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I met Simon at Bristol Con 2010 and was blown away by the work he had on display. Please check out his personal website personal website for lots more information about him and to read his blog.
Interview with Simon
"My family generally moved around a bit when I was younger until we finally settled in Somerset where I have stayed to this day. It is an awesome and inspiring part of the UK that seems to spawn a lot of the creative talents we produce in this part of the world. I think it is possibly something we put in the water. I have always been creative, I seem to remember always sketching and drawing on things, making up stories and getting into trouble for all of the above from a very young age. As for training, I really enjoyed art when I was at school, however, and I'm not sure why and when, I lost interest in the subject and moved more towards engineering, design and science. This carried on through higher education too, and I believe this is behind my love of Sci-Fi, big robots, spaceships and weird and wonderful weapons and worlds. I'm very certain that it is the drive behind my art style, more graphic art than what I would call representational art. There is no hidden meaning in my work, it is more a case of, 'That looks pretty.' Or, 'That's a cool spaceship.'"
Q: How would you describe your art?
A: In a word: Fantasy. I'm a huge fan of fantasy art and always have been, and although it seems quite a narrow description of what I do, I like to think of it in a very broad sense of the word, in that fantasy is 'made up stuff' and so can be anything your imagination can conjure up. As for how I create my work, mostly digitally now. I started out like most painters do with pencils, brushes, paint, paper and an airbrush, and then as the technology moved on, gradually I moved into the digital world. I now use a real mixed bag of software from 3D suites to digital manipulation software packages. My art can be comprised of scanned sketches, photos, 3D renders and anything else that comes to hand in the creation process. The one or two things I really love about digital art is it is forgiving, fast and you can really work on the fly with it and be very spontaneous with your work.
Q: Who are your biggest inspirations?
A: This is an easy one to answer, ever since I was a kid and I picked up one of my fathers fantasy art books for a cheeky nose through, and I saw the beautiful artwork that these guys had created I have been hooked on their work ever since. In no particular order, as I love their work dearly: Boris Vallejo, Frank Frazetta and Jim Burns, and on a side note, genuinely a very sad day for me back in May of this year (2010) when the great Frank Frazetta passed away.
Q: What's your favourite piece you've ever made and why?
A: This is a tougher one to answer, it would be easier to say, 'Which one don't I like?' If I had to pick one, it would be, 'The Iron Beasts of Mars' for the simple reason it marked a real turning point in my digital artwork. Looking back at in now, I could do a better job, however, when this image was done it felt good. It felt for the first time my digital art had clicked and I had created what I set out to do.
Q: Is there a piece you've made that you look at and think "I could do that better now if I…"?
A: I would say almost everyone! No, scrap that. It is everyone! I have a honeymoon period with each piece I create, then I start to see the mistakes, how I should have done that better, maybe I should have done it this way instead, etc... It is the curse of the creator, doesn't matter how great it is, whatever you have created, you can't help but see it through its failings. It's a good thing though. It makes you always strive to improve. The day you get too comfortable with your creations is the day to give up because you're not being driven by your passion any-more, it has all just become a matter of fact.
Q: Why did you choose your particular medium?
A: It was a bit of a no brainer really and comes from my love of fantasy art and my want to emulate my idols such as Jim Burns, Boris Vallejo, etc... Their art work has such a photo-realistic look to it that my development from airbrushing in the real world to the digital world was a natural evolutionary step for me.
Q: Besides art, what else are you passionate about?
A: Oo, lots of things! I'd say from a creative standpoint my writing comes in very close to my art. Something I used to get in trouble for at school (and most of my life come to think of it) was having an over active imagination, according to my English teacher, this was a bad thing? I would guess that through my art and my writing it gives me the outlet I need to express the bonkersness that exists in my head. My writing is a great way to explore this in a way that my art cannot. I think I have written just as many stories as I have produced pieces of art to date, and I would say that my art is my main focus for the time being.
Q: What other things do you do to relax?
A: Books! I must read more comics, books and magazines than I watch TV shows and films. However, having said that I do religiously follow several TV shows, mostly Sci-Fi and fantasy and I listen to several podcasts too. The rest of the time is spent with friends and family, playing the odd video game or teasing my cat with a cat-nip stuffed mouse on a string. That last one has brought many hours of fun...
Q: Is there a type of part or medium that you'd love to work in but have never been able to?
A: I have two. I would love to be good at working in pencil, I see these ultra realistic, fantastic black and white drawings that blow me away and think, 'Why can't I do that!?' The other is comic art, not the act of creating the art style, but creating the sequential panel art in a way that tells a story. I find that a lot of people dismiss comic story telling as a 'bunch of pictures'. The reality is that to be a comic illustrator you not only need to be able to have the ability to draw characters and all the cool stuff you would do in a one off picture, but you need to be able to draw everything from a tree to a giant robot repeatedly, and make it look cool as well! Add to that, that it also has to tell a story, set mood, pace, etc... and the volume that it needs to be created in. Much-much harder than you might think. I guess this is why I have so much respect for the guys that work in the comic industry as an artist.
