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Coming up next: Screenshots from the anime feature, "Ninja Scroll".

Ninja Scroll ( Jūbei Ninpūchō?) is a Japanese action thriller anime, set in feudal Japan, by critically acclaimed director/writer Yoshiaki Kawajiri who was best known for his previous thriller Wicked City (Yōjū Toshi). The character designs were done by Yutaka Minowa. The movie is an homage to Ninpōchō series, ninja novels by Futaro Yamada.

The movie was released on June 5, 1993 and received a Western release on December 6, 1996. The movie was also released in some regions as Jubei Ninpucho: The Wind Ninja Chronicles. It is licensed by Manga Entertainment in North America. The Japanese title could be translated as "Jubei the Wind Ninja", although this is subject to debate as it does not account for the last part of the title. Ninja Scroll won the Citizen's Award at the 1993 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival. Ninja Scroll is among the most popular anime movies outside of Japan, along with such movies as Akira and Ghost in the Shell. It is well-received in its depiction of the ninja and Japanese legendary creatures such as the Stone Golem, and the Blind Assassin.

(Disclaimer: the above intro was culled from Wikipedia)

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Looking Good, looking good. Question. . . can we post stuff on 2D here? I got a couple of things on 2D (Don Bluth etc) that I wanna share. . .

grafikdon:

Looking Good, looking good. Question. . . can we post stuff on 2D here? I got a couple of things on 2D (Don Bluth etc) that I want to share. . .

Yes o, Graphik! Your contribution, as well as others', will be most welcome, please feel free. I'm a BIG FAN of Don Bluth, and while thinking about new material for this thread he actually crossed my mind. He's one of the few GREAT animators still alive and I've learned a lot from his animation and tutorials. Can't wait!

My model sheet of some characters I'm developing:

Below are screenshots from music videos of the hugely successful and popular band, 'Gorillaz'. I just love the stunning visuals; a seemless combo of traditional animation and CGI. The concept and design of the characters are cool as hell.

You can watch two of their popular videos titled "Dirty Harry" and "Clint Eastwood", respectively, on youtube at 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adcdbfIoeW4 and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2asPB8BOz4I

Gorillaz is a virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn of Britpop band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl. The band is composed of four animated band members: 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel. The band's music is a collaboration between various musicians with Albarn being the only permanent member. Their style is broadly alternative rock, but with a large number of other influences including hip hop, electronica, dub and pop.

The band's first album, 2001's Gorillaz, sold over 7 million copies and earned them an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize 2001, but the nomination was later withdrawn at the band's request. Their second studio album, Demon Days, was released in 2005 and included the hit singles "Feel Good Inc.", "DARE", "Dirty Harry" and "Kids With Guns / El Mañana". Demon Days went five times platinum in the UK, double platinum in the United States and earned five Grammy Award nominations for 2006 and won one of them in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.

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Following are a couple of interviews from Artists/Character Designers of repute from the Comic, Game, and Animation industries. You can view collages [I made] of their portfolios/artworks right underneath the interview texts. Enjoy!


RYAN WOOD: Concept Artist; MEDIA: Corel Painter

INTERVIEW:

Tell me a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?

I graduated with a BFA in Illustration from Utah State University. I studied illustration exclusively for my Jr. & Sr. years. I have one really talented teacher to thank for teaching me a ton about painting and illustration--Glen Edwards. He really was one of the few instructors that stressed the fundamentals of drawing & painting while so many others either couldn't or wouldn't. I originally planned to be an illustrator, but found a job as an artist at a videogame company. It was fun to discover all of the different aspects that went into making videogames. After that, I learned how to animate, build 3D models & paint textures. It really opened up some possibilities as far as what I wanted to do with my career. Right now I split my time between concept art and texture painting.


How do you go about designing, and what goes through your mind, from start to end?

I think it’s very important to have a good idea of fairly specific character traits. It also helps to understand as much information as possible, such as backstory & other character relationships. After that, I like to have a couple of actors' voices in mind to help me visualize how the character will act. I use an illustrative approach to it, so it's challenging to visualize how it's going to animate sometimes. I'll usually try to make the character have as much appeal as possible, but without getting too "cute". No matter how ugly a character is, they should still be fun to look at. I try to avoid seeing other character designs that are similar in subject matter so I don't start tainting my view of it. It's good to look at other designs after you have your initial version on paper. It helps to make sure you come up with a solution that hasn't already been done before. There is always creative overlap, sometimes it's hard to avoid. From there, you just bust out a ton of sketches while trying to consolidate the things you like down into a handful of designs. Sometimes I'll paint a few of these sketches up, in hopes of really "selling" the design to other artists. It's a constant filtering process that seems like it never ends.


