Recently I had the opportunity to ask a few questions to one of my personal fav. artists, Mr Vitaly Alexius. His Bio can be found here -
http://svitart.n-tek.ca/bio.htm# I've been eagerly watching his talents on deviantart.com, and continue to be inspired by his amazingly unique style, and mastery of the tablet. Here's what he had to say
TB - Reading your bio, I've seen you started taking a serious commitment to art at age 11. What was it about art that had such a strong appeal to you so early on?VA - The fact that I had an art talent with a good sense of colors and that my parents wanted me to pursue this talent to become a professional artist.
TB - What where some of your biggest influences that attributed to your works, and your style?VA - Romantic artworks of Ivan Aivazovsky. Living in Soviet Russia. Seeing a UFO when I was 5 were various generic things that inspired my style.
My very first art inspiration came to me in 1995, Novokuznetsk, Siberia…
On the gabled cottage roof, covered in wooden planks, moldings, and swirly carvings, I’ve met a local artist. He was drawing some kind of forest on his canvas, via the view from the rooftop. I admired his glorious skill and pondered what it would be like to become an artist myself. Later on, I was enjoying a nice hike via the good old Trans-Siberian railway of the Soviet Union, while climbing various green mountains, covered with lush vegetations, with my good friends of that time. Upon the climb, we sat on the mountain side, enjoying the mid-day sun, bursting though the clouds, in an explosion of light rays that lived on their own accord, playing with the shadows of the mountains, forests, and fields below. The wind rolled about the fields, creating a magical, wavy sea of orange grasses.
And at that moment on I’ve said to myself:
“Every artist has their style. Whatever shall be mine?…"
… and while staring at those rays of light I had decided- "I shall become the master of the landscape and the sky. And draw it in a manner of a tasty delicacy that can be consumed in large quantities via the spoon of visual perception- and thus the delectable sky full of light rays that you see in most of my works now, was born.”
It took me (counts fingers)… 15 years to master those rays of light.
TB - What has been the biggest draw to digital art, as apposed to traditional for you?VA - The Undo button. Ability to layer colors.
TB - How has the internet, and websites such as deviant art, helped you in your art?VA - I got a lot of fame through internet, especially from people who wouldn’t see my work otherwise as they live in different parts of the world.
TB - We were wondering if you could give us some tips on the advantages and disadvantages of using a tablet in junction with digital imaging. (As you've obviously got a great amount of skill in that department )VA - Disadvantage- I’m drawing on it, but I look at the screen, but you get used to that.
Advantage- pure awesomeness of drawing on the computer just as I would with a pencil/brush.
TB - Any pointers for people interested in the realm of digital art?VA - Start drawing and never stop. If you stop, your talent will be buried and die.
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Check out his amazing work at his portfolio site here -->
http://www.svitart.com/You can also find his devinatArt gallery at -
http://alexiuss.deviantart.com/We'd like to thank you again for your time, keep up the inspiring work
