How long have you been drawing?
Since I was really little, I used to start illustrated books that would never get finished because I’d always loose interest in one idea and move on to another. I was also planning on making an animated musical feature film about my dog when I was 9…which was long before I discovered how damn complicated the whole animation process is.
It probably had something to do with all the cartoons I watched as a kid, alongside my dad's influence. My parents ran a business creating mascots for sport teams so I'd watch my dad sketching concept designs at his drafting table. He also kept a huge variety of art books and comics around the house that I pored over constantly. Drawing was the only thing I never had to be coerced into doing (like piano, gymnastics, or Irish dancing) so my parents really encouraged me to keep it up, and I owe a lot of what I am to them!
Who are your influences?
Aaaugh, there are so many I can’t begin to list them all! I’m still learning, so every artist I come across -and love- ends up becoming an influence on some level (whether or not it shows in my work). I started off influenced by Disney, Archie and anime, but that exploded in so many different directions during college. At the moment my biggest sources if inspirations are Katie Rice, Kate Beaton, Emmy Cicierega, Brianne Drouhard, Kei Acedera... mostly a variety of incredibly creative women around my own age!
How would you describe your style?
Lately a few people have been commenting that I have a "John K" style which makes me incredibly nervous as John (creator of Ren and Stimpy) is a brilliant and very disciplined cartoonist and a big stickler for solid construction (which is definitely lacking in my own ‘floaty’ work). It makes me nervous in that I worry someone will show him my stuff someday and he'll tear it to pieces, haha... though actually that wouldn't be a bad thing! I'd definitely learn a lot from the critique...
My earlier drawings have been described as having a Disney-Anime hybrid style, only because anime fans called what I did “Disney like” and fans of western animation would say, “Oh, you do that anime stuff, do you?”
Personally I don't want to classify myself into a style just yet, as I think it's dangerous for a young artist to get set on "style" before fully understanding all the important drawing fundamentals, and exploring all the possible variations in design. I like to think that maybe a few years down the road my drawings will look totally different from the things I do today. In a good way though!
How do you get ideas for your drawings/paintings?
If I'm lucky images will pop into my head right away, but I find listening to music also helps me get into the flow of things, feeling out a specific pose or movement. It also helps me get into the head of whatever character I'm drawing; their moods, thoughts and feeling. Other than that I get a lot of ideas from observing people, which is why I carry a sketchbook with me everywhere I go.
Can you describe your general approach to creating a picture?
I just start doodling and see where it takes me, though sometimes I'll have a fully formed idea of what I want pop into mind, and then it’s a matter of fighting my hands to get it onto the page. I really should do more exploration when it comes to drawing, but I'm more interested in telling a story as quickly and clearly as I can than in finessing over fully rendered details. I wish I had more patience for that kind of thing, as I absolutely adore artists who put that kind of love and effort into their illustrations.
What's your work environment like?
I work for Cookie Jar Entertainment right now, and I've got a super sweet set up with a big powerful G5 computer and a Cintiq (I looove Cintiqs *drool*). I'm the youngest artist in the studio but I love it as my co-workers are super nice and funny and have so many crazy stories from working in the animation industry as long as they have. Very inspiring!
Could you tell us more about your online comic, Shrub Monkeys?
Shrub Monkeys is a comic I started just for the fun of it, capturing random moments, in-jokes and observations made by my two younger siblings and myself. Mostly as an exercise to keep my drawing hand active, with the bonus of getting a snicker or two out of said siblings. When I moved to Ottawa I missed my family terribly and worked at a job as a flash animator in which NO drawing was required, so Shrub Monkeys became my artistic outlet and life-line.
Around that time my only web-notoriety was for my Harry Potter fancomics "Simply Potterific” and when I started loosing interest in those, and had no idea what else to post online, I took a chance and started posting my small collection of Shrub Monkeys, fearing they'd be too personal for anyone to relate too. Amazingly, many people were able to identify with the comic's scenarios and viewpoints, which fascinate me to no end! Lisa Jonte, (editor at the time) of the female-friendly comic community Girlamatic.com asked if I was interested in joining their site and from there Shrub Monkeys turned into a weekly updated comic.
As simple as it is I think Shrub Monkeys is one of the most gratifying projects I've ever worked on. It's one of those things that make me appreciate how much people can have in common regardless of where we come from, and how ridiculous and random we can be.
Do you have any other projects in the works?
I've been recently invited to join the lineup for the Flight anthologies for which I'm incredibly excited and terrified. I've also got a few projects of my own on the back-burner as well as a comic series I'll be ramping up on shortly but can't really talk about just yet. A VERY busy year!
What are your thoughts on the comic and animation industry?
I can’t comment on the comic industry, but the animation industry’s been pretty good to me. The job market’s a little slow these days with the way the economy is, but people love entertainment so it's an industry that'll be around for a long time, so I'm not worried. What I wish is that studios would start taking a chance on making more exciting and adventurous stories, as everywhere I look it's either sitcoms for pre-teens or educational shows for kids. I'd love to see studios open up short-film departments where they could experiment with style and storytelling, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Keep in mind I'm only speaking from a Toronto viewpoint!
What are your future aspirations?
They’re unclear at the moment. I feel like I'm torn between animation and comics and while it'd be great to do both I worry that I'll have to choose between them sooner or later. Ultimately I'd be happiest working on my own comic stories, but I'd be content to be a storyboard artist as well... on an awesome feature film or an amazing television series!
What programs do you primarily use for your artwork?
I work primarily with Photoshop, though I’d love to learn how to use Painter or Illustrator. Lately when I can't stand looking at a computer monitor any longer I crack out the old crusty watercolours and play around with those.