What is a typical day for you at Avalanche Software, and who are the people you work with?

A typical day starts with chatting a little bit with Todd Harris (concept bro), going over the concepts we’re currently working on. Pretty informal critiques & comments follow, trying to figure out what’s working, what’s not. I usually focus on texture concept painting, trying to reinforce the design ideas of the character and world concept into the surfaces of the game. Along with other artists we'll draw variations of established sketches and hopefully introduce something fresh into the design. I feel fortunate to work with so many tremendously talented artists; it's inspiring to see what people are working on everyday.

What are some of the things that you have worked on?

The Tak and the Power of Juju series of videogames (THQ/Nickelodeon) Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons (Disney) Many other videogames over the years that kind of blend together.


Is there a design you have done that you are most proud of?

I don't know if I have one in particular, you're always thinking the design isn't perfect and can be refined some more. That being said, I'm grateful for the experience I had on Tak. I learned a lot about taking a character from start to finish. The Pins & Needles characters were a couple of voodoo dolls in the game, and they were Tlalocs' incompetent henchmen. I really got attached to them, and was fairly pleased with how they turned out. Tak was a really fun project to work on with Todd & Dave (McClellan), we got a lot of creative freedom to do what we wanted. Since it was our first original IP, we fed alot off each other and learned a ton about the process, and how hard it truly is sometimes.

What projects have you done in the past, and what are you working on now? (if you can tell us)

Right now I'm working on some original stuff that I can't talk about, other than to say I'm really excited about it.

Who do you think are the top artists out there?

Oh man, there are so many. I like artists from "low-brow" to realistic fine art painters to animators & story artists. Here's a few: Burt Silverman, Richard Schmid, and Jeffrey Hein. All of the animators at Pixar, the Foster's character designers, Glen Keane, Nicolas Marlet, Steven Silver, John Nevarez, Peter deSeve, JohnK, Bill Wray, Sebastian Kruger, so many to chose from.

Could you talk about your process in coloring your art, as well as the types of tools or media that you use?

I use Painter pretty much exclusively for painting up my drawings, I’ve tried to replicate the process in Photoshop but haven’t figured out that one yet. The process I have been sticking with lately is doing a full B&W value study after I scan in my line drawing. After I get that to a point where I’m happy with it, I’ll do a selection using image luminance; paste it onto a separate layer. After that I'll paint some rough color washes underneath the sketch on the base layer. Then I'll put a new layer on top of that & start blending the two layers together. In the process I'll hopefully try to cover-up all of the B&Wdrawing with brushstrokes, depending on how finished I want it to look. I've tried to mimic the process & techniques that I would use on a traditional oil painting.

What part of designing is most fun and easy, and what is most hard?

The best part is the initial kernel of an idea, when you’re trying to sketch what’s in your head. Some people are really good at that, I feel like it’s the biggest challenge. Once that is established, fleshing out the details is the fun part. You can go overboard sometimes too, by “noodling” out your drawing too much. I really enjoy the painting part of the sketch; it seems like that is when it starts to come to life.

What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?

I don’t have a really good answer for that; it seems like music, movies, books always help me get inspired to create new stuff.

What are some of your favorite designs which you have seen?

That seems to change every month. I really like art that has some kind of a twist on the conventional character designs out there. It's good to have the solidity of design that some of that stuff has, but it's better to have some sort of fresh take that makes it different.

What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why?

Definitely heads & people, because there are endless possibilities, and you'll never run out of inspiration.


What inspired you to become an Artist?

It was the only thing that I was any good at early on. As a teenager I was into skateboarding and wasn't really all that good at it, but I loved the art on the decks & stickers. I was thrilled to find out that people actually get paid to draw stuff, and I wanted to do THAT! My dad is an art teacher too, so he was always encouraging me. Combine that with tons of Looney Toons & other cartoons, and that's how I got the desire to be an artist.


What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?

It seems like you will pick and choose different techniques from a variety of artists. I was lucky in school—we had a guest artist program where illustrators came and did presentations of their art & process. A couple of my favorites were C.F. Payne and Skip Liepke. It was tremendously valuable to see professionals work up close, and what it takes to really have a compelling portfolio.

