Artist Proof: Jeff Herndon is a freelance artist living Colorado who works at Zahourek Systems by day, where he spends time sculpting bones while learning about anatomy and zoology. Jeff shares his birthday with legendary comic artist Will Eisner and also that of old master Michelangelo. Not sure if shared birthdays are a coincedence, but he is definitely a talented artist and we are stoked he is an Artsprojekt artist!

Artsprojekt: Please give us a brief intro about yourself, your art and where you are currently located.

Jeff Hernandon: I’m a big dreamer who’s only aspiration up until a couple of years ago was to work in the film industry as a production illustrator. I’ve been drawing familiar faces and wild monsters ever since I was a kid. I love storytelling, particularly in film. There’s no entertainment more moving or exciting than watching moving pictures in a dark theater with the sound cranked up. It was clear to me at an early age that Yoda was not a jedi master in some far off swamp. He was a character that someone had to conceive first with a piece of paper and a pencil. So that’s it, I can imagine, I can draw, I’m in…I’m making movies right? As it turns out, not quite yet. In the past year or so I have turned to other outlets to get my work out into the public. I’m in an interesting place right now. I’m not sure what the future holds, I just know that I still love stories and I really love to draw. So whatever avenue allows me to use those two tools if fair game to me. I’m currently living in Ft. Collins, Colorado. It’s a great place to live. And a great place to make art…as long as people are in the mood for monsters.

AP: What plays a bigger role in your artwork, where you live now? or where you were raised as a child?

Jeff: Where I live now plays a very small role in the kind of art I make. I grew up in Downey, California. Just outside the entertainment capitol of the world, Los Angeles. I think growing up in LA had way more of an effect on my art than anywhere else. Movies are a big business out there. And with marketing being what it is, movies are always in the collective consciousness. Plus, I was a kid in the era of some of the biggest movies ever made for kids. My father was also the guy who would fish “good” speakers out of the garbage to fix them up so we could have the best sound on the block. So I learned early on the power of visual storytelling. I grew up thinking it was important, even though I came from a blue collar family. Growing up in LA had the most awesome impact on where my art would take me. Now I live in Northern Colorado. I love it…I do wish it had a little more opportunity for a dreamer like me, but I’m learning to make my own opportunity.

AP: Describe your artistic style in 5 words or less.

Jeff: Realism driven by imagination

AP: What inspires your art?

Jeff: Everything inspires my art. I’ve been influenced by everything I’ve ever seen. That’s what artists do, they ingest what they experience, chew it up and give it back to the world with their own little twist. I’m constantly inspired by the same movies and artists that many of my fellow artists are. Sometimes it’s good practice to sit down at a blank sheet of paper and just let your hand move. If you let your hand move the way it wants to it can make some of the most random and beautiful spacial relationships and shapes. Be inspired by them and turn them into a character or a vehicle or anything. Sometimes I’m inspired just by the process…I love it!



AP: Do you remember your first experience of making art.

Jeff: I remember the first time I drew something and showed it to someone. I drew Han Solo fighting Darth Vader. But Han didn’t have a blaster, that wasn’t cool enough for me. So I gave him a light saber. Either way, with those crayons, I was in control. I showed it to my Mom thinking it wasn’t anything special and she flipped as any good mother would. From that moment on I knew drawing for me was very special and I’ve been in love with it ever since.

AP: What was your most recent experience of making art.

Jeff: I’m currently in the preliminary stages of a new painting. It’s a take on the princess kissing the frog to get the prince. It’s been commissioned by my girlfriend (who is actually responsible for all my products on Artsprojekt). The painting will feature a portrait of her dressed as a princess and in her hand will be a frog with my head on it puckering up waiting to be turned into a real artist, err prince. I love projects like this where I get to nail a portrait and also incorporate some fantasy. It’s the kind of opportunity I do really well at because I’m having SO much fun!

AP: Who’s art are you digging right now? Who do you want to give a shout out to?