I was in a huge rut a couple years back, and was feeling pretty desperate thinking I'd never get out of it. Looking at all the amazing artists on DA and in the industry helped inspire me a little bit (when it didn't utterly depress me) but ultimately just knuckling down and drawing even though I didn't feel like it helped get me back in shape. Getting a cheap crappy sketchbook also helped make drawing a lot less intimidating. It's hard for me to just have fun and draw when I'm staring down at the blank page of a $30 moleskin.
Any advice for any other aspiring artists?
Don’t try and settle down on one style, keep learning and experimenting especially while you’re young and open to new ideas. Carry a sketchbook with you everywhere because you never know when an idea will hit or you’ll see something interesting you want to capture on paper.
What's your favorite live action movie? What's your favorite cartoon movie?
Oooh man, I have lots of favourites. If I had to draw up the short list I’d say Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and the Back to the Future trilogy, just because they're fun movies I can watch again and again. My favourite animated movies would probably be Kiki's Delivery Service, and Princess Mononoke. No matter how many times I watch it, I start blubbering at the part where the little kodamas start falling out of the trees. That and it’s a visually gorgeous movie.
Any other comments or things you'd like to address?
Um…nothing in particular. Thanks for the interview! :)
For more of Katie’s work, you can visit the following sites:
ktshy.deviantart.com
ktshy.blogspot.com
Shrub Monkeys Webcomic
You can also contact Katie at shanahan.katie@gmail.com
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Artist Profile: Katie Shanahan
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Artist Profile: Risa Valdez
Risa Valdez is currently a rising senior at Cal Poly Pomona and currently lives around Los Angeles, California. Born and raised there, her interests include Japanese music with her favorite singer being Hyde. Also known as kurarisa on deviantART, the highlight of Risa’s work includes her portraits which often times are surrounded by beautiful imagery and subtle themes, not to mention the realistic detail with which they are rendered. At the moment she is majoring in the Fine Arts with hopes to one maybe become a teacher and having her work published.
Rococo Flow: Why fine arts? Was there anything in particular that got you interested?
Risa: I was determined to chase art ever since I graduated from elementary school. So in high school I was already excited to take art classes, by junior year I was already in AP art (though I don’t think I did my best, unfortunately).The first year of AP art, I did traditional art and the second year (my senior year) I did digital. I love doing digital works, but there’s something about traditional. I like how old fashioned and classic it is, but then digital has its upsides (I can do stuff I can never do traditionally, and it can give more power).
Risa: I can't remember actually, obviously it had to be the internet so maybe through forums or deviantArt.
Rococo Flow: Usually I ask how long they've been drawing but it's usually since they were little like you mentioned
Risa: Yeah actually that’s a funny story, I remember when I was in 2nd grade there was an art contest for us kids to draw our house. I remember I drew the sun with squiggle rays, and I thought for sure I would win because of how cool it looked, but I didn't, haha. Then in 5th grade, in art class we had to construct a scene out of construction paper. I worked really hard to make a room scene with a vase of small detailed flowers. I got a C and I was shocked. I vowed to get better at art from then on.
Rococo Flow: Haha… so revenge or something along those lines? Either way, that's a great sort of motivation. I think many artists may not want to admit it, but with communities like deviantART, I'm sure envy is a slight driving force at times.
Risa: Definitely, I know it can get like that for me. There'll be artists out there that blow my mind and I think 'wow, I'll never get that good, I should just give up'.
Rococo Flow: Certainly, that's why I like those rare times an artist will show their improvement, it gives others hope. Who have been your influences?
Rococo Flow: Would you be able to describe your style?
Risa: Let’s see, currently I'd say it's a detailed collage portrait style with hidden messages (and I try to incorporate a lot of color when I color them).
Rococo Flow: What sorts of messages do you try incorporate?
Risa: Usually it has to do with the person, the theme. So, let’s say if I put certain flowers around them, some of them have a meaning. Then, I'll put objects in there that associate with them too. So in a way it's my take on the person, sometimes.
Rococo Flow: Can you explain how you go about drawing or painting a piece?
Risa: It always starts with the face, particularly the nose, I have no idea why haha. So from there I draw the rest of the face according to the nose position (I usually always have reference, so 'eyeballing' it is key). Sometimes I already have the composition in mind, but other times not, so after drawing the portrait, I add in the other objects around them.
Rococo Flow: What programs and traditional media do you usually use for your artwork? What's your favorite?
Risa: That's such a hard question! For digital art, definitely Open Canvas. I love how basic it is so I think it's easy for anyone to use. Unfortunately though you can only use it on PCs and I have a Mac now, so I haven't been able to use it. I know a lot of people use Painter but I don't even know where to begin there are so many tools and things, haha.
For traditional media, it's been watercolor. I love oils too, but since it's messy and smelly, I don't use it often, watercolor is friendlier, especially since I can just take it out, use it, erase with water if I make a mistake, blend and dab to give a cool effect, not to mention how beautiful it is overall.
Rococo Flow: Do you have a favorite type of drawing environment?
Risa: If I’m working with traditional media, I like working in the afternoon (with natural light) by the window. Digitally, it doesn't matter.
Rococo Flow: Out of all the pictures you've done thus far, which one are you the most proud of and why?
Risa: Ah which one! Let me see. It’s a tie between "Faith Gift 2006" and "Crown of Thorns”. Faith Gift because I actually painted it for Hyde (my favorite singer) when he came to California to do some concerts and it conveyed my image of him, but then the Crown of Thorns idea was something I had wanted to paint for some time because I felt any celebrity could relate, especially since Christianity was a recent theme of his so it felt very fitting.
Rococo Flow: Which piece took you the longest? Or was there any that was rather difficult, where you felt like you really had to push yourself to completion?
