How old are you and how long have you been drawing?
I'm 24 years old, and I've been drawing practically all my life. I started seriously drawing when I was 14.
Where do you live and who do you live with?
I live with my beautiful wife, Amanda, in the Southwest suburbs of Illinois, about 45 minutes away from Chi-Town. People consider this area "Chicagoland". I also live with an "overgrown puppy" who goes by the name of Cody. :)
How did you get so good at drawing?
I don't consider myself a great artist, but I do know I improved so here's some of the things I've done to advance: I always draw everyday. Even on my bad days where I have this massive block. I also examine my pictures constantly and spot out what I need to improve on and work towards pulling off better. And I also find new things to draw. Even though I don't post everything I draw, I do delve into drawing different things to expand my horizons. I really think that's the key to 'getting good at drawing'.
What materials do you use to create your work?
For sketching, I either use my Cintiq 12WX and Alias/Autodesk Sketchbook Pro or just a regular 0.3/0.5 mechanical pencil and paper. I tend to switch between the two in periods of time. For coloring, I use Photoshop CS4. And also that one other important thing. My brain.
Who or what were you main influences when starting off?
Wow, so many great artists I've looked at when tryna become a budding one myself. I'm a BIG fan of the Disney style of animation. I guess that's what really sparked my like of art in general. I was drawn to video games and RPGs on my SNES like Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger and those also influenced me. I was introduced to Anime with the shows Sailor Moon and Dragonball. That's what sparked my like of Japanese styled art. I always wanted to get into reading comics, but couldn't really with the normal Superhero ones, until I was introduced to Manga; my favorite manga artist not even a Japanese manga-ka at first, Adam Warren, when I read his Dirty Pair titles. THEN I was hooked. After that, there are so many artists and things that shape my style today. Some of my current faves (legitimately and illlegitmately) in the game right now are Cre.o.n., Chamba, Adam Law, Rose Besch, Omar Dogan, Enrique Rivera, Pedro Delgado, Royce Southerland amongst so many others. I must also say it's an honor to be friends with some of these amazing artists. :)
SO you like video games! Do you consider yourself a gamer? Or do you just know about them.
I HEAVILY consider myself a gamer (even finding time across my busy schedule to even play the latest and greatest if I can). My favorite platforms are: Sega Genesis, Super NES, Playstation, Playstation 2, and the Xbox 360. Here's the list of my favorite games:
Chrono Trigger, Metroid, Megaman Series, Super SMASH Bros. Melee, Final Fantasy Series, Metal Gear Solid, Super Mario World, Super Mario RPG, The Original Perfect Dark, Growlanser Series, Rival Schools Series, Legend of Zelda Series, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Odin Sphere, Grandia 2, Final Fight Series, Donkey Kong Country Series, Tales of Destiny and Vesperia, Starfox, Xenogears, ONLY Halo 2, Resident Evil Series, Viewtiful Joe, Guitar Hero, Sonic The Hedgehog 1-3&Knux, Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Gitaroo Man, Street Fighter...
And I'm pretty sure I forgot some... Heh... :) For those who own a 360, my gamertag is I2Gauge64 (the first letter is the letter "I", by the way), so hit me up if you wanna play somethin'.
What music do you like to listen to and is it important in your creative process?
Oh, music is VITAL when I need to be in the creative mode. I usually set the mood of what I have to draw by creating a iTunes playlist with the same frame of mind with the piece I'm working on. I love Video Game soundtracks, those get the most play from me. I'll even go to the extent of playing girly pop, techno music or opera to grasp a mood of what I'm drawing. It really helps.
Some of my favorite lyricists, musicians, and composers are: Michael Jackson, Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Mitsuda, Motoi Sakuraba, Yoko Shimomura, Coldplay, Paramore, The Neptunes, T.I., TImbaland, The Killers, 311, Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco, Justin Timberlake, and Aerosmith. :)
And you like Anime, eh?!
HECKY YEAH, I mean; it IS a major influence on my style...! Both Anime and Manga! My top favorite Animes are: Fullmetal Alchemist, Lupin III, Dragonball, Gurren Lagann, Samurai Champloo, Sword of the Stranger, Code Geass, FLCL, Dirty Pair and Dirty Pair FLASH, Samurai Pizza Cats, Gunbuster, AKIRA, Those Who Hunt Elves, Princess Mononoke, Gatchaman, Trigun, and Ghost In The Shell. :)
Are you open for commissions?
Always!
How do I know when my picture is completed?
I've been a very bad boy in the past with this, being slow and letting life get in the way of my art. To the right under my short-bio, you'll see a schedule with your name or deviantART username, and an appointed time where I will work on your commission. Check there often! I'm doing this because it's professional, and it helps me stay focused on getting your art to you in the best possible way!
Do you take free requests?
Nope. Only if I say I will in some journal, my blog, or sumthin.
Do you collab?
Sometimes. But I have yet to actually collab with someone. They don't like my work THAT much.
Can I use your art for other things, like, PSP'n or just printing out for my fun?
Ehhh, touchy subject. I know there might be folks who's gonna do things anyway despite what I say, just like how people bootleg movies even though they say it's piracy. (I'm guilty of that too.) So here's the thing with that. As long as I don't catch you making loot (profit) or discrediting (sayin' the art's yours and not mine), then I'm all good. Cool? Cool. :)
Where do you live and who do you live with?
