#where tons and tons of artists form a community shape and visual language

[shepbal]

as a fanartist who has primarily drawn BTS it's kind of fascinating trying to draw new guys after them bc I've legit spent like 7 years staring at the boys and getting to know their faces in different angles and literally practicing and testing how to simplify their shapes in my own way but retain their likenesses, PLUS learning the shape language and trends that FANDOM and other fanartists have created for each of the members and how we recognize them in art separately from their actual photos and video appearances

and trying new ppl is somewhat like starting from scratch for me

[hoardlikegoldenirises]

What inspires your art? Like, how did you come up with your art style, how happy you are with it and if there are any other artists that inspire you?

Asking a few people as a way to understand and grow as an artist at a crossroads. Have a good day.

That's a big question! lol

Inspiration:

I think it's fair to say that I'm inspired by a wide variety of things, and that's what tends to combine to influence art—most of my art comes from a place of wanting to communicate what I'm thinking, just like my writing does. Some things are easier to communicate visually, and some linguistically. I took a variety of classes in college as part of my degree, including some unrelated to it, such as cinematography, lots of art history, etc. and I think having an understanding of those things can help to cultivate an understanding of what goes into... everything, really. Composition, color, form factor, material, history. I find it all interesting and I like to think about those things when I write and draw because I like to have concrete ideas of place and object.

Influences range from manga to books to superhero comics (I mean, obviously), cartoons, music, movies, and whatever else, but also of course other little things from day to day life whether that's personal experiences, specific imagery (of a sunset or something else), foods, outfits I see on the bus, and so on. It's very much a matter of absorbing the world around oneself and translating that into images (or words).

There are definitely a lot of artists that inspire me! Not necessarily style influence but some of my current favorite artists include (but are not limited to) Petra Nordlund, zombieisok, Nick Robles, Esad Ribić, Tradd Moore, Cathy Kwan, Tess Stone, and a whole bunch of other people (too many to list them all!)

Like, Ryōko Kui has great art! Dungeon Meshi is super pretty. It's great to read comics and see great art—I love the way Non-Stop Spider-Man (Chris Bachalo) looks, I really like David Lafuente's work in Radiant Red, Scott Hepburn does some really cool work, I really enjoy the way Eduardo Ferigato draws the characters in Radiant Black (esp Marshall), etc. etc. etc. there are a ton of artists whose work I love!

And! I think this is important—my friends! Spending time talking to my friends has always been a source of inspiration for things to write or draw, since I was in middle school at least. It's fun to bounce ideas off of each other and I enjoy it a lot even when I don't draw or write something related to whatever convo (which, lbr, is most of the time lol)

Art style:

Off the top of my head, there are some specific things I studied on purpose in middle or high school while drawing—Natsuki Takaya's Fruits Basket and CLAMP's works in general but especially Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and xxxHolic were very influential on my developing art style. What I did then was not try to make my art look Like CLAMP or Like Takaya at all times, but rather mostly looking at things like how they would draw ears or whatever else, though I also did copies/studies of specific panels (freehand, not traced) where the goal was to make it look like the source to understand shapes etc.

I think that CLAMP's shōnen manga style influence is probably still wildly obvious in my art—I draw people very long-limbed and I know it! (lmao)

I was also definitely influenced/inspired by Nanae Chrono's Vassalord, plus some anime like Tiger & Bunny, which I adored in high school.

Tess Stone's work overall but esp Hanna is Not a Boy's Name has also always inspired me a lot, though I'm not sure to what extent his art has influenced mine—but I think it would be a lie to say it hasn't lol. His work with shape language, color, typography, etc. is next level 👌

As far as more recent influences, it's harder to say. I look at a lot of art, read a lot of comics, and so on, so I pick up small things through osmosis from all of the things around me, inevitably, as well as looking at reference photos. So art style is of course the specific way I process the world and art and so on—the corners of mouths, the shapes of shoes—and re-combine it on paper, and it varies from the very simple 10 minute chibi doodles to the more rare and intensive full illustrations that take 10 hours/multiple days.

As far as my own art quality/satisfaction, I'd say at this point I tend to be mostly neutral on it as a whole, with of course specific pieces I like a lot or some that didn't turn out quite right. I know I have strengths and weaknesses and I only took one or two drawing classes growing up, a couple of painting classes (a few how to draw books)... nothing more than rudimentary basics for the most part.