Risa: Oddly enough for most difficult, probably “37” because it was something I wanted to do to celebrate Hyde's birthday last year and I hadn't done anything all day. I was suffering artist's block and was unsatisfied with things I started, so I tried my best to crank that out and surprisingly a lot of people loved it! As for the longest time, that's a funny question because when I work on an art piece, I do so in long periods of time. I'll spend a good chunk of hours working on something because I get excited about seeing it finished. Crown of Thorns took a weekend to do though, so I guess that took the longest, probably.
Rococo Flow: Ah yeah, I remember 37. It's one of my favorites by you, definitely =)
Risa: Haha now you know it's secret.
Rococo Flow: *Laughs* It's funny how that works though. What are your future aspirations?
Rococo Flow: Sounds good, I admire that, anyone who wants to become teacher, because there aren't enough good and inspiring ones. After all, without the teachers how would anyone learn anything to become artists, doctors, lawyers, etc.?
Risa: I know right, and then they can come back and thank me when I'm roaming around with my walker.
Rococo Flow: Haha. Do you have any other interests besides drawing?
Risa: I'm a huge fan of Japanese music, as you can tell. I listen to all kinds and hope I can pay homage to my favorites by drawing/painting them. I sound so simple.
Rococo Flow: No you don’t. So who are your top five favorite musicians? =)
Risa: Oh Nooo!!! Hahahaha.
1) L'Arc~en~Ciel
2) Shiina Ringo
3) Salyu
4) RIP SLYME
5) the brilliant green
Risa: Maybe Lily Chou-Chou from the movie All About Lily Chou-Chou, because in the film she was an ethereal singer that provided a mysterious power to very different people. Her music was beautiful, original and other-worldly, all while being very mysterious herself. I thought she was such an amazing character.
Rococo Flow: Do you have any other comments or things you'd like to address?
Risa: Ah maybe, I’m kind of embarrassed that most of my work is fanart of Hyde? Haha.
Rococo Flow: Another artist I interviewed Heather or Makani, if you've heard of her said something along the lines of, ‘draw what you like to draw’, I mean after all if it makes you happy, who cares? Whatever gets your pencil moving.
Risa: Ah that’s a good quote! It's true though and I respect Hyde a lot so I really find it easy to draw him often.
Rococo Flow: I didn't ask earlier but are you working on any sort of art related projects or something of that nature?
Risa: I actually worked on a doujinshi with a few other artists a few years ago, but I'm really embarrassed with my submission so I like to forget about it (I didn't do a good job). Most recently an idea was pitched between me and a different group of artists but nothing has become of that yet. I hope maybe in the future I'll have the confidence to create an artbook with other artists, or go solo.
Risa: Yeah I think there should be more out there, even if they’re small.
Rococo Flow: Do you have any advice for other aspiring artists?
Risa: There's a lot of things even artists you admire will learn so don't give up, if you love it enough and sincerely work hard on what you do, you'll improve in no time. Your best work is only the beginning to what you’re capable of doing so Good Luck!
To see more work by Risa visit the following links:
kurarisa@dA – deviantART gallery
You can also contact her at kurarisa [at] gmail.com
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Artist Profile: Emmy Cicierega
Rococo Flow: So how long have you been drawing? What was it that initially got you interested?
Emmy: I've been drawing since 10 and started getting really obsessed with it around 12 or 13. My Dad bought me a VHS of The Lion King and when I saw it, I flipped out. I decided that animation was the coolest idea ever and that I had to be a part of it. I would watch animated movies repeatedly and freeze the frames and go back and forth just mesmerized! Haha.
Emmy: I spend a good amount of time browsing deviantART every day, just going over all the different kinds of artists. There are hundreds of talented folks I admire there. Artists that stick out by name, though, well let’s see. Recently I got into Alphonse Mucha's stuff and Allesandro Barbucci’s work is pretty awesome. Hayao Miyazaki is always a favorite!
Rococo Flow: Of your peers, who would you single out as being one of the most innovative with their art?
Emmy: Hmm well you just gotta love Loish's stuff. She draws beautiful girls who have strong jaws and other strong features but still turn out just gorgeous. She uses colors I’d never think of using!
Emmy: Uhh. Disney on vacation in Japan, attending a fashion show set to French jazz. I have no idea how to describe my art. Hahah, Cats. Lots of cats!
Rococo Flow: Haha. How do you get ideas for your drawings?
Emmy: Music! I love picturing what goes along to music and then drawing it. Music can really help me put a personality to a character. It's fabulous.
Rococo Flow: So is it any genre of music in particular or can it be anything?
Emmy: I love all kinds of music, mostly happy stuff. I'm big on Japanese Pop lately, but I also love sassy French stuff and some Norwegian punk, and you gotta love American geek rock! But yeah, foreign music is awesome to me because you get to apply your own meanings to the lyrics and still enjoy vocals.
Rococo Flow: What programs do you typically use for your work?
Emmy: Photoshop CS2! I practically live in Photoshop. Haha.
Rococo Flow: How about traditional media?
Emmy: I've always wanted to test the waters with that but it’s dang intimidating! No undo button! I do sketch with pencils a lot though. I plan on exploring watercolors at some point this year.
Rococo Flow: Could you go into detail about the process you have for creating a picture?
Emmy: It's pretty basic. Sketch, inks, flats, shading. Sometimes I’ll mix it up and do sketch, flats, shading (no outlines, ooh!). I'm trying to get more into digital painting lately though, which requires a higher resolution and lots of patience for fiddly details. It's slow going, Haha.
Emmy: Yeah. Watching videos of people paint is the worst, because they make it look so easy! It never is! Hahaha
Rococo Flow: Not to mention it’s sped up.
Emmy: Yeah.
Rococo Flow: What's your favorite kind of work environment besides having music to listen to?
Emmy: A good chair, my tablet and a computer is all I need, really. And snacks, SO MANY SNACKS.
Rococo Flow: With the majority of your work, are you ever trying to portray any kind of message?