What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?

All of the regular art sites like Drawn.ca, Cartoon Brew, after that I usually go blog surfing, there are so many fantastic ones out there, with new ones popping up every day. I've got a bunch of links to friends other art I like at my blog, too.

What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give?

It probably sounds simple, but my college education came down to this:"Draw and paint, ALOT. You'll get better." There's a quote out there by Chuck Jones I think that says something to the effect--"You've got a million bad drawings in you, you better get started." It's important to learn and soak up info(theories, techniques,artists) whenever you can, but it really just comes down to plowing through some sketchbooks & paint.

If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

You can always email me here: woodyrye@yahoo.com
Or visit my blog: woodyart..com

Finally, do you have any of your art work for sale (sketchbook, prints, or anything) for people that like your work can know where and when to buy it?

At the moment, I don’t have anything available. I’m in the process of putting together a book of paintings & sketches that I plan to have done for Comic-Con in ’07.

MEL MILTON: Designer and Animator; MEDIA: Wacom Cintiq 21UX

INTERVIEW

Tell me a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?




I was born in the Phillipines in 1970. I have always been a doodler but never thought serious of drawing until I was 30. It was after I met my wife that I realized I wanted to be the best man I could be and do something I loved. So I set out to get my foot in the door. At 33 I got my first game job. Man was I so excited. It was a breath of fresh air to do something I loved.

My teen age life was very turbulent. Spent most of it drugged and drunk and out of place. (With the name Melvin and weighing 99 pounds there really wasnt much to me.) I dropped out of the 10th grade and after a stint of being homeless, joined the navy. But my outta control ways caught up with me and was kicked out after 9 months. I had a rough couple of years doin odd and end jobs to pay the bills but got to draw on occasion whilst drunk at parties. My first art job was with an illustrator. The job paid by the project. Some projects took months and my landlord didnt subscribe to that. I went to tell my boss that I couldnt do it any more cause I needed money. He implored me to continue and that if I didnt keep at it one day I would wonder "what if ?"

I was 21. I quit and was on my way to new york to find my artside. My brother in Utah asked me to think it through and stay with him til I got a plan. Ive been in utah 15 years now. Utah has some of the most amazing pool of artists. Ive been fortunate to have worked with some and meet others as the years have gone by. I met my beautiful wife Anne here and hope to one day make her proud of me.

I am about to graduate from Animationmentor and the journey continues.



How do you go about designing, and what goes through your mind, from start to end?





As of late I start with line of action. Once I feel that there is good movement then I lay down some shapes. I usually look for reference and what not if I dont understand the subject Im drawing. I like sketching quick and loose and feel that I can get more ideas down that way. I try to think about the characters personality as well. I pretend that they are animated. Since learning animation Ive been tryin to put more life into my designs. I dont get much time to refine my pics since I started school, so I mainly I stay quick and loose. With graduation comin up in March I look forward to gettin in some cleanup time in.


Is there a design you have done that you are most proud of?



I feel like Im still learnin my way round things and hope one day to get one out of me. I enjoy drawing and know that I will never be completely satisfied with anything I do. Which keeps me pluggin away at it everyday.



Who do you think are the top artists out there?


Man there are so many artists out there it isnt funny. The blogging community has opened the door to the world of fantastic artists. Im a fan of Keith Lango, Al Hirschfeld, Stephen Silver, Marcelo Vignali, Harald Siepermann, John Nevarez, Martin Wittig, Ben Cauldwell ,Chris Wahl , Jeff Matsuda, Jeremy Hopkins, Kyle Marshall, Sean Galloway, Bobby Chiu, Mike Matessi. Many of the guys at avalanche. This list is the tip of the ice berg. So many people have been inspirational to me. I have a list of inspirational blogs that I try and add to all the time. Please check em out if you get a chance.


What part of designing is most fun and easy, and what is most hard?





I love drawing monsters and cartoony characters. Ive just started getting used to drawing in public which has been a hard thing for me. Coming up with subjects to draw sometimes can be tough or feelin in the groove of drawing. Those days I switch up with animation or do some 3d. Also wish there was more time in the day.


What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?