I have a very hard time grokking some things, esp as it pertains to spatial awareness and dimensionality (my irl coordination and proprioception isn't great, which I'm sure is related). Complicated perspective is hard, sure, but just making objects feel like objects is also difficult so I often have to spend a long time working that kind of thing out when I include stuff like turnarounds or alternate angles. My art has a strong element of harsh-edged two-dimensionality, imo, whether shaded or not, and I know that—that's not necessarily a bad thing, but there are times when it's not what I need lol

But I like the way I draw people, anyway, even if stiffness is a problem, and I enjoy drawing shoes and clothes and faces and so on, and I know my anatomy has improved a lot in the past 5 years or so which is always fun to see. Looking back on something and being like, "man that's rough," is like—a concrete sign of improvement, that's for sure. looking with new eyes.

So I am almost entirely self taught, and I tend to draw—as mentioned earlier—to communicate something specific, so while I drew more constantly as a child, as an adult I don't spend a lot of time just doodling (esp now that I'm not in school anymore lol) or anything like that... I look at references a lot more though lol

I should probably do some studies like figure drawing or take some more advanced classes, and I would like to do so at some point in the future, but for now I'm fine just doing whatever. I have a lot of hobbies (and ADHD) so sometimes it's like... help 😂

anyway!

that was long lol but hopefully helpful.

[unscharf-an-den-raendern]

Interview with Ralf from 2005 (translated from German)

Read the original German version here: http://www.electroempire.com/index.php?thread/1755-ralf-h%C3%BCtter-kraftwerk-interview-2005/

They’re the most influential German band of all time, for a third of a century they advanced and shaped electronic music like no one else. During that time, they only gave about one hundred interviews worldwide, the living legends are considered to be media-shy. Now Arschmaden-rave-magazin managed to be the first German magazine since 2001 to get an exclusive interview with the Düsseldorf sound pioneers Kraftwerk. Hauke Schlichting was allowed to spend almost an hour on the phone with Ralf Hütter and found out that music gods are also completely normal people sometimes.

Hauke Schlichting: Are there many pre-order of the notebook edition of “Minimum Maximum” already?

Ralf Hütter: I think so. Kraftwerk is not just music, we also create the lyrics, the pictures and the entire visual concept. I’ve been doing that with my partner Florian Schneider since 1970. This notebook edition enables us to put a lot of ideas into effect that we had for a long time. And now that it's finished, it's a liberating moment.

Hauke Schlichting: I once saw you in the audience of a talk by Oskar Sala. I suppose that pioneers like Sala, John Cage and certainly Karlheinz Stockhausen were a source of inspiration for Kraftwerk...

Ralf Hütter: Especially in our living environment in the second half of the sixties. Our friends and we were involved in the art scene. Electronic music was not foreign to us.

Hauke Schlichting: In an old interview from 1976 you said: "The world of sounds is music.” The first thing that came to my mind was whether the members of Kraftwerk listened to and liked music by noise musicians or even industrial music? Is that a similar approach?

Ralf Hütter: I can only speak for myself now, but I definitely see a spiritual kinship there. Definitely.

Hauke Schlichting: You called your music "Industrial Folk Music" once...

Ralf Hütter: Yes, but not with an F. It was about "Industrielle Volksmusik", the English translated it. It was an idea of the electronic Volkswagen. That's a concept. We have always reported on everyday things. "Autobahn", for example, was an attempt to make everyday music.

Hauke Schlichting: Is there any electronic music from - let's say the last 20 years - that inspired you?

Ralf Hütter: Yes, especially this spiritual kinship between the two cities starting with a D.

Hauke Schlichting: Düsseldorf and Detroit!

Ralf Hütter: Right. We know the creative heads of Detroit like Derrick May, Mike Banks and Kevin Saunderson. And that's what we consider to be a real inspiration, alternating, which finds its sound in this language. The dynamic that's in there, like in here. This electric funk or whatever you want to call it, that's a spiritual kinship.

Hauke Schlichting: Were the first Cybotron records of Juan Atkins things that you already noticed back in 1981?

Ralf Hütter: We were also in New York earlier, where the record company took us to some afterhours in non-authorized clubs.

Hauke Schlichting: They already existed back then!?

Ralf Hütter: Yeah, sure, at the end of the seventies. Then we had the experience that Afrika Bambaataa played our song “Metall auf Metall”. I thought, oh, fine, and then more than a quarter of an hour went by and I started wondering, because the song is not that long. Until I realized that he combined it with several record players.