Jeff: Right now I’m doing a lot of oil painting. It’s a real labor of love for me. It’s hard, but I love the results. So I’m looking at a lot of Norman Rockwell and J.C. Leyendecker. Of course I’m also a huge fan Drew Struzan and Iain McCaig. Some of the old guys I like are Rembrandt, Gustave Dore and John Singer Sargent. If I could give a shout out to some of my fellow artists out there it would have to be Adrian Majkrzak (http://twitchfinger.com/) and Bryan Collins (http://www.zazzle.com/bryandrinkscoffee). Bryan was the one who hooked me up with Artsprojekt.

AP: What are some art related things that you cant live without? Tools of the trade, events etc.

Jeff: The Artistic things I can’t live without are Layout Bond Paper; Colo-erase blue and black pencils; a set of watercolors and oils are a must too…with plenty of yellow ochre, burnt sienna and vandyke brown. There’s also an event that I participate in every first Friday of every month at the gallery I show in…The Gallery Underground, in Old Town Ft. Collins, and as it would seem, I don’t think I’d be making the art or the sheer amount of it that I am right now without my girl. She’s the best looking boot in my butt I’ve ever had.

AP: What motivates you to get out of bed every day and create art?

Jeff: Making an image on paper or canvas is in many ways a problem solving activity. You have this problem, you need to tell a story. Now you have all these questions to ask and problems to solve in order to communicate that concept or story to the best of your ability. That’s how I call a piece finished. When I’ve answered all the questions appropriately on the paper, it’s done. Well, I find life to be a big problem solving exercise too. And the best way I know how to solve problems is to draw and paint some good answers. That’s why I do it every day. We all have only a short time on this planet and you had better spend your time wisely. For me, the best way to get what I want out of life is to make art…I think.

AP: Do you listen to music when you work? If so, name a few of the tunes you rock out to.

Jeff: Here’s where I sound like a huge nerd. I love to listen to John Williams music. Is there anyone who does what he does better?  It’s the music that instantly transforms me into a seven-year-old. And that’s exactly who I need to be when I’m creating. Don’t get me wrong, I listen to a lot of other composers out there. But he gets me every time. I swear, heaven will look like a Spielberg movie and sound like a John Williams score.

AP: When you arent making art, what do you like to do? What are some of your obsessions or hobbies?

Jeff: When I’m not making art I enjoy riding my bike, playing guitar, playing golf, sampling fine beer and wine (sometimes while I draw too) and smoking good cigars with my Dad. I used to fish, but I’m So bad at it. And of course, I love to watch a good movie.

AP: As an artist what are your thoughts on social media and the internet?

Jeff: As an artist I have found social media to be a must have tool in your tool box. My girlfriend should actually answer this question for me since she’s responsible for 90% of what anyone sees about my work on the internet. I’m no expert, but I keep hearing that exposure is the name of the game for success, especially if you’re an artist. So get out there and try ‘em all! Or fall in love with someone who will let you draw and paint while they try them all for you.

AP: If you had the ability to time travel, what advice would you have for the artists of the future?

Jeff: My words of wisdom for the artists of the future would be no different than any wisdom I’m sure Michelangelo received. Work hard. Make art your obsession. When you see an opportunity go for it for all it’s worth. I had to watch a lot of opportunities pass me by before I realized I needed to fight for them. I also wasted a lot of nights feeling sorry for myself wondering how I was going to get good enough to achieve my goals. There’s no secret solution for that…you have to draw and paint all the time. You have to consume it like fuel in a fire. Then you start getting good. I have people telling me all the time that I should just focus on marketing and take a break from the sketchbook. I think these people are crazy! Sure, marketing and exposure are important, but I’m finally starting to feel good about my skill level, now it’s time to really pour it on because I just can’t imagine what kind of improvements I’ll make. I know they’re coming though, because I’m working hard. And I’m pretty sure I’ll be rewarded for not taking it easy and becoming complaisant. I’m feeling comfortable now, but one day I’ll look back on the work I’m doing now and see nothing but flaws I had yet to discover at the time. So for now, I’ll work hard. And if you want to draw and paint realistically, you should too.