Emmy: I guess a reoccurring theme in my art could be "Happiness is chic" or "Adventure is just around the corner". I like my art to feel like it's playful and carefree, hopefully people pick up on that.
Rococo Flow: Looking back at your past works, what improvements and changes are you proud of?
Emmy: I think I am better at anatomy (hopefully, haha) and I'm quite pleased with how my taste for colors has developed. (I used to be the kid who would draw cats in rainbow colors with polka dots)
Emmy: Well I've always got stories in my head that I develop just to entertain myself, but I've been working on making them more public. It's hard, seeing as I'm a terrible writer. I've got no solidified projects planned, but there are always at least a hundred IDEAS for projects in the back of my head.
Rococo Flow: If you ever had the opportunity, are there any artists you would love to work with?
Emmy: On a large scale, I'd LOVE to work with a team of artists on some sort of amazing project like a movie or something. On a more personal scale, there are too many people to list by name! One on one collaborations are really fun, though, if you're working with someone with a similar taste in art and style as you, or even a complete opposite style!
Rococo Flow: Since you seem to have a love for animation, do you have any particular thoughts on the industry?
Emmy: The industry needs to bring 2D back with a classy comeback. Studios should focus more on a good story, and less on what would entertain an obnoxious child for an hour. Pixar is really good at making good stories, and I wish they would branch out into 2D!
Emmy: Exactly. Yeah, Disney is trying to get back in the game, it's been shaky, but I’m still reserving judgment.
Rococo Flow: Yeah, I'm crossing my fingers. Haha, I really do want them to succeed.
Emmy: Me too :-)
Rococo Flow: So what are your future aspirations? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Emmy: I see myself with a robotic left arm that can shoot lasers and brew coffee. Honestly, though, I see myself involved with a movie somehow! Storyboarding or character design sound pretty cool to me. I'd like to be involved in both animation and live action
Rococo Flow: What are some of your interests besides drawing?
Emmy: Film, comedy, traveling, writing, photography, fashion!
Rococo Flow: If you could be any character from a video game, movie, or novel, etc. who would it be?
Emmy: Tough one! Let's see, Kiki, from Kiki's Delivery Service. I identify with her a lot. I'd also like to be Hermione from Harry Potter, I suppose. I think it would be loads of fun to be any sort of Disney Princess, especially if you get to sing all the time. But mostly I want to be Voldemort. Yeah.
Rococo Flow: Give a list of your top 5 favorite movies and your top 5 favorite songs.
Emmy: Hahaha. No fair, they're always changing! Uh let’s see. Right now some favorite movies of mine are Stardust, Spirited Away, Mirror Mask, The Incredibles, and Singing in the Rain.
Favorite songs: Lets see, ‘Kimi Ga Suki’ by Ram Rider, ‘Dancing with Myself’ by Nouvelle Vague, ‘That’s How You Know’ from the Enchanted soundtrack, ‘So You Say’ by The Bird and the Bee and ‘Somewhere Beyond The Sea’ by Frank Sinatra!
Rococo Flow: Nice =). Now you have singing ‘That’s How You Know’. *Laughs*
Emmy: Haha yeah, that song is addictive!
Rococo Flow: Do you have any advice for any other aspiring artists?
Emmy: A big problem I run into regarding young artists is subject obsession. They learn how to draw like, say, wolves, and that’s ALL they draw in like one style. That’s no good! I'm not saying to stop drawing wolves, I'm saying draw wolves in more styles and draw humans and trees and all kinds of things, don't limit yourself at all when it comes to art, ever! But don't cut back on what you love to draw either!
To see more work by Emmy check out the following links:
http://www.emmyc.com
b1nd1@dA – deviantartART account
You can also contact Emmy at emmybindi[at]yahoo.com
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Artist Profile: Ed Tadem Pt. 2
In our previous post we had the first part of our interview with Ed Tadem. In this second part he talks more about his current comic project '76 with B. Clay Moore as well as his other experiences with art and comics.
[Click here for Part 1]
Rococo Flow:Do you use any other programs besides Photoshop?
Rococo Flow: Yeah and Phostoshop has improved so much over the years, but I like OpenCanvas a lot.
Ed: Yeah I saw some screens of OC4 and it looks kind of like it's getting into PS territory, the last one I had was 3 and the thing I liked about it was it just had the essentials.
Rococo Flow: I have both OC3 and OC4 and 4 has a lot of added tools, but I still use the default brushes so it’s like I’m using 3. I should probably play around with it more. *laughs*
Ed: I've heard good things about Painter X too but yeah, there’s a ton of things in Photoshop I never touch. But you know, just talking to friends and asking how they do things, you sort of build up your own tricks.
Rococo Flow: Do you use custom brushes?
Ed: Yes, almost nothing but at this point. I actually even made actions to select the most used ones, from F2 through F10. I try to make most of my digital paint look like natural paint. I just kept messing with things till I had brushes that didn’t look digital. It took me awhile to configure it all.
Ed: Ah yeah, a friend sent me the demo and it looks pretty fun. I actually did finish a painting in it. It was on my list to get a full version at some point, then I kind of forgot about it.
Rococo Flow: *Laughs* I have messed with it but it does look pretty fun.
Ed: The interface took some getting used to.
Rococo Flow: So what about traditional media? Which do you typically use, any favorites?
Ed: Well all my comic work is eventually inked with a sable brush and Sumi ink. I still love pencil and ink for all my drawing needs. As far as painting, I’ve been trying to get into acrylics. I haven't had too much time to sit down and do something decent though. I was taught to paint with oils in school, and it sort of influenced the way I painted digitally. I still love that look, but I can't deal with the mess and the fumes. One of the reasons I want to get into acrylics is if you do it right you can get it to look like oil.
