I definitely plan to realise one day – releasing a huge tutorial book. I love writing almost as much as I love painting, and combining those passions in one huge creation would be truly fulfilling!
If I was to choose a dream project to work on, it would probably be character designing for a Tim Burton movie. Burton is one of my favourite directors; I have been a great fan for a couple of years, admiring his distinctive style and attitude. His touching plot lines combined with dark humour are extremely appealing to me and being a part of his works would simply be a dream come true. If not Burton, I would like to be a part of a project resembling Disney’s Fantasia. I find music a great inspiration for my art and life in general, and being able to visually interpret it in a huge project would be a wonderful and most challenging experience!
Thanks so much for this fantastic interview, Marta. We wish you the very best of luck with your future aspirations and we can’t wait to see more from you in 2009. Keep up the great work!!
For more work by this artist please visit:
http://www.marta-dahlig.com
Interviewed by: Lynette Clee
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