AP: Tell us something about yourself that Google doesn’t know about (yet).

Jeff: Something that google doesn’t know about me yet…Well, I think they know I’m in love, cause I sure don’t miss an opportunity to talk about my girl. They probably don’t know that people should start buying some of my art/products because I think this girl is gonna need a ring.

You can check out Jeff’s Artsprojekt Store here!

Artist Proof: Milica Aćimović is a 25 years old philologist from Belgrade (Serbia). She is very passionate about the art of words, but visual and performing arts have been following her since she was a child. She started taking dance classes at a primary school folklore dance group at the age of 8. Fifteen years later and after countless performances around Morocco and Europe (France, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Greece, Ukraine), she had to finish her folklore dancer career. Nevertheless, she couldn’t give up just like that. Now she’s dancing again, as an Irish step dancer at Erin’s Fiddle troupe in Belgrade.

Considering visual art, she’s entirely self-taught - a true experiment in progress. She got interested in digital art for the first time in 2004 and hasn’t stopped ever sinnce. Her work consists of illustrations and matte works covering wide range of themes, focusing mostly on portraying emotions.

AP: What plays a bigger role in your artwork, where you live now? or where you were raised as a child?

Milica: Whole my life I’ve been living in Belgrade and that surely affected my work. But, during my childhood I’ve been fortunate… blessed to spend summers at the country side. People there live less stressfully and the energy they have is something I’ll be always carrying within me. Who knows, maybe one day I find myself having a cozy home at a country side.

AP: Describe your artistic style in 5 words or less.

Milica: Experimental, romantic, symbolic, reflecting

AP: What inspires your art?

Milica: It can be anything that makes a strong impression on me. For example a book, or a song, particular verses, or people I meet. There’s always certain something that finds a way to my subconscious mind that has to be reflected through my work, sooner or later.

AP: Do you remember your first experience of making art.

Milica: Wow, I do, and it was long time ago. I think I was three or so. I remember I drew man and a woman holding hands. Two stick-figures but we all have to start from somewhere. :D

AP:  What was your most recent experience of making art?

Milica: Recently, all I’ve been doing is sketching. It’s a perfect practice when you don’t have time to do complex, detailed works. That way, you don’t lose the “rhythm” so, when you get time for something more complex, it’s easier to apply what you learned while sketching.

AP: Whose art are you digging right now? Who do you want to give a shout out to?

Milica: I have to mention two artists because it would simply be a blasphemy if I mention only one of them. They are Jace Wallace and Lois van Baarle.

AP: What are some art related things that you can’t live without? Tools of the trade, events etc.

Milica: Art wise, I don’t know if there’s a thing I can’t live without. Even if all is taken from me (tools or whatever), nobody can take away my urge to create.

AP: What motivates you to get out of bed every day and create art?

Milica: Earth itself is exciting enough, all other motives come as a bonus.

AP:  Do you listen to music when you work? If so, name a few of the tunes you rock out to.

Milica Most of the time I do but I get so carried away that I actually don’t hear what I’m listening to. Yet, on my playlist there’s always something neo-classical, metal, Celtic, also there are movie/game soundtracks, cartoon tunes and some gems from 80s and 90s.

AP: When you aren’t making art, what do you like to do? What are some of your obsessions or hobbies?

Milica: Actually, arts are my hobbies (whether it’s painting or dancing). I live in a country where these forms of expression are highly underrated and/or underappreciated. So, that’s what I do in my free time. Or I go out and grab every possible moment to spend some time surrounded by nature.

AP: As an artist what are your thoughts on social media and the internet?

Milica: Both of them are tools so it all depends of how one uses them. I believe internet is, at the moment, the freest media of all, compared to newspapers, magazines, television etc, because we’re still able to see or hear what common (or less common) people do. Art wise or not. For me, it was like a window to the world, especially world of art.