I watch cartoons, draw, jog hang out with my wife. I collect toys to put in my home office to always have inspiration around me. I blog which is like keepin a sketch book for me. I like goin to peoples blogs like Shane Lewis' blog and Brian Gubicza's blog these guys are great for creative inspiration. I dream of being at a really cool studio and being able to absorb from the best of the best. Dreaming is probably one of the things that keeps me goin most.


What are some of your favorite designs which you have seen?




Fosters home is some of my fav. Monsters Inc and Incredibles both had phenominal designs. The designs in Dark Crystal. Jeff Matsudas Joker is a fav of mine as well. Sooooo many good designs out there I could go on forever.


What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why?





Im a big fan of cartoons. Foster Home, Avatar, Batman, etc etc. I hope to one day find my way into television cartoons or somehow be apart of a feature length animated feature. I have quite ironed out a plan as to how I am but thats where my heart lies. To work on something cartoony

What inspired you to become an Artist?


Ive always wanted to be an artist but my wife was my first burst of inspiration.From the day I met her I knew. She helped me to be a better person and cheers me on when I want to give up. Shes makes me feel like I can do anything. My second burst of inspiration is our son Mekhi. I wanted to be a fun dad and to be someone who he wouldve had fun growing up with. Now I create my art with the intentions to be the guy I promised my wife and my son I could be

What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?



I've learned that I will never stop learning.


What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?




http://www.cartoonbrew.com/
http://www.keithlango.com/wordpress/index.php
http://drawn.ca/ http://www.drawingboard.org/
http://www.drawergeeks.com/
http://toonclub..com
http://artjumble..com/
http://forums.cgsociety.org/
http://conceptart.org/
http://www.awn.com/
http://avalanchesoftware..com/
http://fpsmagazine.com/

Again so many out there.




What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give?




I started at 30 and enveloped my self with people and friends who enjoyed art. I was fortunate to work with some of the best in the biz. I spent many of those years feeling like I had to compete with people and never feeling like I would ever amount to anything. I now know that I do it because its fun. Because it makes me happy. Never forget that its all about the fun.


If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted? (Email, Web page)




http://melmade..com
http://www.melmade.com

melmade@msn.com

Finally, do you have any of your art work for sale (sketchbook, prints, or anything) for people that like your work can know where and when to buy it?



I may put a sketchbook out soon. If interested please email me.

ARMAND SERRANO: Environmental Designer at Sony Pictures Animation; MEDIA: Adobe Photoshop


INTERVIEW:

Tell us a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?

I GREW UP IN THE CITY OF MANILA, PHILIPPINES. I ALWAYS LOVE TO DRAW BUT THE FUNNY THING IS I NEVER PLANNED TO DO IT PROFESSIONALLY. I GOT INTO PLAYING MUSIC SINCE HIGH SCHOOL AND EVEN CARRIED IT ALONG WITH ME WHILE IN COLLEGE. I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS IN MANILA AND MAJORED IN CIVIL ENGINEERING (YEAH I KNOW, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ART). AFTER GRADUATION AND A SHORT STINT IN CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN, I JOINED FIL-CARTOONS, A LEADING HANA-BARBERA STUDIO AT THAT TIME. I WAS TRAINED TO BE AN ANIMATOR AT THE STUDIO. AFTER A YEAR OF ANIMATING AND REALIZING THAT MY PASSION IS SET DESIGN, I MOVED TO LAYOUT. I STAYED WITH HANA-BARBERA FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS THEN JOINED PHILIPPINE ANIMATION STUDIO AND SUPERVISED LAYOUT FOR OVERSEAS PRODUCTIONS OF MARVEL TV. THEN IN 1996, MOVED TO THE US FOR GOOD. FINISHING A LAYOUT VISUALIZATION AND BACKGROUND DESIGN COURSE AT ASSOCIATES IN ART IN SHERMAN OAKS WAS A STEPPING STONE IN ACQUIRING THE STANDARDS OF WHAT TRADITIONAL FEATURE FILM STUDIOS WERE LOOKING FOR AT THAT TIME. DISNEY TOOK NOTICE AND HIRED ME FOR THEIR FLORIDA STUDIO TO WORK ON MULAN. THE REST I GUESS IS HISTORY.


How do you go about designing environments, and what goes through your mind, from start to end?


I AM THE ONE RESPONSIBLE IN DESIGNING THE LOCATION AND CREATES THE STAGE FOR THE CHARACTERS.