Artist's selection
#1 The Iron Beasts of Mars
:thumb165468013:
As I've said, this marked a real 'clicking' point in my digital art for me, so it will always be a bit of a bench mark in my work.
#2 Ultimate Black Cat
:thumb165468111:
I like this one for many reasons, the colours, lighting and pose all came together nicely, it even won a competition on DA for accurate representation of the female form.
#3 X-Wing Assault
:thumb186579724:
My final one is of an X-Wing. I like this one for several reasons, the colours work well and the whole image has quite a dynamic feel to it. It has also been nominated as a staff pick at the Renderosity art site and also picked up as a cover for the Sci-Fi & Fantasy magazine Salon Futura.
My selection
#1 Leonidas Duty
:thumb165467316:
#2 Plug In Baby
:thumb180964985:
#3 The Chaos Engine
:thumb182551108:
Final words from Simon
Busy-busy-busy next year (2011) I have two expos I'm attending and a convention so far.
The first expo is Exeter Comic Expo in February 2011: www.fantasyevents.org
Following that in May is the Bristol Comic Expo.
Later in the year in October I will be attending the Bristol Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention: www.bristolcon.org
I will also be looking to do one or two more events in 2011, I'm yet to confirm though, apparently I'm meant to go to work and spend time with my family and friends, whatever that is all about?
As for projects, I have one or two commissions I'm working on along with two books. The first book is a fantasy adventure called, 'The Necromancers Eye' and is due out early in 2011. The second is called, 'The Doorway' and is a science fiction & fantasy adventure that is due to be published at the end of 2011 (a year later than planned!). And most recently I have just had some of my work used for the cover of the sci-fi and fantasy magazine, Salon Futura.
Interview with Simon
"My family generally moved around a bit when I was younger until we finally settled in Somerset where I have stayed to this day. It is an awesome and inspiring part of the UK that seems to spawn a lot of the creative talents we produce in this part of the world. I think it is possibly something we put in the water. I have always been creative, I seem to remember always sketching and drawing on things, making up stories and getting into trouble for all of the above from a very young age. As for training, I really enjoyed art when I was at school, however, and I'm not sure why and when, I lost interest in the subject and moved more towards engineering, design and science. This carried on through higher education too, and I believe this is behind my love of Sci-Fi, big robots, spaceships and weird and wonderful weapons and worlds. I'm very certain that it is the drive behind my art style, more graphic art than what I would call representational art. There is no hidden meaning in my work, it is more a case of, 'That looks pretty.' Or, 'That's a cool spaceship.'"
Q: How would you describe your art?
A: In a word: Fantasy. I'm a huge fan of fantasy art and always have been, and although it seems quite a narrow description of what I do, I like to think of it in a very broad sense of the word, in that fantasy is 'made up stuff' and so can be anything your imagination can conjure up. As for how I create my work, mostly digitally now. I started out like most painters do with pencils, brushes, paint, paper and an airbrush, and then as the technology moved on, gradually I moved into the digital world. I now use a real mixed bag of software from 3D suites to digital manipulation software packages. My art can be comprised of scanned sketches, photos, 3D renders and anything else that comes to hand in the creation process. The one or two things I really love about digital art is it is forgiving, fast and you can really work on the fly with it and be very spontaneous with your work.
Q: Who are your biggest inspirations?
A: This is an easy one to answer, ever since I was a kid and I picked up one of my fathers fantasy art books for a cheeky nose through, and I saw the beautiful artwork that these guys had created I have been hooked on their work ever since. In no particular order, as I love their work dearly: Boris Vallejo, Frank Frazetta and Jim Burns, and on a side note, genuinely a very sad day for me back in May of this year (2010) when the great Frank Frazetta passed away.
Q: What's your favourite piece you've ever made and why?
A: This is a tougher one to answer, it would be easier to say, 'Which one don't I like?' If I had to pick one, it would be, 'The Iron Beasts of Mars' for the simple reason it marked a real turning point in my digital artwork. Looking back at in now, I could do a better job, however, when this image was done it felt good. It felt for the first time my digital art had clicked and I had created what I set out to do.
Q: Is there a piece you've made that you look at and think "I could do that better now if I…"?
A: I would say almost everyone! No, scrap that. It is everyone! I have a honeymoon period with each piece I create, then I start to see the mistakes, how I should have done that better, maybe I should have done it this way instead, etc... It is the curse of the creator, doesn't matter how great it is, whatever you have created, you can't help but see it through its failings. It's a good thing though. It makes you always strive to improve. The day you get too comfortable with your creations is the day to give up because you're not being driven by your passion any-more, it has all just become a matter of fact.
Q: Why did you choose your particular medium?
A: It was a bit of a no brainer really and comes from my love of fantasy art and my want to emulate my idols such as Jim Burns, Boris Vallejo, etc... Their art work has such a photo-realistic look to it that my development from airbrushing in the real world to the digital world was a natural evolutionary step for me.