AP: If you had the ability to time travel, what advice would you have for the artists of the future?

Milica: To never lose touch with their humanity.

AP: Tell us something about yourself that Google doesn’t know about (yet).

Milica: I’m 5’4” tall.

 You can check out Milica Aćimović’s Artsprojekt stre here

Artist Proof: In 1998 when Camilla d’Errico attended her first San Diego Comic-Con she realised that a 9–5 day job would kill her and this was what she wanted to do. She had an early addiction to Saturday morning cartoons, comics and manga when she was young. She was also that girl in class that was doodling sexy damsels & dragons on her textbooks rather than reading them.

Camilla’s unique style continues to be in demand and her client list includes Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, Random House, Tokyopop, Hasbro, Disney, Sanrio, Neil Gaiman and she also works with video game and movie companies on character development. Her emotive and eloquent paintings have propelled her to the top of the ranks of the New Contemporary art movement, and she is represented by Opera Gallery of New York.

Camilla was kind enough to answer our questions even though she is super busy, as she preppares for this years Comic-Con which happens next week.

Artsprojekt: What’s your take on the life cycle of an idea from birth to growth and finally to death?

Camilla d’Errico: It’s such a natural part of the creative process, but a frustrating one. We have to understand our ideas and what will work and what won’t. I have a sketchbook full of ideas that are fun, but not perfect for the theme that I wanted to express. When an idea does move forward, it has to be nurtured and given its own room to grow. Anytime I’ve started a drawing or a painting, I let it dictate its own path and went with it as it took shape. I’ve never imposed on an idea as it was growing, because that would probably be the death of it!

AP: Your work often has a romantic, love and lost feel. You openly state that you are a hopeless romantic. What is the relationship between literature, painting and romance?

Camilla: There are many kinds of expressions in art, but I think that none strike us quite as much as romance. Literature is also riddled with story archetypes, but the most moving and memorable are all based on love. This I cannot help but to see as a red string that binds the fate of art and literature. We long for a love that would move the stars, and with this love we create romance in consequence. Its a tireless theme that we hunger for.

Manga is evidently an important part of your art. It is also a phenomenon that has a huge following and impact in art, publishing and culture. What art form today has the same kind of momentum?
The expression of characters and emotions is hard to see in many other forms of art, and what is so difficult to recreate for others comes so easily to Manga. They’ve truly captured the essence of humanity in their stories, regardless if they are transforming girls in tutus or basketball playing high schoolers. They can see the soul of the character and express that to the audience. To compare this to any other and find a second place is hard, but I would say that there are those within the art world that are also capturing the hearts of people with their works. The lowbrow, pop surrealist, new contemporary, new figurative, urban movement have some painters that seek out those emotions and capture them. It can be a tangled mess to find them but is a beauty there that might just catch your eye and also touch your emotional strings.

AP: Has it been difficult for you to ‘make it’, as a female artist? What was the greatest challenge?

Camilla: The foremost challenge of being a female artist is that people might think our art is only for women. There are different challenges in the different genres, as a comic book/manga creator I was openly accepted by my peers. The industry hungered for more women, it reached out for the female sensibility. As a painter, it was not a matter of hurdles to jump, but rather the challenge of being seen as having my own voice. The world of art compares artist vs. artist, so the challenges were to never be compared  to another woman but to pioneer my style beyond gender.

AP: What has been the most important aspect in your artistic journey?

Camilla: To be unique and to be myself. There is an invisible pressure to create art that “everyone” will like. I create art that expresses who I am and my artistic individuality. Its no fun to want to be someone you aren’t, and so I strive to create art that pushes my creativity and themes.

AP: Your art has been classified by art movement, style, etc. Do you agree with these classifications and staying within their ‘lines’ or do you think they are unnecessary and that the most important thing is to paint, draw, and create art as Camilla d’Errico?