Hauke Schlichting: A live remix with turntables, so to speak...

Ralf Hütter: That must have been in '77.

Hauke Schlichting: Mr Bambaataa is definitely a pioneer as well.

Ralf Hütter: Definitely.

Hauke Schlichting: There are an infinite number of songs nowadays which obviously sampled Kraftwerk. You were once described as "the most sampled artists besides James Brown". Are you annoyed when this happens without being asked?

Ralf Hütter: In the right music it is mental communication. Creative feedback. But if they appear on any “cucumbers” (Translator’s note: Ralf means bad musicians) or purely commercial products, then our publishing house will take action.

Hauke Schlichting: Do you collect your own records? If you want to own all the Kraftwerk records, including all the different pressings, you’d have to collect several thousand.

Ralf Hütter: I think that's materialistic nonsense. It's like collecting beer coastes. That’s totally uninteresting. It's about music, not about some pieces of plastic.

Hauke Schlichting: But they say that you collect old synthesizers.

Ralf Hütter: Our studio has been changing constantly since 1970, there are always new things being wired, installed or programmed. Improved. So often some equipment is put away, first in the warehouse, because you might need them again. At some point they were standing there, nobody wanted them, then they got dusty, then reactivated in the Kling Klang Museum. Ten years later we restored and repaired them all to the latest state of the art. Now we have been asked if we could make them available for an exhibition, but at the moment we can't give them away because they are actually in use. Over the last twenty years, we have transferred all the original Kraftwerk sounds to the digital level. Together with our electrical engineers Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz.

Hauke Schlichting: You used to take a lot of equipment weighing tons with you on tour.

Ralf Hütter: Yes, the Kling Klang Studio is our instrumentarium. It has been like that ever since the first concerts. At that time they were still single instruments or single racks with many cables. Then at some point we assembled them in multi-racks.

Hauke Schlichting: The live equipment was always identical to the studio equipment. Is that still the case now? The things you carry around with you now are much more compact.

Ralf Hütter: Now we play with the virtual Kling Klang Studio with laptops at concerts in real time and mobile. That's why we have been able to travel all over the world since 2002. Today we have complete access to the entire audio-visual show, which also changes a bit from concert to concert. That's what makes it interesting. We no longer have to build it up every day to reach a fixed status, we can work with it live. In the past we were on tour rather reproductively, a lot of things didn't work, that was actually a torture, these concerts back then. That's why we only did one tour, in 1975 ("Autobahn"), then for years almost nothing and in 1981 ("Computerwelt"), when we did another tour, we also used many tapes in addition to my analog sequencer, because our music was actually not playable live at that time.

Hauke Schlichting: The live DVD you’re releasing now gives the illusion that it is the complete recording of one concert. If you take a closer look, you will see that it has been put together from many concerts. Was there no concert that was great from front to back?

Ralf Hütter: We recorded and documented everything. We then selected the recordings based on quality and intensity. That was then put together. That is also our concept of electronic mobility. "Tour de France" should definitely be from Paris, "Autobahn" from Berlin, "Dentaku/calculator" from Tokyo. We had a lot more material available later, but we couldn't put that in. In Santiago de Chile, for example, the audience has the best timing in the world when clapping along. I've never experienced anything that synchronous before.

Hauke Schlichting: When Kraftwerk is in the studio, do you sometimes make music just for fun, just playing around a bit?

Ralf Hütter: We once said that the music composes itself.

Hauke Schlichting: That means constant trying out and jamming around?

Ralf Hütter: That's where we actually come from, we've been doing that since the late sixties. For more than a third of a century we've been walking on the same electronic path. We just try to be open for ideas. They come when you cycle, like “Tour de France”, they come when you drive, like “Autobahn”. Some things also arise from texts, from books, from all kinds of things. We use all mental ideas, we do not work according to one principle. The freedom lies precisely in the fact that all art forms are open to you today. It is a gift that we live in a time where you don't need a large orchestra and where you don't need a nobleman who puts gold ducats at your disposal. Now there is an autonomy that can be realized through the man-machine Kraftwerk.

Hauke Schlichting: Your studio seems a bit like a fortress against the outside world. But you have emphasized several times that you are not isolated at all, that you meet a lot of friends and actually lead a very normal life. But  we know relatively little about that. Does that mean that private life is the super important compensation for an artist's life?