Rococo Flow: I think with the influence of the internet and these readily available programs, lots of kids are learning to paint digitally before they even touch paint but, looking at your work and other artists out there, it's sort of easy to tell who's learned how to paint traditionally because you transfer it over to the digital canvas.
Ed: Yeah, I think it's too easy at this point to just learn digital techniques without an understanding of what it's founded on but at the same time, that problem exists whenever anyone gets too married to style over substance. Even with traditional media and stuff, you can tell when someone can't draw or doesn't understand storytelling, etc. and are falling back on inking with lots of detailed little lines or something. A lot of kids learn to run before they can walk, and it shows. There are so many sites I see and the painting and colors make me jealous, but then underneath it, the drawing is weak and doesn't hold up.
Rococo Flow: I like to think that some of that is ok, because I don't feel like the majority of these people are trying to have an art career and it’s just a hobby.
Ed: True but I am kind of referring to people who actually do work, as well. They get by because it's flashy work that sells. It goes back to when I met Eric and the artists I had never heard of, but these were artists that ARTISTS respected and looked at, regardless of it they were in the Wizard top 10 or whatever. I mean you can’t knock a guy for making a living, but you’ve got to choose at some point if you want to be an artist or just a commodity to be sold at face value?.
Ed: As far as comics. I don't know if I'm qualified. There are only a handful of comics I buy at this point. I don’t know if there are really any background politics but I think some people don't mind being Paris Hilton you know?
Rococo Flow: *Laughs* True. Some people draw just for the popularity and that's how deviantART seems to be sometimes. However, I like it because I do find people when I dig through all the other ‘crap’.
Ed: There’s also the money. I mean, people that go into interviews literally with photocopies of someone else's artwork. Obviously that's an extreme, but I guess there's just levels of integrity as far as what you want your art to say about you and if it's something you want to devote your heart and soul to, or if it's just a paycheck. Haha and I feel so old when I check out DA. I don’t go to many forums anymore these days.
Rococo Flow: I find DA really funny because a lot of people are starting to 'discover' a lot of artists I've know about and admired for years but I like seeing that they're getting a bit of the recognition they deserve. I used to link hop from site to site because one artist I loved would like all the ones they loved and I’d end up loving them too.
Ed: Haha yeah, it’s a dangerous way to lose an afternoon.
Rococo Flow: Yes!! It’s horrible.
Ed: Well hopefully those kids will grow up? I think it's the same as back when I was growing up and it was all about guys like Jim Lee, etc. I mean there's good anime and bad anime, and eventually you just hope kids will be able to tell the difference.
Rococo Flow: I think for the ones serious about art, it happens.
Ed: It goes both ways though, there's a lot of dismissal of anime or manga, because there's so much bad stuff that gets put on TV. That also relates to what I said about being influenced by everything around you. Hopefully anime or manga will be a bridge into just loving all kinds of art. Lots of guys do that well, people like Bryan O'Malley and Becky Cloonan are their own artists
Rococo Flow: Yeah, definitely. So what are your goals for the future?
Ed: Mainly I'd love to just do comics fulltime. And sideline in illustration or cover work, just because painting is fun too. I'm just taking it one project at a time at this point and trying to improve and do better on the next one.
Rococo Flow: Out of all the work you've done, is there any that you're the most proud of or if not, was there anything that was particularly difficult to completely?
Rococo Flow: Care to talk a bit more about '76? Like how'd you come to work on it and what it's about exactly?
Ed: Sure. Well, my buddy Jason Latour worked with Clay on another Image series called Expatriate. Jason was kind enough to introduce me to Clay and recommend me for '76. The book is actually split in two, with the second half being written by Seth Peck and drawn by Tigh Walker. Both are set in 1976 and our half is called Jackie Karma and takes place in New York. Theirs is called Cool and is set in Los Angeles. Basically, Jackie Karma is a white kung fu master who used to fight crime in the '60s.
He's retired now and working as a lawyer when his old arch-nemesis comes into town, and he's forced to re-don his street-fighting outfit from his hey-day. The outfit, by the way, includes among other things a leather coat with a lion-head graphic on the back and a white belt with the same lion-head buckle. In another writer's hands, it sounds like it could be a recipe for disaster, but in Clay's, it's pretty much a recipe for awesome. I'm also doing covers for the book, and it should be out from Image Comics in January. (RF: Check it out here).
Rococo Flow: Sounds great. =)
Ed: Hehe. =) I think the book will offer something for different tastes. Clay and I are a bit more grounded with the story, and Seth and Tigh are pushing the crazy factor more.
Rococo Flow: Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?
Ed: Well I have a short story in another Image anthology called Pop Gun, nothing else fun to speak of, just things to pay the bills until '76 comes out. =)
Rococo Flow: Do you have any other interests besides drawing?
Ed: Well I still play guitar. It's a great stress reliever. I try to play tennis, but I was in a hit and run last month and my back hasn't been letting me. I love movies, concerts, typical type of stuff. My roommate is an aspiring screenwriter and he's gotten me hooked on JD Salinger, so I've been reading a bunch of that.
Rococo Flow: So ok, what's the strangest comment you've gotten regarding your art?
Marcus White wrote the short story I'm doing for Pop Gun, and he said he didn't think the story would have turned out as well with any other artist. Clay says a ton of nice things too. In fact, I'll paste something he just said to me tonight that just made my day. "What I always tell people when I'm talking about you guys is that it's a combination of three things: raw talent, an almost ego-less desire to improve at your craft, and genuine intelligence."
Rococo Flow: That's quite a compliment.
Ed: Us guys being me and Tigh. Yeah. just makes me want to keep trying to kick it up a notch every new issue. Clay's a guy that appreciates the underpinnings of what makes good comics and storytelling, so even though we're rough around the edges and we both know our weaknesses, we try our best to understand how to deal with problems and just constantly improve. Or in my case, get less sucky.
