Existing Digital Artists - Nathie

The Beserk

Nathie
Germany
http://creationwarrior.net/
http://nathie.deviantart.com

1.) Could you tell me a bit about yourself as someone who works in the Digital medium?

I have worked for over 20 years with traditional media - pencil, acrylics, oil and the airbrush technique, mostly on cars/trucks. I don´t consider myself as a "digital" artist, because I grew up completely without that medium. 5 years ago I gave in, bought a Wacom Tablet and started to paint with Corel Painter and Photoshop. However, I have worked with Photoshop since 1995 - food retouching for an advertising agency, so I am well aware what the program is capable of. Nevertheless, if I paint digital, I am using only one layer and use brushes that simulate traditional media - for my digital paintings I need just 5% of the whole program. There are a lot of discussions about traditional versus digital painting. I personally think that both media have their advantages and also disadvantages. One big advantage of digital painting is that you can backup and duplicate the files. You can always go steps back if you messed something up. You can work with textures and/or do Matte Painting. Then, you have colour correction tools. You can sharpen or blur something, and there are tons of more "easy made" effects. However, they do not always look good. Some say that digital painting is quicker - those people do not use the zoom factor. ; Zoom is a thing that you cannot do in traditional media. It allows you to get to the finest detail in your drawing, and that where I spend the most hours. One of a detailed digital painting still takes me 50 hours. Another advantage is that you can send the file easily to the client in a matter of minutes. That allows me that I can work with clients all over the world. The whole digital stuff works well for the entertainment industry where deadlines are tight and you have to produce quantity before quality and slam out 3-4 pics/week. The advantage of traditional media is that you create a unique artwork that exists only once in the world that way. There is (except a scan or photo of course) not the chance to create exactly the same artwork once again and that is a completely underestimated value nowadays. If I want to make a very special gift to a friend/family, I paint them a traditional picture. There are some more advantages of course - for example the look. Even with all the texturing in digital programs you just cannot recreate THAT traditional feel. Then, you are not limited to a digital file. Yu can paint murals, on parchment, on wood, on stones, cars etc.

2.) Are you employed in the arts/entertainment industry? If not, do you aspire to?
I have been in the art industry for two years. It was, as said above, quantity above quality, and left me finally frustrated. I work now for very few selected publishers and private clients.

3.) What equipment and skills are most essential in your work?
I work with a Mac, a Wacom Intuous and Photoshop CS5. Skills? I personally think that skills are just 10%; the rest is practise and patience.

4.) Do you use graphic tablets in your work?
Yep, of course I use them, because I am not masochistic and I love my hands, arms and my back if they are not sore. It allows me also to be far more precise than with a mouse. If I paint, I do it sometimes up to 16 hours/day, so good equipment is a must. A tablet is more intuitive, and I think I would not even come close to my standard if I would use a mouse.

5.) What is your opinion on them? Do you think they are a useful/necessary tool to create Digital Art?
Answered above.

6.) What style of art do you prefer? Digital or Traditional?
I don´t prefer a style. I like artwork that "speaks" to me, art that evokes emotions. That can be everything.