Features | |
 |
Last Airbender |
 |
Grey's Anatomy Promo VFX |
 |
Interview with Bobby Chiu |
 |
License to dream |
 |
Focus : Gears Of War 3 |
News Headlines | |
 |
Dragon Age 2 |
 |
Bioshock Infinite |
 |
Time travellers Comic |
 |
Envirometer |
 |
Thelma and Louise Remake |
Other Features | |
 |
Interview With Nick Harris |
 |
Making Art for Ipad |
 |
Making VFX for Ben Hur Remake |
 |
Interview : Mike winkelmann |
 |
Baby Data |
|
|
 |
I
.A. : Can you speak about your creative process; the flow from the initial idea to the final sketch?
CDL : I have a schedule with my partner which includes dates like, Mothers day, Christmas, Halloween, Earth Day, etc. We work together creating a situation, telling a short story about that theme and trying to make a sketch about that brainstorm. After that we make a list about the scenes that I will draw for each date/theme He does the description, and does the initial research; content, reference images, elements, etc.
I do the initial sketches and we discuss the composition for the image. When the sketch is approved I start doing a better sketch to be scanned. Sometimes, when I am involved in other projects he does the flat color process and I work on rendering colors. Otherwise, I do all the coloring. I like to draw and paint my own images because I am free to change whatever I want, that sometimes generates discussions, between my partner and I, about changing the things agreed in the sketch, but the end the result is OK.
If we are doing a more classical image like Aphrodite's Belt, he usually does all the research about the characters and elements related to them, that helps us a lot in the creative process. Until the final penciled sketch, I often redo a lot of drawing; thinking of the scene's composition, and drawing different elements on a separate sheet or file, combining them later. I prefer using only penciled sketches in the beginning of my work instead of doing them digitally.
I
.A :What is the criteria that lets you know a picture is done?
CDL : If I am working for my company portfolio the criteria are the final sketch and the list of elements in the image, for instance, my Mothers Days 2009 image, I had the final sketch and also a list of elements to be used in the background, some tattoos for the girl, the chain, the tattoo machine, her short texture, the big guy shoelace that reminds a skeleton hand (after all his mother has died in the story). Sometimes, at the end we add something more trying to improve the image but without changing it too much.
If I am working for client, things are different; there are clients and clients. I try to do exactly what was asked as to the specifications of the sketch just to make things easier. Because of some previous bad experiences in projects, we have developed a way of working that does what is written and agreed by us and the client.
Unfortunately it is too risky when we want to improve an image for a client, because every improvement done generates other updates and at the end if I was commissioned to work 14 hours in a project, I could easily work 20 hours because of the updates and the client may not want to pay more than was agreed. On the other hand there are some clients that leave us free to create, they’re more confident, they make the project more pleasant and pay for the extra time to have a better job, so the job becomes more attractive for both of us especially if the image were distributed over a variety of media.Every artist likes to do a good job, like a masterpiece, if she has freedom to work. If the artist feels tied-up for so many requirements or changes from the client, the final result will not be as good as it could be.
       |
I
A: Do you think your style has evolved with time? how? Are you working / experimenting new techniques / tools?
CDL : Yes, for sure. I am always trying new things, studying subjects related to somehow to improve my knowledge: photography, composition, animation, storytelling, design, traditional drawing and painting. I like a lot oil painting so I study and practice at home. I did not study in a traditional art school.
Actually almost everything I learned was self taught. I am not a graduate of a school of art, so I push myself every time when I am doing a job. I have to produce better images every time.
Trying different techniques is something I am always doing. I will try to change my painting method to simulate more oil painting style when doing my pinups. Another thing I will do is produce more penciled original art using a different technique as if they were finished in charcoal, so I think my commissions will be more attractive and I hope sell them more.
The last project I worked took me nine months in which I could not produce the images I wanted. Now I have to work faster to save time. I can say for sure during the next few months you will see more pinups than before and I hope all of you enjoy them a lot.
I.A : Wha's the most difficult picture you've made? why?
CDL : The most difficult pictures I have made was my last job, a children book project that according to my client will be released in September or October of this year. The entire job took from September 2008 until May 2009. It was hard work, I did all the illustrations and paintings and also model sheets for other purposes. It is a very interesting project. I ‘m not allowed to give more details about it, but the client said that probably in July she will release something to the press and I will be allowed to post some of images in my website and portfolio.
I can talk about my second most difficult image though, Rockstar. While I was doing it, I decided with my partner to produce pin-ups and post them in as many forums as possible to show people what we could do and how we work.
Before that I used to do commission for clients, cartoons, children illustrations (which I loved), and comic book coloring. We decided to stop doing things that did not make us happy and invest in our own product: Pin-ups. Those images would be the first ones: the one to show our product to the audience.