Rococo Flow: Any advice for aspiring artists?
Ed: I'd say to be open to everything, and be influenced by everything. That's what will make you your own artist, instead of an artist that sort of looks like so-and-so. And remember to never stop learning. Even, if you're 14 or if you're 40, there's always something new to learn and try or improve. Always. The worst thing you can do is get comfortable with yourself and think you've got it made. The reason Eric Canete still holds my respect and awe isn't because he was awesome when I was 17, it's because he's grown and evolved and is still awesome. Whenever I think I've finally caught up to him, he's already got new tricks up his sleeve.
Every artist should be like that. I mean there are artists that are awesome, but they've gotten comfortable and after a while, you realize you've seen it all from them. Yeah, this new piece is awesome, but it's the same awesome as the first thing you saw from them years ago. And at that point you wonder, what's the point? I don't need to buy this comic. It's the same as the ones I already own. I like seeing work from artists who always have something new to offer. I don't mean even drastically changing their style or anything but maybe they adapted a cool new effect for rain or maybe they've done a neat new camera move and it's easier for me to talk about comics that way, but the same holds true for painters and illustrators. Evolution and growth is essential. Uhm, The End.
Rococo Flow: *Laughs* I think you’ve answered everything. Thanks so much.
To see more work by Ed check out the following links:
http://edtadem.com - Main portfolio site
Chepeng – Group blog with friends
http://76blog.blogspot.com/ - the '76 blog
edtadem@deviantart - dA gallery
You can also contact him through his e-mail on the portfolio site.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Artist Profile: Ed Tadem Pt. 1
During the interview he talks about his reasons for leaving school and his experiences before landing his first major comics gig. Not to mention, he also goes into great detail about his work habits and his process in creating pages for the ’76 comic. The interview has been divided into two parts and every word that Ed has to say is worth reading. He is truly a talented artist whose work I hope to see lots more of in the future.
Rococo Flow: So what were your reasons for dropping out of school?
Rococo Flow: So what did you after you left school?
Ed: I got a job at an architectural illustration firm and figured I could work on stuff at night and weekends. Also, sometimes you learn more once you're out of school, just by doing work.
Rococo Flow: How did that set up work out? Do you still work at the firm or are you just working on your own stuff?
Ed: Well, after about a year or so of that, and saving up money - I forgot about that. That was part of the plan, live cheap, save enough money to freelance. Anyway, after about a year or so, I had maybe half the amount of savings I needed and a friend at Upper Deck contacted me about doing some artwork for the Pirates of the Caribbean card game. Except, they needed a ton of art in a month's time, so I took a month off work, and decided to just give my two weeks notice when I got back.
Rococo Flow: Did you ever have a mentor?
Ed: Yeah actually, there's a whole story/entry on this in my livejournal. (RF: Which you can find here). Back in high school I met Eric Canete at San Diego Comic Con ’98 and it turned out we lived in the same town. He kind of showed me the ropes a bit and took me under his wing.
Ed: Haha, actually it was those Marvel trading cards, series 1. Before I even had comics, I had Marvel trading cards. I didn't even know what comics were but I soon found out! And then I started drawing. Although, as a kid you still kind of think you'll do other things too, like being a baseball player or something and then as a teenager I thought I was going to be a rock star. At 13 I was actually pretty split between guitar and art and I decided I was better at art.
Rococo Flow: *Laughs* Who have been your strongest influences throughout the years? Obviously there's Eric Canete whom you mentioned earlier.
Ed: Yeah, Eric kind of turned me onto a whole world of art and comics I didn't know existed. At the time I was just a kid and all my exposure came from Wizard magazine so I was into Joe Mad and Jim Lee and all the typical stuff. Eric's friends Byron Penaranda and Sam Liu, both of whom are animation industry veterans were a pretty big influence at that point too and of course as I grew up and consumed more art, I have a ton of influences now. I think the worst thing an artist can do is try to be a clone of one or even two or three artists. There’s a whole world not just of artists but of nature and other media even that should inform your vision.
But to answer your question, comics-wise my main influences are guys like Tommy Lee Edwards and John Paul Leon. There’s also Jorge Zaffino, Andrew Robinson, and I discovered a guy by accident Domingo Mandrafina, I think he's Argentine, who knocks my socks off. I love stuff from all disciplines. I've always loved Rodin's figures. Egon Schiele, Klimt and that stuff and as far as illustrators, Dean Cornwell is a painter I adore. I'm doing covers for a book I'm drawing called '76, and I'm painting them digitally and looking at a lot of Robert McGinnis for that stuff. I dunno. Like most artists, I think the list could be endless. There's guys who I was friends with online who are now making names for themselves like Chris Brunner and Jason Latour, and definitely I think I've learned a few tricks from them too. Sorry, that's enough of that. =) Go on.
Rococo Flow: *Laughs* So you have all these influences, would be able to describe your own style?
Ed: Describe how?
Ed: Haha well, my friends always joke about me being emo. Let’s call it retro emo? I like drawing characters who look like they came from a decade or more ago
Rococo Flow: Yeah, I love that! I wanted to ask what your favorite era to draw is?
Ed: I think anything between the ‘40s and ‘70s is pretty awesome. When I had cable, Turner Classic Movies was always my favorite channel.
Rococo Flow: How do you go about developing the ideas that you have for your stories and comics?
Ed: Well lately I've been drawing other people's stories but typically I'll have an idea and it'll just be sort of images or specific scenes without a story and I’ll scribble those down and build a story out of that. I did a short story about a boy and a girl in a tree. and I pretty much just had an image of the girl up in the tree by herself and an image of them together silhouetted against a sunset and it kind of developed into an allegory of relationships, specifically every relationship I'd ever been in.
