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Name: Fabrice Lavollay
Place of birth: France
Black Cat: Hi Fabrice, please introduce yourself. Could you tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field?
Fabrice Lavollay: I've begun to work as graphic designer and illustrator in 1995 after studies illustration at St-Luc Art Academy (Brussels). I made numerous front-covers for novels, magazines and cd's and became Art Director for Sciences Fictions Magazine during early 2000's. These days, I decide to devote myself to a more personal and artistic work.
B.C.: What made you first start doing digital paintings? If you can recall what did your first digital painting look like, and what is the most important thing you have learned since then?
F.L.: Yes, it's funny but I remember it. It was in 2001. Before 2001 I used to work only with traditional media (Acrylic painting mostly) in my illustration work. One day, I was really busy and a publisher asked me, on a very short deadline, a front cover for the short stories anthology "Twice Bitte" curated by Poppy Z. Brite. I was a huge fan of PZB and I could not refuse this work although I did not have time then. I decided to try to work directly with graphic programs hoping to spare time. In fact I did not spare any time but I had so much fun and a freedom feeling, I decided to continue to use and develop these techniques in my artistic work. Now I realize that this opened the way for me to many different techniques. Graphic softwares are often only a stage in the creation process and certainly an important tool, but they are just a tool… No matter the used media, the important thing is the personal control we have on it and the freedom of creation it offers.
Name: Dean Fleming
Place of birth: Aberdeen, WA USA
Black Cat: How would you best describe yourself?
Dean Fleming: I’m kind of a weird combination of explorer and perfectionist. I love the work of artists like Karl Bodmer and sometimes approach my surrealistic art as if I’m visiting some strange and amazing place and trying to describe it in a beautiful way. I actually do paint on location quite a bit and have traveled to Europe, Asia, Central America and even Cuba to paint outdoors. I’ve been able to spend most of my life indulging my interests in art, music and travel. I’m just a very lucky guy.
B.C.: What does being an artist mean to you?
D.F.: As an illustrator I’d always cringe when someone referred to me as an artist. My work was VERY commercially oriented. I had some talent and some skill but I think art happens when you express something personal.
B.C.: I know that you like to experiment with materials, so over the years you have worked in oils, acrylics, watercolors and digitally, both 2D and 3D, but your portfolio is mostly made up of paintings. What exactly draws you to that specific style instead of say photo-manipulation, or abstract design?
D.F.: A lot of people, including me, appreciate a painting that has a high level of finish. It seems to suggest skill and patience and dedication. I learned to paint with an airbrush and just developed a very clean style. I do a lot of personal paintings in a much looser style, but the galleries and many people seem to respond best to the more refined look of my surrealist paintings, so that’s what I usually show as “my work.”
There’s nothing like bringing flavors from all over the world into the YUHMM kitchen. Gianluca Mattia is an Italian graphic artist and illustrator who caught our eye with his vivid illustrations of curvaceous alt delights. Taste it.
Tell us how you began working in 2D and 3D digital illustration.
My first experiments in computer design started in art school. After that, my work started to specialize by collaborating with different studios. Initially, I dealt more with graphics and design, but I’ve always been a fan of illustration.
Growing up, were you influenced by Western pop culture and American artists?
I’ve adored comics (American, European and Japanese) since I was a little child. I guess my best style influences stem from this passion and all things I have seen, studied, heard, and lived. I follow the works of contemporary artists like Luis Rojo and Joe Chiodo.
Are there Italian artists that have inspired your work?
Sure, in Italy contemporary artists like Milo Manara, Bonvi, Guido Crepax and more inspire me.
In your illustrations, the female body is extremely distorted with large breasts, tiny wastes and bodacious hips & tushes. We’re assuming this is your ideal body type, correct?
This has always been my idea of beauty but not the only prototype of a perfect woman (I adore abundant forms of women). The shape is similar to a “monster” like Frankenstein formed by different pieces sewn together including feelings that cause a deformation of the look like an exaggerated surgical operation.
Gianluca Mattia was born in Bari, Italy. Qualified in the Institute of Art with qualifications of Art’s Master and architect’s designer and interior decoration. After he has specialized trough different professional courses, like expert in digital painting and graphic design 2d/3d.
"I adore illustration, the colours, my artworks are drawn using a digital pen on software 2d and 3d, but my principal tool is my mind. I spent most of my time drawing ,trying to represent my emotions, to express a part of me. I personalize and I distort the bodies with small lives and forms out of the reality, dream and sketch with strong colours, that complete my form of expression together with the forms".