IN CREATING THE STAGE, I HAVE TO KNOW FIRST THE STORY. THEN FOR EACH SEQUENCE THAT REQUIRES DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OR SETS, I HAVE TO GATHER AS MUCH INFORMATION LIKE MOOD, TIME OF DAY, CAMERA MOVEMENT, HOW BIG THE LOCATION SHOULD BE, ETC. THEN FROM THESE, I COULD FOCUS MY DESIGN ON WHAT THE SEQUENCE AND CHARACTER NEEDS. FOR EXAMPLE IN LILO AND STITCH, THERE WAS A SCENE WHERE LILO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SAD AND LEFT OUT BY OTHER KIDS WHILE SITTING ON THE PORCH. I PUT LILO UNDER THE SHADOW AND DESIGNED THE FOLIAGE AROUND HER WITH ALL THE LEAVES DROOPING DOWN IN ORDER TO EMPHASIZE THE CHARACTER’S EMOTION. A BIT OF RESEARCH WAS INVOLVED IN IT TOO TO DETERMINE THE KIND OF PLANT THAT WOULD WORK WELL WITH THAT DESIGN CONSIDERING ALSO THE COLOR PATTERN THAT GOES WITH IT. CREATIVELY DESIGNING THE MOOD OF THE SET BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN THE CHARACTER AND HELPS STORYTELLING A LOT.

ALWAYS REMEMBER, WHAT GOOD IS A CHARACTER IF THE SET DOESN’T WORK WITH IT.

What is a typical day for you at Sony Pictures Animation, and who are the people you work with?

A TYPICAL DAY AT SONY CAN RANGE FROM RELAXED TO HECTIC DEPENDING ON WHAT STAGE OF PRODUCTION I'M IN. BUT FUN NEVER LEAVES THE STUDIO BECAUSE OF THE TALENTS I'M CLOSELY WORKING WITH LIKE MARCELO VIGNALI, WHOM I WORKED WITH ON THREE DISNEY FEATURES BEFORE, AND MARCOS MATEU, A VERY TALENTED ILLUSTRATOR AND PAINTER. OTHER TALENTS I'M REGULARLY IN CONTACT WITH ARE PAUL LASAINE, RON LUKAS, SYLVAIN DEBOISSY, AND RICHIE CHAVEZ TO NAME A FEW. IT'S DEFINITELY A PRIVILEGE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THESE GUYS.


What are some of the things that you have worked on?


I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON ANIMATED FEATURE FILMS IN THE PAST TEN YEARS PARTICULARLY IN LAYOUT AND VISUAL DEVELOPMENT. BUT PRIOR TO FEATURE, I WORKED ON SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. NEVER DONE ANY COMICS PROFESSIONALLY BUT I'M CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN A COLLABORATION WITH MARCELO AND MARCOS TITLED "EL-PACIFICO" (www.el-pacifico..com), WHICH IS AN ONLINE IMPROMPTU COMIC BOOK. I DID PERSONAL OIL PAINTINGS WHILE I WAS STILL AT DISNEY IN ORLANDO AND BEEN PART OF EXHIBITS AT THE ORLANDO AND MAITLAND MUSEUMS OF ART IN FLORIDA.


Is there a character design you have done that you are most proud of?

IF YOU ASKED ME ABOUT SET DESIGN, I HAVE A LOT. BUT FOR CHARACTER, WELL, I’M GETTING INVOLVED RIGHT NOW WITH AN INDEPENDENT FILM PROJECT AND WE ARE MAKING A PERIOD MOVIE. DESIGNING THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND THEIR COSTUMES IS DEFINITELY A FRESH CHALLENGE FOR ME THAT SURELY I’LL BE PROUD OF.


What projects have you done in the past, and what are you working on now? (if you can tell us)

LET ME GO BACK IN TIME HERE , THE TV PROJECTS THAT ARE MOST MEMORABLE FOR ME ARE AS FOLLOWS: PIRATES OF DARK WATER, TOM AND JERRY KIDS, ADDAMS FAMILY, FANTASTIC FOUR AND X-MEN. FOR ANIMATED FEATURES, DISNEY'S MULAN, TARZAN, LILO & STITCH, BROTHER BEAR, AND SONY'S SURF'S UP (SLATED FOR 2007). SORRY, I CAN’T MENTION YET MY NEXT MOVIE WITH SONY. BUT ON THE SIDE, MY WIFE AND I ARE VENTURING INTO A SMALL LIVE ACTION STUDIO. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN COLLABORATION WITH ANOTHER STUDIO IN LONG BEACH AND ALREADY IN DEVELOPMENT STAGE ON TWO INDEPENDENT LIVE ACTION FILM PROJECTS. I AM PLANNING FOR MY DESIGNS ON THESE PROJECTS TO BE COMPILED IN BOOK FORM AND HOPEFULLY WILL BE AVAILABLE EARLY NEXT YEAR.