Ed: Or were you asking more about the process from script to final art?
Rococo Flow: I was interested in both actually.
Also, if part of the script immediately suggests a camera angle or shot, I scribble that too. I go through the whole script that way, then go back and look at any new characters or settings that I haven't drawn before and do fairly rough designs for them, just enough so Clay can get an idea of what I'm going to do. If I need to reference something, I've stocked up (thanks to eBay) on various 1976 clothing, Sears catalogues, and books with photos of New York street scenes from 1976 (our story takes place in NY of that year).
After I've designed everything, I do 1/3ish size page layouts. I have a template format that I borrowed from Andrew Robinson and Chris Brunner that fits 4 to a letter-size page. I try to do those layouts as tight as I can, and make sure most of the perspective, construction and composition issues are taken care of early at this stage. I figured out pretty quick that being lazy in the early stages just gives you more headaches later on.
Rococo Flow: So you're actually able to print out the 11 x 17 size onto your board? Do you have a special sort of printer?
Ed: Yeah, just a regular large-format printer will work, something that does 13x19. I had to do a few tests to get it to print right in the middle where I needed them and I screwed up a few boards, but it’s worth it in the end. =)
[Continued in Pt. 2]
Monday, December 31, 2007
Artist Profile: Heather Campbell
Rococo Flow: Could you give us a brief bio about yourself and anything else of interest?
Heather:: Well I grew up with my parents and little brother (age 18 now). No one else in my family ever did art for a living but they always supported me. I went to public school and nothing very extraordinary happened *laughs*. I always liked to draw but never thought about it as a career until around sophomore year of high school when I realized that you could draw for a living and be something other than a caricaturist in the mall. Hmm, I also have a doggie name Oreo at home. =)
Rococo Flow: Does he look like an Oreo? *laughs*
Heather:: She does! She's all black with a white tummy and paws.
Rococo Flow: So were you always interested in art in some form or another? Did anything in particular spark that interest?
Heather:: Horses. For whatever reason, I loved horses when I was little, so I wanted to learn how to draw them. That's really the sole reason I began drawing. I was probably about four or five.
Heather:: Yes :-D
Rococo Flow: So who and what have been your influences as you've progressed through the years?
Heather:: Well, luckily I didn't like how horses were drawn usually when I was little, so I kind of played it by ear when I began drawing *laughs*. But for most everything else, Garfield and Disney were probably my earliest influences. Then of course, I went through an anime phase like most all preteen artists, then I went back to more Disney and European influenced work upon discovering people's art on the internet. Since then I've been getting influences from all over the place. There are so many great art sites out there. I tend to really enjoy French styles of comics, and some traditional artists I like are Norman Rockwell and Earl Oliver Hurst.
Rococo Flow: I enjoy some of the French artists out there too, I wish I could speak better French just so I could understand everything. Any in particular that comes to mind?
Heather:: Pierre Alary is the first guy I think of, his art makes me so happy. I wish I'd found him earlier! I probably first stumbled on his stuff two years ago.
Rococo Flow: I actually just came upon his stuff the other day. (Really late, huh?) Well how would you describe your own style of art?
Heather:: I don’t know...a huge influence when I first started to try and improve my art was Matt Rhodes, but yeah my style, It's basically just a melting pot of styles I like? I don't really know how else to describe it.
Rococo Flow: *laughs* That works, I'm a really big fan of Matt Rhodes and from him found other artists to enjoy so many years ago.
Heather:: Yes! I love link hopping from people's sites. I can spend an entire day doing that.
Rococo Flow: Yeah, I remember telling myself when I was younger that if I put as much time into drawing and practicing as I did looking at other people's art, I'd probably be world class or something, but seriously it's so addicting. There are way too many good an inspiring people out there.
Heather:: I know *_*
Rococo Flow: I'm sure you know though, lots of people feel the same way about your work, you have some really funny and interesting pictures. How do you get all those ideas?
Heather:: Hahaha, I don’t know. Usually I get one idea and that leads to another which leads to another…basically I’m just easily amused.
Heather:: It depends on what kind of picture. The silly ones usually start out as doodles which I end up deciding to expand on. Oh but I always draw with red pencil first. I got addicted to that after someone posted a tutorial on how to remove the red pencil and just ink with regular pencil in Photoshop. Anyway, I just scribble a pose thumbnail, then scribble an actual size pose, get angry because it looks nothing like that tiny thumbnail, then mess with the face and ignore the body, then add the body once and if I get the face looking like I want it too.
Rococo Flow: About how long do you think that takes you?
Heather:: It depends. Sometimes I can get a good fleshed out sketch done in about 5-20 minutes. Sometimes I can run over the same sketch for a couple hours and still be messing with it.
Rococo Flow: Is there a certain environment that you prefer drawing in?
Heather:: I think my room in my apartment at school is my favorite place to draw and I also really like to draw at my grandma's house while watching TV =). Oh, and also in class.
Rococo Flow: *laughs* Is there a reason why?
Heather:: No idea! I seem to draw better in my room at school and at Grandma’s for some inexplicable reason *haha*. My room home in Houston is kind of clutteres so it’s… annoying?
Rococo Flow: So what programs do you typically use?
Heather:: Photoshop 7 and OpenCanvas 3. I'll dabble in Flash, Illustrator, and Painter every now and then but Photoshop and OpenCanvas are my favorites.
Rococo Flow: How about traditional media?
Heather:: I don't really do traditional media…I've never even enjoyed it really. I went through a colored pencil phase in high school but other than that, no, just no. I tried to use watercolors the other day and I felt like an idiot. I had to use gouache for my 2D design class and that was even more horrible.
Rococo Flow: *Haha* Well then it seems digital tools are you niche then, nothing wrong with that. Do you find it hard to push yourself when it comes to doing art?