I live with my beautiful wife, Amanda, in the Southwest suburbs of Illinois, about 45 minutes away from Chi-Town. People consider this area "Chicagoland". I also live with an "overgrown puppy" who goes by the name of Cody. :)
How did you get so good at drawing?
I don't consider myself a great artist, but I do know I improved so here's some of the things I've done to advance: I always draw everyday. Even on my bad days where I have this massive block. I also examine my pictures constantly and spot out what I need to improve on and work towards pulling off better. And I also find new things to draw. Even though I don't post everything I draw, I do delve into drawing different things to expand my horizons. I really think that's the key to 'getting good at drawing'.
What materials do you use to create your work?
For sketching, I either use my Cintiq 12WX and Alias/Autodesk Sketchbook Pro or just a regular 0.3/0.5 mechanical pencil and paper. I tend to switch between the two in periods of time. For coloring, I use Photoshop CS4. And also that one other important thing. My brain.
Who or what were you main influences when starting off?
Wow, so many great artists I've looked at when tryna become a budding one myself. I'm a BIG fan of the Disney style of animation. I guess that's what really sparked my like of art in general. I was drawn to video games and RPGs on my SNES like Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger and those also influenced me. I was introduced to Anime with the shows Sailor Moon and Dragonball. That's what sparked my like of Japanese styled art. I always wanted to get into reading comics, but couldn't really with the normal Superhero ones, until I was introduced to Manga; my favorite manga artist not even a Japanese manga-ka at first, Adam Warren, when I read his Dirty Pair titles. THEN I was hooked. After that, there are so many artists and things that shape my style today. Some of my current faves (legitimately and illlegitmately) in the game right now are Cre.o.n., Chamba, Adam Law, Rose Besch, Omar Dogan, Enrique Rivera, Pedro Delgado, Royce Southerland amongst so many others. I must also say it's an honor to be friends with some of these amazing artists. :)
SO you like video games! Do you consider yourself a gamer? Or do you just know about them.
I HEAVILY consider myself a gamer (even finding time across my busy schedule to even play the latest and greatest if I can). My favorite platforms are: Sega Genesis, Super NES, Playstation, Playstation 2, and the Xbox 360. Here's the list of my favorite games:
Chrono Trigger, Metroid, Megaman Series, Super SMASH Bros. Melee, Final Fantasy Series, Metal Gear Solid, Super Mario World, Super Mario RPG, The Original Perfect Dark, Growlanser Series, Rival Schools Series, Legend of Zelda Series, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Odin Sphere, Grandia 2, Final Fight Series, Donkey Kong Country Series, Tales of Destiny and Vesperia, Starfox, Xenogears, ONLY Halo 2, Resident Evil Series, Viewtiful Joe, Guitar Hero, Sonic The Hedgehog 1-3&Knux, Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Gitaroo Man, Street Fighter...
And I'm pretty sure I forgot some... Heh... :) For those who own a 360, my gamertag is I2Gauge64 (the first letter is the letter "I", by the way), so hit me up if you wanna play somethin'.
What music do you like to listen to and is it important in your creative process?
Oh, music is VITAL when I need to be in the creative mode. I usually set the mood of what I have to draw by creating a iTunes playlist with the same frame of mind with the piece I'm working on. I love Video Game soundtracks, those get the most play from me. I'll even go to the extent of playing girly pop, techno music or opera to grasp a mood of what I'm drawing. It really helps.
Some of my favorite lyricists, musicians, and composers are: Michael Jackson, Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Mitsuda, Motoi Sakuraba, Yoko Shimomura, Coldplay, Paramore, The Neptunes, T.I., TImbaland, The Killers, 311, Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco, Justin Timberlake, and Aerosmith. :)
And you like Anime, eh?!
HECKY YEAH, I mean; it IS a major influence on my style...! Both Anime and Manga! My top favorite Animes are: Fullmetal Alchemist, Lupin III, Dragonball, Gurren Lagann, Samurai Champloo, Sword of the Stranger, Code Geass, FLCL, Dirty Pair and Dirty Pair FLASH, Samurai Pizza Cats, Gunbuster, AKIRA, Those Who Hunt Elves, Princess Mononoke, Gatchaman, Trigun, and Ghost In The Shell. :)
Are you open for commissions?
Always!
How do I know when my picture is completed?
I've been a very bad boy in the past with this, being slow and letting life get in the way of my art. To the right under my short-bio, you'll see a schedule with your name or deviantART username, and an appointed time where I will work on your commission. Check there often! I'm doing this because it's professional, and it helps me stay focused on getting your art to you in the best possible way!
Do you take free requests?
Nope. Only if I say I will in some journal, my blog, or sumthin.
Do you collab?
Sometimes. But I have yet to actually collab with someone. They don't like my work THAT much.
Can I use your art for other things, like, PSP'n or just printing out for my fun?
Ehhh, touchy subject. I know there might be folks who's gonna do things anyway despite what I say, just like how people bootleg movies even though they say it's piracy. (I'm guilty of that too.) So here's the thing with that. As long as I don't catch you making loot (profit) or discrediting (sayin' the art's yours and not mine), then I'm all good. Cool? Cool. :)
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