Q: Besides art, what else are you passionate about?
A: Oo, lots of things! I'd say from a creative standpoint my writing comes in very close to my art. Something I used to get in trouble for at school (and most of my life come to think of it) was having an over active imagination, according to my English teacher, this was a bad thing? I would guess that through my art and my writing it gives me the outlet I need to express the bonkersness that exists in my head. My writing is a great way to explore this in a way that my art cannot. I think I have written just as many stories as I have produced pieces of art to date, and I would say that my art is my main focus for the time being.
Q: What other things do you do to relax?
A: Books! I must read more comics, books and magazines than I watch TV shows and films. However, having said that I do religiously follow several TV shows, mostly Sci-Fi and fantasy and I listen to several podcasts too. The rest of the time is spent with friends and family, playing the odd video game or teasing my cat with a cat-nip stuffed mouse on a string. That last one has brought many hours of fun...
Q: Is there a type of part or medium that you'd love to work in but have never been able to?
A: I have two. I would love to be good at working in pencil, I see these ultra realistic, fantastic black and white drawings that blow me away and think, 'Why can't I do that!?' The other is comic art, not the act of creating the art style, but creating the sequential panel art in a way that tells a story. I find that a lot of people dismiss comic story telling as a 'bunch of pictures'. The reality is that to be a comic illustrator you not only need to be able to have the ability to draw characters and all the cool stuff you would do in a one off picture, but you need to be able to draw everything from a tree to a giant robot repeatedly, and make it look cool as well! Add to that, that it also has to tell a story, set mood, pace, etc... and the volume that it needs to be created in. Much-much harder than you might think. I guess this is why I have so much respect for the guys that work in the comic industry as an artist.
Artist's selection
#1 The Iron Beasts of Mars
:thumb165468013:
As I've said, this marked a real 'clicking' point in my digital art for me, so it will always be a bit of a bench mark in my work.
#2 Ultimate Black Cat
:thumb165468111:
I like this one for many reasons, the colours, lighting and pose all came together nicely, it even won a competition on DA for accurate representation of the female form.
#3 X-Wing Assault
:thumb186579724:
My final one is of an X-Wing. I like this one for several reasons, the colours work well and the whole image has quite a dynamic feel to it. It has also been nominated as a staff pick at the Renderosity art site and also picked up as a cover for the Sci-Fi & Fantasy magazine Salon Futura.
My selection
#1 Leonidas Duty
:thumb165467316:
#2 Plug In Baby
:thumb180964985:
#3 The Chaos Engine
:thumb182551108:
Final words from Simon
Busy-busy-busy next year (2011) I have two expos I'm attending and a convention so far.
The first expo is Exeter Comic Expo in February 2011: www.fantasyevents.org
Following that in May is the Bristol Comic Expo.
Later in the year in October I will be attending the Bristol Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention: www.bristolcon.org
I will also be looking to do one or two more events in 2011, I'm yet to confirm though, apparently I'm meant to go to work and spend time with my family and friends, whatever that is all about?
As for projects, I have one or two commissions I'm working on along with two books. The first book is a fantasy adventure called, 'The Necromancers Eye' and is due out early in 2011. The second is called, 'The Doorway' and is a science fiction & fantasy adventure that is due to be published at the end of 2011 (a year later than planned!). And most recently I have just had some of my work used for the cover of the sci-fi and fantasy magazine, Salon Futura.
I'm going to uni
In September I'm moving to Cardiff to study Visual Effects & Motion Graphics at the University of Glamorgan.
Graphic novel
Yesterday was a lot of fun (got to meet a few fellow DeviantArtists) and has inspired me to write a graphic novel as a prequel to my short film. Once I've finished the script (and saved up some money) I'll start looking for an illustrator to jump on board who I can afford and who is happy for us going through the self-published route.
Still here
I realise I haven't been around much but I am still lurking. Most of my time is being taken up studying for an MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) qualification which leaves little time for art. It takes 2 exams to gain and my first is in 6 weeks which I'm sure will pass by all too quickly.
With some IT qualifications under my belt I should find it easier to get an IT Support job.
As for going to university, well, that's a non starter. I didn't get on the course I wanted, haven't heard anything back from the tutor for the other one I was looking at (I emailed her just over a month ago) so I've decided to go my own route into the fil
Artist Focus: Kirk Stacey
Kirk Stacey is a Bristol based artist with several successful shows under his belt. He has his own website www.Kirkspen.co.uk and can also be found on Deviantart under the username KIRK27.
I first met him through Arts2Life, a non-profit arts organisation he's Managing Director of, during the early stages of an exhibition he's currently organising. Since that first meeting I've had the pleasure of exhibiting alongside him at Bristol Con 2010.
Interview with Kirk
:thumb37411233:
I was born in Bristol in 1978. My father was a pupil at the Bristol Royal academy of art. He was a good influence art wise when I was growing up, so were the many a
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