Name: Antifan
Real Name: Gary Tonge
Please tell us a brief info about yourself.
My name is Gary Tonge and I am a full time Art Director in the games industry, a freelance illustrator and concept artist and have recently completed work on a book about my art and how I produce it.
When did you first decide to become a graphic artist / illustrator?
Hmm.. Good question, I know I wanted to do something in art and games way back when I was about 16 (I am 37 now) so I started painting a lot on my Atari ST to create a body of work to get me a job in that sort of industry. However I did not really consider myself to be an illustrator until about 10 years ago – I felt up until then that I was not definitely better at illustration than I was at 3D or other areas of art in the arena.
What do you prefer: mouse, tablet, brush or pen and ink? and why?
Tablet – no question – and to be honest I would say a Wacom Cintiq screen tablet. It is the closest to really drawing as you can get, it’s more instinctive and you don’t feel like the computer is getting in the way of the creative process. I used to use the mouse to paint, but I simply can’t do that now, I feel like I am trying to park a car when I draw with one now!
Who or what inspires you?
I love looking at other artists’ work – it being so accessible these days with the internet. I am also massively inspired by nature and the beauty of the world.
Where does your training come from? Self-taught? College/Art School?
Pretty much self taught – from high school onwards I cultivated my skills in various projects and slowly worked up a style all of my own.
How do you keep "fresh" within your industry?
I think the constant push towards new and exciting techniques, products and ideas keeps us all fresh, to be a the leading edge of any art form you have to be on your toes, looking at what others are doing and this in turn creates new ideas for you personally.
What are your current projects?
I can’t say anything about my day job – it’s all secret! But my book project is all about my http://www.visionafar.com/ art and how I create it – the book covers a lot of my techniques and shows people how to get the best out of Photoshop (well I hope so anyway!). It is called “Bold Visions” and is available to pre-order right now on Amazon etc.
Which of your projects are you the most proud of? And why?
I think to be honest I am most proud of the work I do for myself, the work I am driven and inspired to do. Although I have worked on a lot of other projects that have given me great joy, there is something about the idea of working up art just on inspiration that makes it the most rewarding.
Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?
Having not worked in 3D much for the last few years I would say the coolest thing I’ve yet to play with is no doubt Z-Brush/Mudbox.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?
With great difficulty! It’s easy for an artist to fry their brain I have found – having a vivid imagination can be a real hindrance if you get yourself stressed – so I try to avoid getting too stressed out or busy – there is a point when too much work brings everything down like a house of cards!
Finish this sentence. "If I weren't an artist/illustrator I would have been a...
Chef/Astronaut!
and finally, What advices/tips can you give to the novice designer/ illustrator?
I say this a lot, but I would recommend that you work on art you REALLY enjoy creating, get really good at working on stuff you very much enjoy and you will find that when you then start to diversify, the skills you have acquired will help you out greatly. The important thing is to create great new visions, let the world see what you have in you!
For commision works & other information, please contact him at:
website: http://www.visionafar.com/
http://antifan-real.deviantart.com/
email: Gary@vision-afar.com
wanna be a featured artist?
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with the subject: interview request
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