Undoubtedly, you are extremely talented
for your age, when did you start drawing?
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, perhaps
longer. It was only around 13 or 14 that I made the conscience
decision to improve my technical abilities so I could draw bigger,
better things.
What are you currently studying at Uni? Have you
had any previous art schooling?
Until now I have been working towards a Bachelor of Software Engineering
at UQ [I seem to be rethinking my plans at the moment, but I’m
not sure what will happen next]. I took the compulsory art classes
in high school (grade 8 & 9), then abandoned it for maths and
science and other such “horizon-broadening” subjects.
Why
did you choose to study in Australia?
I was born in Germany but moved to Australia [with the family]
when I was 6 months old. I’ve been here ever since, and
I quite like it. I’ve never had any desire to leave; I
think I’ll stick around for a while.
In the portfolio section
of your website, you have 2 sections, digital and traditional.
How do you go about creating your ‘digital’ artworks
as they still retain such a ‘fine art’ style?
It’s the process of building an image that I enjoy, starting
with an empty space, adding a few ideas, fleshing them out and
filling in the details until I’m satiated. The process and
technique is the same regardless of the medium, so I use my tablet
like any real pen or paintbrush. It’s just a bit slipperier.
Do
you feel you need a “topic” when
illustrating or do you prefer to start with a fresh blank piece
of paper?
I usually have a stack of partially formed ideas in my head collected
at odd times, and I very rarely produce large full coloured pieces
without a lot of mental planning beforehand. So it’s not
often that I draw without having some kind of topic to start with.
On days where I find my brain incapable of any kind of activity,
I might pick up a pen and just see what comes out. I can’t
say I prefer one method though, both have their own merits.
Do you
ever have people start up conversations with you about your work
while sketching in public?
Yeah, it happens on the odd occasion. I find it’s only the
very bold or artistically inclined that comment though.
How do you
deal with creative blocks?
At the moment finding time to draw is the biggest block, but in
the past I have always turned to the internet when in need of
a little inspiration. Sites like illustrationfriday.com are good
for giving hints or ideas without constraints (there are millions
of sites like this around, random word/phrase generators and
such), but I usually rifle through deviantArt or random artists’ websites.
Seeing the amazing work that other people have done always gives
some motivation to try and create something amazing myself.
What
would be your ultimate commission?
One where I draw, and get paid.
What are your favorite subjects
to illustrate?
I love drawing anything fantastical, a bit strange, or just pretty
and shiny. Generally my pictures involve fish, clouds or shiny-lipped
girls… although I am trying to broaden my repertoire a
little.
What are your main influences?
Other works of art/illustration have always been my primary influence.
As a child, it was the illustrations in the picture books I borrowed
from the library (I was especially fond of paintings with soft,
blended lines, and the texture of canvas peeping through at the
edges of colours). Eventually I took to the myriad of artists
living (for lack of a better word) on the internet, which were
in some ways, a negative influence.
As many illustrators do,
I believe I took too much from other artists, and I am attempting
to bring my style back to something more unique and personal.
Does
your environment influence your work, or are you inspired by the
work of others?
As mentioned before, I have been heavily influenced by other work,
but I am trying to find other more personal sources of inspiration.
My environment does affect my drawings also, anything I perceive
could create the tiniest seed of an idea which could grow into… anything
really.
I have some weird ideas stemming from junkmail floating
around in my head at the moment.
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Other
artists you admire?
Australian artist Shaun Tan (writes and illustrates books comprised
mostly of pictures), some crazy European puppet guy called Jiri Trnka
(my father had a book of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytales
in German illustrated by Mr. Trnka), Hyung Tae Kim, and more recently
Paolo Serpieri (master of the crosshatching I say). There are many
more; reputable artists, artists I’ve met in internet communities
that will be reputable some day, artists that I don’t know
the names of, the list goes on. Any artist is worthy of admiration.
What kind of environment do you have in which
to produce your art?
I’m still leeching off my mother, so my bedroom is the limit
of my domain. It’s a big bedroom though (with plenty of room
for my beloved computer). Recently most of my drawing has been done
in waiting moments on the train or around uni.
What materials do you use to produce your work?
Is everything started on paper before you go to the computer?
For digital paintings, I usually involve paper at some stage. I usually
try to sketch out my ideas straight on the computer, but I still
find it much easier to feel/visualise spatial relations on paper.
How do you keep yourself motivated and interested?
I don’t have too much difficulty with motivation. These days
I have so little time to draw that I’ll start doodling involuntarily
any time I have a pen in my hand.
You demonstrate an amazing use of colour, is this
a learned talent or purely intuitive?
Very much learned, mostly from observation and examining other artwork.
I’ve always had an interest in both the physics and aesthetics
of light and colour, and it’s something that I’ve been
trying hard to improve recently in my digital work.
What are your preferred mediums? Paint, conté,
pencil, ball-point pen…?
My two favourites would have to be ball point pen and the tablet
+ openCanvas 1.1 combination. I love the freedom of simple tools.
What plans do you have for your art in the future?
I hope to start doing comics, and perhaps produce some more traditional
paintings.
Do you have any other interests aside from your
artwork?
Nothing that I really indulge in, drawing will always be my favourite
pastime. I do enjoy playing music every now and then, sewing/customizing
clothes, and I used to make puppets (albeit fairly mangled ones)
as a child and hope to pick that up again one day.
Do you have any new projects coming up that you
can tell us about?
I agreed to do a comic collaboration with a very talented writer
a very, very long time ago. I hope to dust his script off and make
a start on that in the coming week. For the interested, any progress
should be posted on my sketchblog.
Any words of wisdom for other like-minded souls?
No matter where you are you can always examine your surroundings and imagine
how you would draw them, noticing lighting and colours and interactions between
visual elements. The more you think about something the better you become at
it.
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