Ralf Hütter: No, we see ourselves as scientists, as music workers. We do our work, we drink a cup of coffee in the morning, on weekends we ride our bikes. We go to clubs because the lively scene of electronic music is important to us. And that's where it takes place. We have been connected to club culture since the sixties.

Hauke Schlichting: Does that mean that you now travel more often or specifically to performances by live artists or DJs?

Ralf Hütter: Mostly that happens when we are on the road. If the travel plan allows it, because otherwise it can happen that you can't concentrate at concerts in the evening due to lack of sleep. Working at the screen, with the mouse, they’re very fine movements. Minimal movements with maximum effect on sound and images. Again a mental reference to this work "minimum-maximum".

Hauke Schlichting: Can you imagine working with other musicians?

Ralf Hütter: We already worked together with different musicians, especially with music engineers. For example with François K, with William Orbit, with Etienne de Crécy, with Orbital, with Underground Resistance.

Hauke Schlichting: The revision of your back catalogue is now finished...

Ralf Hütter: Yes, finally. It is also about clarity and now for the first time everything is as it was intended.

Hauke Schlichting: Can you release more albums in the future that way?

Ralf Hütter: Yes, also because the technical development has changed in our favour. We now have the right tools at our disposal, so we don't have to spend so much time on wiring and installation.

Hauke Schlichting: The teen newspaper Bravo quoted you in 1975 with the sentence: "One day they will imitate our music. Could you have imagined back then that this would really happen?

Ralf Hütter: Yes, we thought so at that time. We played the album to them in my old Volkswagen. We had a big loudspeaker in the back, we didn't have the kind of equipment we have today. And then my friend Florian and I drove on the motorway with our poet and painter friend Emil and Bravo. At the beginning of the seventies our music was mostly only played in special radio programmes, e.g. by Winfried Trenkler. Before "Autobahn", Kraftwerk only existed in this art and student scene. And then live, we come from this live music scene. That we now play electronic music all over the world again is something where the circle closes. Now it takes on the shape we imagined in our imagination at the time.

Hauke Schlichting: Thirty years ago you also said: "In twenty years, in our opinion, there will hardly be any groups with guitars and drums any more. For us these instruments belong to the past already today."

Ralf Hütter: Right.

Hauke Schlichting: But that didn't quite come true.

Ralf Hütter: There are many antiques. But that is still true. There are also still symphony orchestras. In our opinion, the thoughts or essence of the present can only be realized with adequate means.

Hauke Schlichting: You have very few concrete political statements in your music...

Ralf Hütter: Rather socio-political, from our everyday life.

Hauke Schlichting: You only find a concrete one in the new version of "Radioactivity".

Ralf Hütter: Yes, we inserted that because there were endless misunderstandings. We simply wanted to clarify these misunderstandings with one word ("Stop").

Hauke Schlichting: Because of the last album the topic of cycling was once again massively brought into the picture...

Ralf Hütter: I had written this lyrics in 1983 with my French friend Maxime Schmidt. Florian was experimenting with sounds at the same time with his first sampler. This resulted in the album concept "Tour de France". At that time we released only that one single under time pressure and then the ideas fell a bit into oblivion. However, this practically slumbered as a film script in a long version in the studio under the heading unfinished projects. And we just finished that now.

Hauke Schlichting: You have been active as cyclists for a very long time...

Ralf Hütter: Yes, since "Mensch-Maschine". The concept of "man-machine" has brought an awareness, from the pure sound field of music a dynamic physicality man-machine has conclusively emerged. We tried that out and the fascination has remained.

Hauke Schlichting: The unity of man and bicycle is still the man-machine.

Ralf Hütter: That's how it is.

Hauke Schlichting: The man-machine motif has always been a dream of mankind. It already existed with the Greeks, it played a major role with the alchemists, in E.T.A. Hoffmann's "Sandman", in the film "Metropolis" - there are countless examples.

Ralf Hütter: That had become reality for us. There was often the misunderstanding of the machine-man, but we were always concerned with man-machines. We are interactively connected with the machines, that has remained so until today, that is actually a synonym for Kraftwerk.

Hauke Schlichting: Was Kurt Schwitters' "Schmidt-Lied" from 1927 the model for the album "Radioaktivität"?

Ralf Hütter: I've never heard it.

Hauke Schlichting: May I quote from it?

Ralf Hütter: Yes, of course!

