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3DTotal: Do you ever use your knowledge of 3ds Max to help in your 2D work? It’s listed in your software list but there’s no dedicated 3D category as such in your gallery.
Andreas: Well, my 3D work is mainly based on 3D architectural visualisations (http://www.arocha3d.com) but it is a completely different process. However, I have come to use 3D sometimes to get perspective and lighting right (Infinite OZ – Milltown, for example). However, 3D is a slow process compared to the impulsive brushstrokes of 2D painting, so in order to use 3D as a tool, I have to discipline myself and approach it as a means to reach the desired end more quickly.
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3DTotal: In what ways do you combine Corel Painter with Photoshop and what aspects do you find most useful in each when you’re painting?
Andreas: I use them both simultaneously, constantly jumping from one to the other. I believe that Photoshop is used almost exclusively for layer work, transformations and colour/levels adjustments. You just can’t beat it. I also do a lot of painting in Photoshop, since the logic behind it differs from Painter. In Photoshop there is a constant opacity and colour mode. The only thing that changes is the brush tip. In Painter it gets much more complex, and the way the tool interacts with the canvas is quite varied. That is where Photoshop can’t beat Painter. The textural possibilities of Painter are really fantastic and the way applied colour interacts with existing colour is just amazing. Sometimes I use Painter exclusively, from start to finish to maintain texture. Sometimes I use Photoshop especially for detail work, with its hard-edged circular brushes. Normal blending of colours can only be done in Painter.
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3DTotal: What impact do you think the range of brushes add to the quality of digital painting nowadays? Do you think a single, simple brush can carry a work if the crucial components such as composition, tonal ranges and colour are all well conceived?
Andreas: I think that brushes are getting less important every day because people are searching for individuality in art, be it the person creating the painting or the person contemplating it. The less brushes I use the more character I can infuse in a painting, because the way the brushstrokes are applied is what creates the painting. I see a lot of artists using the hard edged circular brush with pressure
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set to opacity, because it is one of the best digital tools out there. It’s simple but it’s really effective. The way it is used is what makes the painting unique.
3DTotal: How easy is it to survive as a freelancer for those readers wishing to embark down this career path?
Andreas: For me it turned out to be not so difficult as I thought it would be. I believed my main activity would be 3D architectural visualisations, but as it turned, 2D and 3D are almost side to side and now I work with both. It is really important to promote yourself on the Internet and have a decent portfolio with your best works (don’t include the lesser ones, only because you did them). Also, keep updating each year, removing those works which don’t compare to the new stuff. Don’t stop learning, either. That was one of the great
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things about going freelance. It allowed me to invest much more time in knowledge and training.
3DTotal: Where do you find most of your commissions come from and what sectors of the industry do you find the most stimulating with respect to the types of jobs on offer?
Andreas: I cannot say that most of the commissions come from one place, because they are really varied at the moment. I have done conceptual work, matte paintings for advertising, photo manipulation and realistic painting for advertising ads, digital paintings with a traditional feel for books, illustration for covers, etc. I never know what to expect next.
3DTotal: And finally which artists’ or subject matter has had the most impact on your work?
Andreas: When I started to hear of speedpainting I didn’t know what it really was, but it sure had an impact in my work. There are some really great artists that excel at it, like Mathias Verhasselt, Levente Peterffy, and the almighty Craig Mullins, to name but a few. Analysing their work taught me how to let go of restrictions and face a blank canvas with much more confidence. Most of my work goes through a speedpainting phase now.
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