Camilla: This answer comes from someone caught in the middle of classifications. To me, genres help define the style and give people a place to search and categorize likes and dislikes. Having said that, to be placed in a category and subsequently dismissed for being in that imposed classification is difficult.
I often hear from people that they don’t normally like manga” but they like my art. So I can only hope that people will like my art because they simply like it, and disregard categories. Maybe that’s why people are often surprised when they like my work, because I’m trying to break out of the classification box!

AP: As an artist who has done a lot of merchandise and licensing, how would you answer the dreaded question of ‘selling-out’?

Camilla: The “selling out” question is a very fine line for an artist, but the difference in the answer is in the mindset, in the question of “why”. Why do I do licensing and why do I make merchandise? I absolutely adore merchandise, I find it hugely fun to see my art as a business card holder, or taken and transformed by an artisan into beautiful necklaces. Even when working with larger companies and creating a more mainstream product, I have to love it, and work with companies that share my philosophy. I enjoy sharing my art with many people, and merchandise is the best way to do that, the most varied and the most fun. When it’s not fun anymore then I’ll stop making products. As an artist also, it’s almost a must now to be your own brand. At the end of the day, everything I create has my signature style; it’s recognizable as being “me”, and I can take that across merchandise so that more and more people know that “me” and if they love it, they might be so inclined to visit my website, or my Faceboook or Deviantart and learn more about me and my art. It’s a way of reaching out to as many people as possible and sharing my vision and hopefully also inspiring others.

AP: You are a very outgoing person, which is unusual for an artist. How do you deal with the fans, the conventions, the panels, and the constant public interaction? How important is that for an artist?

Camilla: I really love interacting with fans and people at conventions, which is really contrary to who I am in my everyday life. I’m not as social as one might think, I have a core group of friends and I lead a quiet life with my boyfriend. But when I’m in a situation like a panel or an art show there is this energy that just buzzes from everyone sharing a common interest and passion. I really love talking to other artists and budding comickers, we share stories and they want to hear what I have to say, and we all learn from each other.

Secretly though, I get nervous every time I do a panel or at the beginning of convention, I’m not immune to the stomach butterflies ;)

AP: Please share with us what a day in the life of Camilla d’Errico is like.

Camilla: Everyday is different, but normally I wake up and have breakfast, then I’m on the computer checking my email and Facebook - you know, all those lovely web media related things.  Then my religious activity is to drink my cup of tea while watching an episode of an anime; sometimes it’s a series I follow, and sometimes just a random one that I find online. It’s always good to be inspired in the morning.

After this little eye candy, I start working on my comics. Right now I’m focusing on Tanpopo #3, though its never just one project I have on the go but a couple. Sometimes I miss lunch because I can get tunnel vision work where I forget to eat, other times my stomach rules me completely.

I’m very lucky because once the later afternoon rolls around I get to take another break and go for a jog on the seawall of Vancouver. It’s beautiful, when it’s not raining, and gives me a great reason to get out and enjoy the fresh air.

Then its back to drawing or painting until dinnertime comes around. My life is all about comics, painting and eating! I don’t live a very exciting life, but I do live a fun one.

You can check out Camilla d’errico’s Artsprojekt store here

Artist Proof: Albert Montoya is a 27 year old artist and web designer from Las Vegas, NV and is currently attending the Art Institute of Las Vegas. He prefers acrylic & ink as his weapons of choice and on his free time you can catch him on TheArtillerist.com updating interviews and links.

Artsprojekt: Please give us a brief intro about yourself, your art and where you are currently located.

Albert Montoya: Well, ever since I could lift a pencil, art has pretty much been a prominent part of my life. I grew up in Yuma, Arizona where I spent my childhood mostly solo, creating my own daily comic strip which I drew and distributed to my friends and family. After high school, I moved to Las Vegas to attend the Art Institute and have been here since where I paint from my home studio amongst my collection of skulls, birds, antique toys, and other miniature inspirations.

AP: What plays a bigger role in your artwork, where you live now? or where you were raised as a child?