Who do you think are the top artists out there?

ACTUALLY, THERE'S A LOT … YOU JUST HAVE TO SEARCH FOR THEM.


Could you talk about your process in coloring your art, as well as the types of tools or media that you use?

FOR YEARS AS A TRADITIONAL LAYOUT ARTIST, VALUES AND COMPOSITION HAS BEEN MY GAME. NEVER USED COLOR EXCEPT FOR MY OWN PERSONAL ARTWORKS. BUT AS VISUAL DEVELOPMENT, IT'S 100% DIGITAL FOR A FEW YEARS NOW WHETHER GRAYSCALE OR COLORED AND THE TOOL OF THE TRADE FOR ME IS PHOTOSHOP.

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON THE PROCESS, I STILL DESIGN IN BLACK AND WHITE. THIS COULD EITHER BE GRAPHITE ON PAPER THEN SCANNED OR DONE DIRECTLY IN PHOTOSHOP. THEN, DIGITALLY, I BLOCK IT OUT WITH COUPLE OF GRAY VALUES IN ALMOST LIKE A COMIC BOOK MANNER AND PAINT IT.

What part of designing is most fun and easy, and what is most hard?

HONESTLY, IT’S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO IDENTIFY, WHICH PART IS EASY OR HARD BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE DESIGN I WANT TO ACHIEVE. BUT
I ALWAYS LOVE THE CHALLENGE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND STRETCH THE RANGE OF MY ABILITIES.

What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?

WELL FOR ONE, I WOULD SAY I'M FORTUNATE TO BE SURROUNDED EVERYDAY WITH TOP ARTISTS IN THE BUSINESS. WHAT I SEE ON THEIR WALLS AND CONTINUOUS INTERACTION KEEP ME CREATIVE AND FRESH. I ALSO JOINED A SKETCHCLUB EVERY FRIDAY. LASTLY, I TRY TO BE VERY SELECTIVE IN ARTWORKS THAT I LOOK AT AND APPRECIATE. THAT GOES AS WELL WITH MOVIES THAT I WATCH. IT PAYS TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WE FEED OUR CREATIVE MIND.

What are some of your favorite character designs, which you have seen?

I ALWAYS LOVE ASTERIX.

What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why?

PERIOD PIECES. I AM HISTORY BUFF.

What inspired you to become an Artist?

I BELIEVE I’M BORN WITH IT FOR I BEEN DRAWING ALL MY LIFE. MY EARLIEST INFLUENCES ARE MAINLY CLASSIC COMIC BOOKS WHEN I WAS A KID AND DEFINITELY OLD EPIC MOVIES THAT I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF.


What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?

THE VARIETY IN STYLE, DESIGN APPROACH AND RENDERING. NOT TO MENTION THE JOKES THAT KEEP US RELAXED WHEN UNDER PRESSURE.

What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?

THERE'S A BUNCH. YOU CAN CHECK MY WEBSITE OR BLOG FOR THE LIST.


What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give?

PROBABLY FOUR THINGS: 1. ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF WHAT STORY YOU WANT TO TELL IN YOUR ARTWORK, 2. KEEP IN MIND YOU'RE NOT THERE YET, SO KEEP IMPROVING YOUR CRAFT, 3. ALWAYS BRING THE FUN THAT YOU HAD AS A CHILD WHILE DOING YOUR ART, AND, 4. BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S ARTWORK.


If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

I COULD BE REACHED BY EMAIL THROUGH MY WEB OR BLOGSITE http://armandserrano..com/.


Finally, do you have any of your artwork for sale (sketchbook, prints, or anything) for people that like your work can know where and when to buy it?

HOPEFULLY I WILL HAVE SOMETHING BY NEXT YEAR.

Following are rough drawings of [naija] characters I randomly thought-up not long ago -- I look forward to animating them some day.

(1):

(2):

(3):