HEY GUYS, I AM HERE TODAY WITH A DIGITAL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT AND INTERVIEW WITH THE WAY BEYOND AWESOME ZATHYN PRIEST ( HE IS PROBABLY TOTALLY CRINGING RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S TRUE :p), I HAVE AN INTERVIEW I DID WITH HIM AND SOME EXAMPLES OF HIS ART, (YOU CAN SEE ONE ON THE BANNER) AND SOME LINKS! LET'S GET STARTED WITH THE INTERVIEW:
Hey Zathyn, thanks so much for agreeing to this spotlight and interview, I can't wait for this answers! :)
1. How do you approach your art work? Do you have a plan or create when inspiration strikes?
It depends entirely on what the project is. If it’s custom cover art for a publisher, then the only information I have is the cover art request form. This is why it’s imperative an author makes sure they fill these forms out correctly and with detail. I’ve had cover art request forms with so little detail it’s ridiculous. I’ve also had one where the author got the title of their own book wrong which, in turn, led to me getting the title of the book wrong on the finished cover art. It wastes a cover artist’s time, the publisher’s time, and ultimately the author doesn’t receive a cover they’re 100% happy with. Please… take the time to fill out those forms correctly.
If I’m creating artwork that isn’t for a book cover, then it’s when inspiration strikes. Or, when I feel like playing with my digital dolls. Daz Studio, for me, is like Barbie for grownups. Sometimes all I do is dress them up, pose them, render them, and do nothing else. It’s more for practicing skills, because the digital art world is always progressing. If I don’t keep up with new technology being introduced to programs, everything I do will look beginner level.
Bec- I can see where the more information you have, the easier to do the cover, so yes those forms would be important ;), and I guess the more you practice on new software the more comfortable you feel :)!
2. What is a bigger stress outlet for you, art or writing?
Definitely art, but only if it’s for my own personal enjoyment. It isn’t a stress outlet if it’s work related.
Bec- Oh yes, I can totally relate, I really want to do something until I am told I have to and when to have it done ;p!
3. How long does it take you to finish a project? Do you stop and start, or keep at it till it's done when time allows?
I have a lot of projects that I start and they sit in a ‘temporary’ folder for over a year. I have a terrible habit of giving file names very basic names, like ‘Dance 1’, and then weeks later have no idea what that is. My temporary art folder has over fifty of these obscurely named, unfinished artworks. One day, I’ll load them into Daz Studio and see what they are. I’m sure 80% of them can be trashed.
Then there are some projects that I’ll finish in a few hours or a couple of days. It all depends on my mood and the difficulty of the artwork. However, since the release of my new books, art has taken a back seat in a major way. It’s all about being an author at the moment.
Bec- It must be great to be able to tackle two different artistic mediums and do them so well! I can't wait to see what you come up with next on both fronts!
4. What is your favorite book cover you have designed? Why?
Hmm… I don’t have a favorite. There are plenty that I don’t like anymore, though! Covers I did in the past and they don’t meet quality standard anymore. That’s the thing with being an artist, your skills always improve the more you work on them. The same with being a writer. I see book covers I did a while back and I feel like saying, ‘Let me redo it!’
Bec- Yep, I can relate, I look at reviews I did a year ago and cringe, the more comfortable you get with something and your ability to do it, the more your creative side takes over!
5. What advice would you give to a new artist just starting to discover their talent?
Keep practicing. Daz Studio and Poser are two extremely powerful 3D programs, with steep learning curves. A lot of people give up on them because they are difficult to use. They’re even more difficult to use properly. The evidence of this is clear when you see the amount of poor quality stuff that’s out there. It’s the same deal with Photoshop. Another powerful program with a steep learning curve. The best advice I can give when learning any time of program like these is to immerse yourself in video tutorials. They are a valuable source of information and it’s how I’ve learned.
Don’t give up, but don’t ever think you know everything, either. Keep learning new skills. This is especially relevant in the digital art world, where it changes and updates so rapidly.
Bec- This is very good advice indeed! Thanks Zath, for taking the time out for this interview, it was a blast, come back anytime! :)
CAPTAIN'S MATE
GIFT WRAPPED
PAINTED PERISIAN
BETWEEN THE LINES
DARK CAMEO
NAKED TRUTH
WHITE OUT
MAN I LOVE THESE! GREAT HUH? NOW LET'S LOOK AT SOME LINKS FOR ZATHYN, BE SURE TO GET IN TOUCH!
SCARLET TIE DESIGNS WEBSITE
BE SURE TO CHECK THIS WEBSITE OUT, THERE IS SO MUCH GREAT CONTENT!
BROKEN PENCIL BLOG
YOU HAVE TO GO TO THIS BLOG SITE FRIENDS, INCREDIBLE!
ZATHYN PRIEST AUTHOR WEBSITE
THIS WEBSITE IS AWESOME TOO! HERE ARE A FEW SOCIAL LINKS:
FACEBOOK PAGE
TWITTER PAGE
HERE ARE THE LINKS TO THE TWO REVIEWS I HAVE DONE OF ZATHYN'S BOOKS, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR MORE, I LOVE HIS WORK!
BEC'S REVIEW OF THE CURTIS REINCARNATION
BEC'S REVIEW OF INSIDE HIS REFLECTION
IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THESE BOOKS GRAB EM TODAY, AND CHECK OUT THOSE LINKS, YOU WILL WANT MORE OF HIS WORK I PROMISE! THANKS FOR JOINING ME FOR THIS ARTIST SPOTLIGHT, AND THANKS ZATHYN, FOR LETTING ME 'SPOTLIGHT' YOU! SEE YOU GUYS NEXT TIME!
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