Albert: Neither. I’m not a product of my environment.

AP: Describe your artistic style in 5 words or less.

Albert: Whimsical, seductive, charming and alluring.

AP: What inspires your art?

Albert: Everything and anything including alchemy, the nature of bees, robots, and politics, have all found their way into my previous pieces.

AP: Do you remember your first experience of making art.

Albert: Besides growing up with coloring books, my first real experience with art was in the 4^th grade. In class we had to lay on huge pieces of construction paper, have a classmate trace the outline of our bodies, and then finally draw a life sized self-portrait. I remember my piece was bright orange, and I drew myself as a cowboy. Thinking back, it was actually really fun and interesting to think about how we each perceived ourselves at such a young age.

AP: What was your most recent experience of making art.

Albert: My ritual goes as follows: come home after a long day of working in the Las Vegas summer temps of 110 degrees, wished my wife off to work as I proceed to tame two wild little monsters (also known as my 2 and 7 year old sons,) keep them busy as long as I can with movies and snacks as I unwind with a glass full of ice cold vodka and whatever mixable substance found in the fridge, then sat in front of a beautiful piece of hand cut and sanded wood awaiting to be painted on. This is my life, rewind, then repeat.

 AP: Who’s art are you digging right now? Who do you want to give a shout out to?

Albert: I’ve always dug film maker and animator Blu (blublu.org) and Las Vegas locals and friends of mine, Mike and Dasha Biggs. (www.causticimagery.com)

AP: What are some art related things that you cant live without? Tools of the trade, events etc.

Albert: The internet, India ink, music—I’m set.

AP: What motivates you to get out of bed every day and create art?

Albert: The thought that artwork lives on, even when you’re long gone.

AP: Do you listen to music when you work? If so, name a few of the tunes you rock out to.

Albert: I can’t paint without my music. I have several playlists I’ve compiled just for painting. I listen to a lot of Radiohead, and as of lately Broken Bells.

AP: When you arent making art, what do you like to do? What are some of your obsessions or hobbies?

Albert: Besides creating art, I also have a passion for creating music and web design.. with an occasional dabble in tattooing.

AP: If you had the ability to time travel, what advice would you have for the artists of the future?

Albert: Don’t let technology ruin your imagination.

You can check out Albert’s Artsprojekt store here

Artist Proof: Kim Herbst is a freelance illustrator who relocated to San Francisco, CA from Brooklyn, NY. She’s half Chinese and grew up with a pair of stone fu-dogs in her living room. Kim attended the Maryland Institute College of Art and graduated with a BFA in illustration. As a game artist, she has created designs and flash animations for companies such as Nickelodeon, VH1, Comedy Central, and Mtv. She currently works full-time creating designs and animations for applications used on social networks such as Facebook.

 

Artprojekt: Please give us a brief intro about yourself, your art and where you are currently located.

Kim Herbst: I’m an illustrator originally from the East coast. I went to school at the Maryland Institute College of Art for Illustration and then lived a bit in Brooklyn before coming out west to San Francisco for a new job.  I do artwork and Flash animations for games on Facebook as my full-time gig, then do illustrations and graphic design in any of my fleeting spare moments of time.

AP: What plays a bigger role in your artwork, where you live now? or where you were raised as a child?

Kim: Definitely where I was raised as a child. My mom’s Asian heritage really slips into my work stylistically.

AP: Describe your artistic style in 5 words or less.

Kim: Organic Graphic Novel.

AP: What inspires your art?

Kim: Human beings. We’re such complex, crazy things, affected by everything around us.

AP: Do you remember your first experience of making art.

Kim: I definitely remember drawing a lot, as early as age four. Arts and crafts in pre-school. My mom also doodled a lot and I wanted to draw like her.

AP: What was your most recent experience of making art.

Kim: I’m currently working on a show that will be in LA. It focuses on three films from the 1980s.  I also create artwork and Flash animations everyday for my full-time job in the web-games industry.

