New, fresh and unpredictable - an

interview with Piotr Jablonski

Drawing is my hobby, passion and work.
Piotr Jablonski a.k.a nicponim / digital painter, concept artist, illustrator / Poland / graduated in
faculty of Architecture - Technical University of Bialystok.

Drawing / Painting is my hobby, passion and

work. I used to play basketball a lot, actually
forgot about the sport and I have to admit
that I miss it. I go to gym, from time to time I
swim. Activity is very important when you
spend most of the day sitting on a chair and
staring at the screen...

How did You start painting? When it became digital and why? Do You have any educational
background in this matter?
Ever since I can remember, I was always scribbling something - in a notebook or on the wall. As
a youngster I was totally interested in graffiti and it was my main motivator to paint more and
more. A friend in high school recommended me to use a tablet with a computer program. At first
I approached this with reluctance, then it started to feel more and more satisfied with my
creations. Today I can't imagine working with any other media.

Speaking of education-I am self-taught. However, I attended a yearly course preparing for my

drawing exams on the faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, but I do not think it defined
my future. Also, the studies were far from what I do now...

How long have You been in the industry?

I make digital paintings for about 7 years, but professionally I do it for about year and a half.
You are a freelancer. Do You like it?
Of course, there are many advantages and disadvantages of this type of work. Personally, I really
appreciate calmness and I focus on the project. I am not distracted by people working next to me,
so I work more efficiently. On the other hand, I am quite an open person, so sometimes I simply
want to talk to someone, laugh and rest from the project – so it is a disadvantage of working
alone.
Another plus in being a freelancer is the time management-if I want to sleep a little more, or take
a free time, I do not have to ask anyone's permission. But there is a trap - it is easy to lose track
of time and get lazy. You have to be very disciplined and hard for yourself.
 
Another plus is the comfort in selecting projects. I like to work on projects that are fun. If I feel
that the job does not suit me, I just give up and choose the one that will be the best for me at the
moment. And last but not least – on some projects I can work virtually anywhere, at any time.
 
What advice would You give to people that want to start freelancing?
Well, certainly I would advise to prepare a place for your work - a comfortable chair, a good
display screen, and a desk for tablet and freehand drawings. It is good to set the working hours.
I'm trying to work 8-10 hours daily. And the most important advice - while working avoid
browsing the internet for stupid stuff! :)

Can You tell us about your clients? Who are they?

My clients are from all the places around the world. I've been working for companies from
Greece, USA, England, Japan, Sweden, Russia, and of course from Poland.
What types of projects  You are interested in?
I like untrite projects. Of course I am aware that in the era of ubiquitous kitsch and stupidity, it's
hard for such orders. I have no dream customers which I would like to work for. What counts is
the idea a better idea, the idea ... and of course money (haha). Creating my own animation would
be a total fulfillment for me but for now it remains only a dream...
Which part of creation is most important in your opinion?
Each stage of the job is important. If I had to choose, however, I would point the initial stage of
the image - composition, color and lighting. Those really make the initial phase of production.
The rest is in the details, fine-tuning.
What programs do You use? Do You have any special brushes of yours? Favorite tools?
I use Photoshop. I mostly use several brushes from Pelenga's collection possibly, or maybe
Jaime's Jones? It is hard to say really ... I also love the program Alchemy - it's brilliant for ideas,
sketches.

What do You think about using photos in digital painting?

Once I thought it was some kind of a cheat. However, over time I realized that it does not matter
- the result counts. If the tool allows certain techniques, why we shouldn't take the advantage of
it? You have to play the game as good as you can. Of course, I admire more hand painted stuff,
where you can see, how much work did artist put into the creation process, but I have no hard
feelings for any artist who pastes or paints over pictures. Often it is necessary to fit in the short
time-frame and in this case you need to use every method allowed by software - I think it is
understandable.

Where do You find inspirations for your works? Do You have your favorite artists?
Many ideas come accidentaly – while I am walking, driving a car, or even partying with friends.
Often I look through some photographs of more or less well-known authors. Every day I look
through works of other digital painters, each of them inspires me and gives me a powerful kick
of motivation.
I like many artists - Craig Mullins, Jaime Jones, Sergey Kolesov, Ashley Wood, Jeremy Geddes,
Zdzislaw Beksinski, JC Leyendecker, Schiskin, Stanislaw Acorn, Tom Lovell... There are really
many of them and everyone is unique. I admire them for their workshop and ideas.
 
What is your goal in digital painting?
I have been asking myself this question for a long time. Definitely I want to overcome certain
limits, to break patterns. I would like to create a unique style that would enable people to
distinguish my work from others. I believe that everything is a matter of time and hard work, so I
am humbly waiting for this moment...

Can You give some advice for people who are starting their careers in digital painting?
Work, work and work again. Observe others, do not give up when having a hard time and enjoy
the increasing quality of your work . At the same time you should be self-critical about your
work, listen to opinions of others, even the people that have little in common with digital
painting. Set high standards and humbly aim your goals. Oh, and did I tell you to work, a lot ?
What is most difficult for you in CG? What is that You enjoy the most in CG or that You don't
like doing?
Combination of crtl + z (haha). There are many advantages working in CG - certainly reduced
working hours, better contact with the customer, the ability to quick fixes, multitude of features
and tools. Of course, no tool can ever replace traditional painting or freehand drawing.
Sometimes I miss working with a pencil or pen and paper.

What do You think about nowadays market for CG? Is there a big competition? Are clients
needs changing? How? Is it easy to be succesful in CG nowadays?
Currently, there is a lot of people doing really excellent works. Very often I discover another that
surprises me with his fresh look and high quality works. There's a lot of training, tutorials, books
and magazines so more and more people are attracted to CG.

I believe the style differences are able to distinguish us from the generality . Therefore, I always
try to do something in a different way. New, fresh and unpredictable. It is apparently difficult,
because customers tend to be focused on pulp for the masses. You do not need an original idea -
you need an idea that will sell, which is somehow known and well received by the masses.
Therefore in movies or games, fantasy for instance, we see a beautiful warrior in excellent shape
rather than worn out, ugly old lady, trying to swing an ax. What matters is the attractiveness,
effectiveness. I do not know if it is easy to be happy, fulfilled, well-known in the industry. But if
you have a head full of ideas and you hit a chord with the customer, you can count on success.

Can You show us some step by step of your work?

Sure! The first stage of the work starts in my head. I have a vision that I would like to move for
'virtual sheet'. In this case, it was a demonic old grandmother running from this old tractor-do not
ask me where this idea came from.

I often wonder what stuff sits in my head :)

I start from simple splotches and I mark the horizon line. I determine composition and base
color; this way I define the mood of my work. Then I trace a quick sketch of the grandmother
being in the foreground - I do not focus on this too much – there is no need for a nice line art.
Then I apply base color, and make a rough shape of face.

Little more details...

At this point the first stage in the operation closed: objects are in the scene, so is a base color
and lighting. Now it's time for my favorite stage – making the details and final shapes.

It involves a lot of painting, sometimes flattening the layers,...

...looking for different color variations...

...adding details, etc.

Color correction

Finalizing...

And hunting for grannies is complete!