Monday, January 7, 2013

Interview: 10 Questions with Daarken

in1a  


Daarken
webiste: http://daarken.com/
video tutorials: www.enliighten.com
deviantart: http://daarken.deviantart.com/
blog: http://daarken.com/blog/
images copyright Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning


10 Questions with Daarken


1.... who is your favorite artist?


I have a lot of favorite artists, so there are too many to list. Some of my favorites include Sargent, Leyendecker, Cornwell, Bouguereau, Anders Zorn, Kekai Kotaki, Jaime Jones, Justin Sweet, Paul Bonner, and Aleksi Briclot.


2.... do you offer workshops for artists?


I have a tutorial site www.enliighten.com that has a lot of free tutorials on it. I also taught a class at Gnomon one semester, but other than that I don’t really offer workshops. I would love to, but I really don’t have the time in my schedule right now.


3.... what do you like to listen to while you work?


I’m either listening to music or watching movies while I work. Movie and video game soundtracks are always a favorite and set the proper mood while I’m working on an illustration.

I have a lot of soundtracks, so I’ll only list a few that I’ve been listening to lately. Some of them include Borderlands, Tron, Looper, Mass Effect, Krater, and The Pacific.

TV shows are also great because I can put in a whole season while I work. I just finished watching Nikita and now I’m watching Justified.


 in1c

4.... what medium and tools do you use to create your art?


I use Photoshop for all of my work. I never use traditional media anymore. All of my paintings are done on my Asus EP121.


5.... during an average week how many hours a day / week do you work on creating art?


It really depends on my schedule and the client. I would say I work anywhere from 40-120 hours/week.


6.... are you working your dream job?


Hah, well yes and no. I think my real dream job would be to play ice hockey, but that isn’t really an option. Don’t get me wrong, I have always loved art since I was a kid but I think if it really came down to it, I would choose hockey over art.


7.... do you feel its important for others to pursue their dream jobs?


Of course it is. A lot of people hate their job because they are doing something they don’t enjoy. If you are really passionate about something, don’t give up.


 in1d

8.... where can people see your work (online, conventions or exhibits)?


My main website is www.daarken.com. I also have a Facebook, Twitter, and DeviantArt account. As I mentioned earlier, I also have a tutorial site www.enliighten.com. Several times during the year I attend Magic: The Gathering tournaments across the world. Most of the time I post the times and locations on my Facebook page.

I also just came out with my first art book called Elysium The Art of Daarken. You can buy it online from 3DTotal, Amazon, or any other site that sells books. Some local stores also carry the book, so you might want to check your area.




9.... was there a certain moment that you knew you wanted to be an artist?


Well, ever since I was young I’ve enjoyed drawing and painting, but I never really considered it as a career option. After high school I actually went to college to study computer programming. It wasn’t until after my first semester that I decided I didn’t want to do computer programming anymore. I didn’t know what else to do, so I decided to go into art since it was something I always enjoyed. For my last semester I switched to art classes in order to prepare for the Academy of Art University.


10.... is there anything else you would like to add or say to other artists?


Just keep practicing. A lot of people want to become professional illustrators or concept artists overnight, but it will take years of hard work and practice. If you put in the time and are disciplined enough to do what it takes to become a better artist, you will succeed.

Daarken
webiste: http://daarken.com/
video tutorials: www.enliighten.com
deviantart: http://daarken.deviantart.com/
blog: http://daarken.com/blog/
images copyright Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

in1b

No comments:

Post a Comment