Artsprojekt: Who’s art are you digging right now? Who do you want to give a shout out to?

Kim: I love my former classmate’s work, Ray Jones. His brushwork always makes me shiver. Also Yoko Furusho, I had the pleasure of seeing her artwork in the same show as mine this past weekend!

AP: What are some art related things that you cant live without? Tools of the trade, events etc.

Kim: My 11”x6” wacom tablet, definitely. I use it every single day. I love checking peoples illustration blogs, sketches, artbooks, anything I can get my sights or hands on from people I’ve known in college, or my idols.

AP: What motivates you to get out of bed every day and create art?

Kim: My paycheck.  Ah, I kid, I kid. I create artwork because I feel I have to. If I don’t, my hands seem worthless or useless. They actually feel like they itch if I haven’t made anything. It’s sort of compulsive at this point, I guess. I’ve gotten to the point that if I don’t draw, I feel guilty for some reason.

AP: Do you listen to music when you work? If so, name a few of the tunes you rock out to.

Kim: I listen to really weird, various things. If I’m really in the zone, I listen to nothing at all which some find insane. Depending on my mood, I can go from the Beatles, or Zoe Keating, to anything popular at the moment(on the radio), or Japanese or Korean pop stars. Pandora and Grooveshark have become good friends of mine.

AP: When you arent making art, what do you like to do? What are some of your obsessions or hobbies?

Kim: I like writing but that ends up tying into creating artwork (for potential graphic novels etc), so I guess playing video games seems to be a hobby of mine now. I also enjoy cooking and baking to get my mind off of things!

AP: As an artist what are your thoughts on social media and the internet?

Kim: I think the majority of people have only stumbled across my work via only the internet. It’s a love-hate relationship between us. I love that people can find my work and enjoy it. I hate that people can potentially take my work and use it where ever they want, even with explicit warnings not to.

AP: If you had the ability to time travel, what advice would you have for the artists of the future?

Kim: Don’t forget how to draw with a pencil, if you do digital work. Dabble back into the traditional, old-tried-n-true artisan works. It makes you grow stronger as a person.

AP: Tell us something about yourself that Google doesn’t know about (yet).

Kim: I used to draw all over the backs of my math-tests in middle-school.  When done with the test, I’d flip the paper over and there was a blank sheet of paper in front of me, so what else could I do? I had one teacher who grabbed them if she felt I wasn’t paying attention, crumbled up the paper, and then tossed them in the wastepaper basket to ‘set an example.’ I started drawing inconspicuously on the backs of worksheets and tests after that.

You can check out Kim Herbst’s Artsprojekt store here!

Artist Proof: Nikolai Larin aka Maruto is a Russian graphic designer who grew up in Leningrad, USSR. Attending the St-Petersburg Mukhina Art Academy, he developed and enhanced his diverse range of illustrative skills. He then moved to the US to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC). After he graduated, he returned to Saint Petersburg where he now works as a freelance artist.

Artsprojekt: Without Sharing your techique, how would you describe your work?

Nikolai Larin: Today, I work in several styles, but most recently I have become interested in so-called pixel choreography. Оbjects I`m developing already have details of form, so by restructuring elements I don’t lose details, I develop it.

AP: What is your art education background?

NL: I graduated Mukhina Art Academy with a diploma from the faculty of Design in 1998.

AP: Have you travelled the world? or have you always lived in St. Petersburd?

NL: At the moment I haven’t been doing much traveling but it is one of my favorite pastimes.

AP: Please describe the creative community in Russis, especiallyy in St. Petersburd

NL: Saint Petersburg is considered the cultural capital of Russia. There are quite a few colleges, so interesting young people from all over the country come here to study.

AP: How has your environment informed your style?

NL: Constructive elements of the program visualization have influenced my style, if you can call it a style. However that is base environment of mine and its curiosity overwhelms me everyday and I`m grateful to be living in the 21st century and especially for the Internet.

AP: How would you say this style has evolved?

