Sypnosis & Features
I had an opportunity to converse with
, a professional digital artist from the Netherlands. Simply put, I just love her artwork, so I asked her to give me some insights into her creative and working processes. It is very kind of her to give me some great lessons. You can read the instructions as follows. Hope you like!
The original conversation can be found here:
[link]The Talk
Well, I want to know many things about you and your art, such as:
1) What is your thought process (i.e., where do you get your inspiration and ideas from)?
2) What is your painting process?
3) What is your common/usual color theme/selection?
4) Other things about you yourself as an artist.
and more, as they come...
You are way too kind
I can't possibly imagine that anyone wants to know that from me
But if it can help you then here you go:
1) What is your thought process (i.e., where do you get your inspiration and ideas from)?
(don't mind me mixing this up with a little history of my own)
My inspiration comes from the things that I like: nature, (cute) animals, heartwarming or interesting stories (either in books, movies, animeseries or in real life...and these things are probably inspired from other older stories likes myths, spirituality and wisdom that is given from person to person).
I grew up within a big family that was a bit different in the sense that my parents are pretty strict christians and didn't want us to be the usual outgoing teenagers. We also lived pretty far away from cities, so the only friends we could have were either the local kids from two houses away or classmates we rarely could visit because they were living too far away.
I spent a lot of days walking around outside, playing in the woods, cycling around the heatherfields or just staring at the starry sky at night. Because we weren't allowed to party or whatever.
This is why people say that when you get bored you get creative. I learned to be creative like that and I also think that that is how I saw the beauty of the simple things.
I didn't always like drawing or painting that much, but I guess I did like to be creative with whatever stuff we happened to have. When I was a teenager I became a fan of japanese animation (Ghibli, but also romantic series and slice of life). This is where fantasy and emotion kicked in as a sort of escape of the 'boring' daily life (yes, apparently simple things weren't enough anymore). From there on I just drew a lot and became enthusiastic about it and went to artschool and so on.
all these experiences made me what I am today, so I can not skip it when someome asks me about my thought processes, it's heavily influenced by all of this.
Next to that, it depends on the kind of thing it needs to be. Is it a job/commission from someone? What does that client need? Do I have a lot of freedom to make it in the way I want it to?
I ask myself a lot of questions when I need to create something. What does the theme remind me of? What do I want to say/tell with it? It is important that I put a certain feeling into it, else it just won't look that good (I've had that experience a lot when I was in art school, the art I made for assignments was never as good as my personal work, but I still find it hard to find my own 'thing' in other people's commissions). My emotions/feelings are entwined with my drawings. So I search for a certain motivation, a thing that evokes my (deepest)feelings so I make it a bit personal and to know what I need to create.
I also happen to 'get' ideas randomly...either write them down or type them out in some kind of document so you always have ideas what to do whenever you feel you are running out of them.
Next to that, I get a daily dose of inspiration via Pinterest, other artists' blogs, deviantArt, movies/series etc. etc. This helps me to learn what I like and what I find important (it does help to see what others like too, but the most important thing as an artist is what drives yourself, not others).
2) What is your painting process?
Usually (!) I begin with pencil on paper and sketch out several ideas (thumbnails or just loose sketches).
Sketching the 'old' way is just easier for me, I can waste as much paper as I want and I don't have to save my drawings all the time.
I choose the good ones and try to make them even better. Then if I think I've found what I've been looking for I scan or photograph those sketches and either will send them to the client (or not if this is my personal work).
When I need to work a sketch out, I open Paint Tool SAI or Photoshop, it depends on the look I want it to give. Either application is great, but just different.
I really like to work with color from an earlier stage on, though it sometimes might not be that convenient (and often is not adviced). Colors is what make my feelings clear I think, so that way I can already in an earlier stage achieve and show that base that is so important for me.
I choose colors by intution but I try and experiment with it a lot I guess. I also use the colorpicker a lot if I want to use a color already on the image but then change it a bit to something lighter or darker.
Brushes: I tried out a lot of different brushes. Like...a thousand. Just like I tried different drawing and painting applications. But after a while I threw out the ones that I didn't need and only worked with the ones that I like. In Photoshop you can change the brushes 'palette' to your likings, I've even arranged them in a different order so I would pick certain ones earlier than the standard brushes Photoshop comes with. And even the brushes self I've changed to my likings. I've experimented a lot with this and I still do. My painting style is not settled at all, except for the fact that I like digital painting and certain subjects.
When it comes to layers, it's kinda logical to pick a layer for each thing you want to paint so I usually do that, though often I come in situations where it's just easier to merge layers so I can use the layer blending modes. I use those a lot. Espescially comes handy for shadows and highlights and getting a different atmospere. I also try to work with contrast, any time I might use the curves/level options in Photoshop as well.
I'm not so much of an example when it comes to correct anatomy, perspective and such. I use the basic things I learned, but it helps to take a sketchbook and just sketch a lot of things from like, either humans, animals or objects...to learn how they work and how you should draw them. I find it important not to make too many mistakes, but I also find atmosphere and a message more important than a correct perspective, as long as it isn't disturbing you know.
3) What is your common/usual color theme/selection?
I definitely love colors that evoke a certain feeling. Warm colors to create a warm atmosphere. Colors that match with eachother, colors that (consciously) don't match or contrast with eachother. I love working with a certain tone and then go from there. Like this: [link] it is all kinds of blue. And these three: [link] they all have a certain main color with other color accents. It's all about matching the atmoshphere. Do you need warmth? Use red, yellow, purple, brown, orange. Need something fresh? Use blue, green and yellow, Need something cheerful? Then use pink, purple, yellow and bright colors. Need something full of peace? Then try earthy tones. Don't you think every color and combination 'says' something or makes you feel something?
I don't use one combination over and over, though I certainly have a love for the combination of purple, orange/brown and yellow. I do think though that most of my colors have the same amount of saturation and aren't too dark (though that last one was pretty dark...there are always exceptions).
4) other things:
You might have noticed that I sometimes use lines in my work and sometimes I don't.
This might depend on the sort of job, or the subject. I have the idea that my humans don't look that good when I only paint them, so I usually use lines when I draw people. I'm not that much of a fan of lines though as it makes it really hard and expressive, so this takes the attention away from the expression I want to achieve with creating an atmosphere.
Sorry that it is such a long story...
hope it is useful in anyway. But I already learned something at least, so thanks!
Thank you SO MUCH!!! I will read this again and again to completely understand it, and I will try to apply these great processes when I paint.
You are SO AWESOME!!!
October 14, 2012
KD
Sta.sh
Wow! 
Love 
Eager 
Sentimental 
Fear 
Sadness 
Rage 
Zeal 
Pride 
Lust 
Obsessed 
Affection 
Lonely 
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