Art Monsters - Interview With Neil Blevins

IA: Your works prove that you master the light and the color mixture, have you studied classical painting and light and colors techniques?

NB: Thank you. And yes, I do have classical training in painting and drawing, although I started doing 3D early in my career and I feel that my digital work is far more advanced than my traditional painting ever was. I do believe having a more traditional background can help a lot because it lets you focus more on the idea, color and composition. It also helps you avoid getting lost in the tool. What I mean is that the fact that an image is 3D does not make it interesting; a good image is a good image, no matter the media. And having a traditional background can let you focus on the more important aspects of art rather than being swept up in the novelty of working in 3D.

IA: Are you looking to apply classical techniques in a modern subject using digital tools?

NB: Certainly. Some of the work isn't even entirely digital. I sometimes do acrylic paintings to start off, scan in the results and combine them with digital 2D and 3D elements to reach my final image. And most of my "dirt" is scanned from real sources.

IA: What do you have to say about digital tools?

NB: Digital tools can be fantastic but they also have a long way to go. The area that needs the most work in my opinion is in making more intuitive UIs and tools that speed up the image making process. Unfortunately, this area is one of the areas where we’ve seen the least progress in over the years and this worries me. I hope the software industry moves forward and does not stagnate. A few pieces of software have tried breaking the mold, like Mudbox, Zbrush, and Modo, but there's so much more to explore in terms of interface.

IA: How do you see the future of graphic art?

NB: Not too different from the way it is now. Artists will use the same art fundamentals we've been using for hundreds of years to produce work in all sorts of media, from film to video games, to interactive web stuff. And of course, new types of media will present themselves; I just don't know what they are yet! :)