NL: Best way I think is to stop using the computer as a main instrument and give back it to those for whom it was created – the programmers. Artists who have the courage today to use brushes are wise. People who use the computer for art look ridiculous, like blondes who drive big jeeps. The computer deserves attention as an instrument for art and no one better can work with it but programmers.

AP: Do you credit any artist or genre as infuential in your work?

NL: I was greatly influenced by Yugo Nakamura and Eric Natzke. I think these two people created the interactive aesthetic of the late 90’s, doubtless it was they who outlined the founding principles for all such creative work.

Make sure to check out Nikolai’s Artsprojekt store by clicking here!

Artist Proof: Colm O’Connor is a 27 year old illustrator and self taught airbrush artist who currently lives in Wexford Town, Ireland. He comes from a technical background (trained and worked as an architectural technician) so He’s really into the little details. Although he believes that every detail counts, he’s trys to give his work a sense of freedom and spontaneity. His unique hyper realistic airbrush style is hard to miss and Im digging everthing this guy is doing…

Artsprojekt: What inspires your art?

Colm: First and foremost I love tattoo art, especially the oldschool style, big thick outlines with a nice bold colours behind them.  I’m always looking at different mediums of art and try to soak up and try out as many styles/techniques as I can.  I’m in and out of phases like there’s no tomorrow, but I think that, for me anyway, oldschool never goes out of style and I always end up going back to it.

AP: What is the relationship between technique and content in your work?

Colm: I’m more of a hands-on artist so I don’t really use the computer for much of my pieces, and because I’m relatively new to everything that I’m doing,  I try out as many different mediums as I can.  I go through phases and get fixated, almost obsessed, with whatever technique I’m using, at the moment I’m really into airbrushing, but a few months ago it would have been painting and a few months before that tattooing.

AP: Describe your first experience of making art and how it affected your life’s journey

Colm: I’ve loved drawing ever since I was a little kid, I used to copy all the comic strips out of newspapers running to my mam and dad to show them when I was finished.  I never really thought of doing anything else except designing, in some form or another to make a living.  I had a choice of doing art or technical drawing when I was in school and because architecture was where the money was at the time I chose the latter.  I went to college and worked in an architects office for a few years before I realized that it wasn’t for me, then the recession hit and it was like a wake up call to try something new.

AP: Describe your most recent experience of making art. 

Colm: At the moment I’m flat out doing commissions, I’ve had a couple of exhibitions since leaving my job at the architects in November 2008, the first selling all but 1 painting and the last one selling out in 2 days, so the feedback is good and the phone is ringing.  I never painted before the first exhibition but the paintings were turning out well so I chanced my arm and it paid off.  Pretty much the same story for my second exhibition, I started airbrushing after a good friend of mine and excellent airbrush artist, Stephen Murphy, talked me into trying it out and gave me a few tips, within a couple of weeks I had a load of canvases sitting in my house with nowhere to hang them, so I was on the phone again organizing another exhibition.

AP: Take us on a guided tour through a day in your life as an artist

Colm: Because I never did art in school and need some form of training behind me to get back into college, I’m doing a one year art course at the moment with the hope of it leading on to graphic design, so with that and the commissions I’m up the walls trying to get work done!

AP: Please let us know what you have coming up. Are you working on art for a new show?

Colm: I’m in the process of coming up with a theme for another exhibition, but it’s still in the early stages so i’m keeping shut about it before i change my mind again!

AP: Working on a new product line?

Colm: I’m hoping to get some more designs down and try to expand my Custom Tweaks line, i’ll probably keep with the tattoo themed decks as the response has been good as of late and they’re selling well, but if anyone’s interested in working or collaborating with me on something, get in touch

AP: Working on a commission piece?

Colm: I just finished a large scale version of my Oldschool Lovenote today for a client and after my last airbrush exhibition I got a load of commissions, so happy days, can’t complain!

» Check out Colm O’Connor’s Artsprojekt Store here