Starting off our first interview here on MentalMirage, I have talked to Vitaly Samarin Alexius, about his workflow in his digital paintings, inspiration, and much more! Join us in a slightly different, and humorous, view on the world of digital painting!
1. Greetings and salutations! Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions! First off, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from, your profession, and so?
I was born in the year 1984, in the industrial city of Novokuznetsk, located on the Tom River in south central Siberian Russia. For the first four years of my life, I lived amidst coal mining and aluminum/steel production factories; in a city of European architecture covered with columns and arches, surrounded by Russian Taiga. Since I was four years old, I have been drawing tiny starships and celestial life fascinated me. At four, I moved to the city of Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia, with my parents. There, in a remote, forest covered, ’science community’ district of Akademgorodok, at 11 years of age, I studied traditional drawing, watercolor/gauche/oil painting, anatomy, model building, design, art history and illustration at a great high-arts institution for two years, expecting a move to Moscow to further my studies.
On April 11/1998 fate has given me an unexpected twist and by means of aerial transportation I was thrown about 5555 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to Toronto, Canada, where I am currently residing, in my own lovely apartment east of Chinatown. After completing my OAC’s at R. H. King Academy, I went on to the Ontario College of Art and Design, where I finished 2 years of “Environmental Design” and 2 years of “Illustration” program. Currently I’m in my Illustration Thesis year.
Since 2000, I’ve been tutoring on the subject of drawing and painting. In 2002, I’ve learned that magical program called Photoshop and have been using it ever since, to develop an innovative, digital-art style , which I gave a name - “Dreaminism”.
Currently I’m working as a photographer and an illustrator, doing various: CD/book/comic covers, posters, concept art and etc.
2. Tools of the trade. Could you reveal what programs you use, setups and so forth, when creating your digital paintings?
Wacom Intuos 6×8 tablet for digital painting, Canon 300D for photographic textures and references.
3. Many of your images feature religious symbols, such as angels and demons. Are you religious, and if yes, how do you incorporate that into your images? If not, is there a particular reason for this fascination?
Not really religious- but religion is all around us, affecting our everyday lives in unimaginably good and terrible ways. Religion is a tool- an extremely powerful one, like a nuclear bomb. I merely display the apocalyptic outcome of both, if put into wrong hands.
4. Could you tell us a bit about the workflow involved in creating these pictures?
Painting is roughly sketched out.
Reference shots are taken with camera in the studio.
Textures are sorted out from 200GB image archive.
Painting is started- and takes about 60+ hours.
5. From where do you draw your inspiration from?
From my trips around the world documented through photography and currently from my love Daria.
6. What do you think the future holds for digital painters such as yourself?
Certain doom, once all computers fail due to an enormous burst of gamma radiation from the sun… or once all computers advance beyond need for painting with tablet and all painting will be done with thoughts.
7. Name 3 artists that you love, and why.
Aivazovsky for his romantic seascapes.
Craig Mullins for his delicious and unique digital brushwork.
Sparth for his digital painting atmosphere.
8. Thank you very much for taking your time to answering our questions. Before we finish off, do you have any last advice to someone who would like to start delving into the world of digital painting?
Give up right now, before the sun destroys us all.
But seriously….
To the young artists: want to become a well paid freelancer? Don’t just sit there. Pick up your brush and get cracking.
It takes the following to get there:
1)Talent
2)Dedication
3)Imagination
If you have some drawing talent, and wish to become a successful artist, then dedicate all your free time to drawing, sketching, learning about art, and advertising your work by showing it in online and offline galleries. If you put a thousand hours of hard work into anything- it’s automatically bound to be a success, just because of the dedication. Never forget about the power of imagination, practice imagining things, write intricate stories with your art, and constantly create unique worlds. Often a piece of art with a unique, better idea/concept is the winner.
Views expressed by the artist does not nescesarily represent the views of MentalMirage.com
Support a starving (no, not really) artist and buy some prints!
January 31st, 2009 at 1:27 am
[...] sure to check out the other tutorials here at MentalMirage, our new interview with Vitaly Alexius, inspiration posts, and much [...]
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