Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Interview: 10 Questions with Creature King Samwise Didier

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Samwise Didier
website: http://www.artofsamwise.com/
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samwise_Didier
blizzard: http://www.sonsofthestorm.com/gallery.php?artist=samwise
images copyright Samwise Didier / Blizzard Entertainment

10 Questions with Samwise Didier

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1.... who is your favorite artist?

I’ll have to go with a top five on this one: Larry Elmore (Dragonlance), John Buscema / Ernie Chan (Savage Sword of Conan), Albert Uderzo (Asterix),  Berni Wrightson (Frankenstein) and the artists at Rankin and Bass (Hobbit-1977)

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

No, I’m not much of a teacher. If you want to draw like I do just throw out any anatomy lessons you’ve learned, add some big ol’ shoulder pads and use all the colors in the crayon box.

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

Heavy metal is my go to music. I love most genres of metal but I usually listen to what is termed power metal (Manowar, Hammerfall) and death/black metal (Amon Amarth, Immortal). My latest favorite is a doom metal band called “The Gates of Slumber”.

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

I love doing full pencil images but if I do color work, I use Photoshop. I’ll start with pencil and paper and then scan it into Photoshop. To me, art is art. Digital, traditional, whatever works. All that matters to me is the final picture and if it makes me happy. If others like it too, so be it.

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

I spend about 1-2 hours on most weeknights and usually 6 -8 hours over the weekend on purely personal art. During my work days it is about 2-4 hours a day depending on meetings and other commitments. Whenever I go to meetings at work, I have my work sketchpad on the table. If I watch a show at home, I have a sketchpad on my lap. My motto is ABC, always be creating.

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

I could really do with less meetings But aside from that, working with talented artists and being able to create art that’s enjoyed by millions of people is pretty awesome.

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

If they feel it is important, they will do it, but most people will never attain their dreams or goals if they are constantly living in other people’s worlds—watching endless TV and movies, going on Facebook to look at other people’s lives, constantly on their phones and tablets. They will never achieve what they desire if they are living in someone else’s world. I believe that true gratification happens when you take what inspires you and create your own work, whatever it may be.

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

Everyone can check out my artwork in Blizzard games of course, most recently StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. I also put some of my work on the Sons of the Storm website (http://www.sonsofthestorm.com/)

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

I don’t remember a defining moment but I do remember always drawing. The earliest memories are when I went to Montessori school which was pre-Kindergarten and drawing so many dinosaurs fights that they put on a mini art show with my rocking crayon Ankylosaur and Triceratops battle pictures.

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

Draw what you like and you will always be happy.

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