Heather:: You mean as far as getting myself to draw? Or getting myself to try new things? Because I hardly ever have to really push myself just to draw and I actually welcome opportunities where I get to draw something different than what I normally do, except if it strays into like abstract art or something.
Rococo Flow: I think you pretty much answered it. I meant pushing the boundaries of your art basically, like trying to do something new at times.
Heather:: Yeah, it's just the thing is, I need someone telling me to do it, because by myself I'm not… creative enough or maybe not confident enough? I like doing new things though, as long as I have someone demanding it from me. =)
Rococo Flow: You mean like commissioners?
Heather:: Well, actually no, seeing as commissioners usually request things I draw anyway. There's a lot of things at school though that usually make me stray from my usual stuff. Last year we did one of those weekend-long "create a video game" things where I had to do some prop design and costume design as opposed to character stuff, and that was awesome.
Rococo Flow: I see, that’s cool. Well is there ever a time you just can't seem to draw anything? Like An art funk/block if you will. How do you get the ball rolling again?
Heather:: I know that feeling all too well. I usually go on many an hour internet art binge to get the rhythm back. I’ll also go look at my friend’s Loomis books. =)
Heather:: Not really, actually. I always say I'm more of an illustrator, not an artist. I put feeling into my drawings but I'm not really attached to any in particular.
Rococo Flow: An illustrator? What exactly are your future aspirations?
Heather:: I'd like to go into storyboarding and/or concept art. For anything really –movies, games, cartoons, whatever comes.
Rococo Flow: Are you trying to do that right after you graduate?
Heather:: Very luckily, one of my professors is opening his own studio, and this year I'm going to be doing assistant concept art for him, and then he said I have a position waiting for me after I graduate, if I'd like.
Heather:: Yes, I'm way excited :-D. One of the perks of not going to an art school, I suppose.
Rococo Flow: You mean less competition?
Heather:: Yes. I wasn't even in this guy's class and he contacted me because he found my deviantART *laughs*
Rococo Flow: *Haha* Either way that's awesome. So many artists seem to struggling to find great jobs.
Heather:: Definitely!! Some that I’m friends with have been having difficulty, which really sucks because they’re some of the most talented that I know.
Rococo Flow: So speaking of other artists, have you ever had the opportunity to work with others on a project?
Heather:: At school, yes. That weekend project I mentioned, and also on another project that never went anywhere, but it was still fun thinking up stuff for it.
Rococo Flow: Do you have any of your own personal projects?
Heather: The closest thing I've done to a personal project is HBP Project and Fanart100. I haven't headed up any animations or directed anything. Though I was head concept artist for both of the aforementioned projects but I still had to follow the project director’s guidelines, which is what I like. Like I said, I'm much better with following someone else's rules rather than making up my own.
Rococo Flow: What's the strangest comment you've ever read/heard in regards to your work?
Heather:: I think my favorite comment is when people say that they go to my site when they've had a bad day and it makes them smile and feel better.
Heather:: Well, for one, I'm incredibly happy that 2D animation seems to be on the comeback. I hate to hear people talk about it like it's been replaced or by 3D. That's like saying digital art has replaced traditional. I also hope the industry takes a hint from Ratatouille and focuses more on making a good story rather than just getting kids to laugh just by making pop culture references.I also really excited to see what people who are a little older than me do with the industry. I think the new generation of artists are really going to mix things up.
Rococo Flow: Yeah... it may be a little morbid to say, but change can't quite occur until the older generation dies out, (or at least stops dominating the industry).
Heather:: Totally agree.
Rococo Flow: Do you have any interests besides drawing?
Heather:: Well I've been in choir in some form or another probably since I began drawing. I love to sing and jazz choir is my favorite. I also played tennis for six years and taught for a couple of summers at my old school district's summer camps. Nowadays I play racquetball, I couldn't take choir this semester!!! I'm so sad. Anyway, yeah the reason I never took art in grade school was because I was taking choir and tennis. =)
Heather:: I'd probably major in voice. I have no idea what I'd do with that though. Yeah, if I couldn’t' draw I'd be up a creek.
Rococo Flow: *Hahaha* Just curious, how'd the name Makani come about?
Heather:: Oh, *haha* I just needed a new screen name around sophomore year of high school. Makani came from Ahe Lau Makani, a song we were singing in choir at the time. It means breeze or something. Or actually I needed a name for my liger character I had created since joining fanart.lionking.org. My screen name before that was Vela which was from a video game. It became Makani once I moved to deviantART just because Vela was taken *laughs*.
Rococo Flow: If you could meet anyone dead or alive, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Heather:: Oh gosh I have no idea. I hate these questions. The only thing I can think of is I'd just like to meet some of my online friends that live across the country.
Rococo Flow: What's your biggest fear?
Heather:: Well other than what most people are afraid of, like losing a family member or losing a limb or sense…I'm really afraid of wasps and snakes.
Heather:: If I did, it'd probably be something like "Life's too short to get upset about something for more than about an hour" or "[..] to take anything very seriously". In other words, something I've noticed about myself is that I am whatever the opposite of a drama queen is *laughs*.
Rococo Flow: *laughs* That’s good.
Rococo Flow: Do you have any advice for other aspiring artists?
Heather:: Well there's the usual "Draw from life; draw all the time." type of generic thing that is annoyingly very true and helpful, and also just make sure you're drawing to entertain yourself, not just what you think other people will like seeing. If you can do both, then yay!
To see more work by Heather visit the following links:
http://acciobrain.ligermagic.com – Main portfolio
http://makani.deviantart.com – deviantART page
http://www.ligermagic.blogspot.com/ - Life drawing page
http://buttfacemakani.livejournal.com – Livejournal (Sketch posts)
You can also contact Heather at hlc617[at]gmail.com