Hauke Schlichting: "Und wenn die Welten untergehn, / so bleibt die Welle doch bestehn. / Das Radio erzählt euch allen, / was immer neues vorgefallen. / Und funk ich hier ins Mikrofon, / hört man im Weltall jeden Ton. / Und bis in die Unendlichkeit, / erfährt man jede Neuigkeit. / Wir funken bis zum Untergang / ins Weltall kilometerlang." ("And if the worlds go under, / the wave will still exist. / The radio tells you all, / whatever new happened. / And if I radio here into the microphone, / you can hear every sound in space. / And to infinity, / you'll hear every news. / We'll radio until the end / to space for miles and miles."

Ralf Hütter: A spiritual bond!

Hauke Schlichting: It only remains for me to say that we all hope not to have to wait that long and we are looking forward to new material. You will be turning sixty next year, I hope that Kraftwerk will continue to produce music for a very long time and present it live. But if you've been cycling for 25 or 30 years, like you do, then you should probably be fit.

Ralf Hütter: Yes, we are.

Hauke Schlichting: Wonderful, good luck for the future and thank you very much.

[isprava]

Festive fun, art runs and Isprava in the news! Isprava Luxury Holiday homes and Villa in Goa

Festive fun, art runs and Isprava in the news!

Festive breaks at Igreha Vaddo

If you are looking for charm, style and luxury all in one, look no further than Isprava Igreha Vaddo, where three beautiful homes await your arrival.

This season, if you are craving a break, a home away from home for a while—all roads lead you to Isprava Igreha Vaddo. This is Isprava’s first gated community, located in a quaint corner, around the rare green fields of Siolim in Bardez, North Goa. Borrowing inspiration from Portuguese villages and old Goan communities, this vaddo sits on a higher land, away from the main road and feature homes that bring to the fore Isprava’s signature style, comfort and luxury. If you choose Villa A to be your home away from home, it features 3 bedrooms, and is spread across 2 floors. The best part of this home is its beautiful entrance foyer with a unique sit out porch. It has a living and dining room with a featured balcony. Villa C is visually divided into three lavish sections. The double height foyer is stunning with fixed seats that transforms it into a meet and greet space. As soon as you enter, your sight will take you to the outdoor deck thanks to the abundant windows. The top most floor features a charming terrace garden as well. But if it is Villa D that you rent out this season, do not miss its unique inverted balcony on the first floor, from where you can enter and look down to admire the living and dining space. Each of the three villas have amazing outdoor spaces, cosy indoor enclaves and tons of luxe touches to make your stay memorable, as always.

An Art Escapade in Goa

While the beach and bustling bars are always on the to do list when you visit Goa, this time we give you insider tips on the cool, contemporary art scene buzzing here.

Away from the sea, sand and sun, Goa also boasts a fabulous cultural scene where local artists and creative minds come together to promote Indian and International art. From independent art galleries to state-funded museums, from Calangute to Panaji, explore Goa’s budding art scene to discover both contemporary and traditional works of art. Start at the Art Chamber, a space set up to put young Goan artists in the spotlight. Housed within is the Castelo Vermelho, one of the coolest exhibits that has been featured here; includes a selection of traditional Kurdish and Indian masks. Next, go to Kerkar Art Complex where you will discover an immersive cultural experience featuring art installations and sculptures of Dr. Subodh Kerkar. His perspective of nature is something that really makes him stand out amongst the rest. If you are here on a Tuesday, then you would get to enjoy the open air dance recitals by local artists. As for one of Goa’s best kept art secrets, the Monsoon Heritage Studio will truly enthral. You can reach this gem by walking through a tropical forest and arrive to experience Yahel Chirinian’s dramatic mosaic work. From mirrored sculptures of Hindu deities to handcrafted abstract forms—once you are done exploring, take a moment to sit peacefully in the studio’s garden.

Isprava in the news

Isprava is making headlines—from ET Luxury Second Homes Supplement to special features in leading magazines like Architectural Digest and Elle Décor—pick up the issues to take a closer look.

While Isprava has been in the spotlight for quite some time, today it is taking the media world by storm, with feature after feature in some of the most prestigious magazines and newspapers. For instance, ET Luxury Second Homes Supplement featured the company with a story on how there’s a new wave in the world of holiday homes. The article details how Isprava functions and how it is making a difference in the world of real estate. The company’s founder and CEO, Nibhrant Shah tells the readers of ET on how he believes the high-end holiday home market in India is growing massively. The next exciting feature was in Condé Nast India’s Architectural Digest. The editors of the magazine choose to put one of Isprava’s best in the spotlight. With its catchy headline, “Branco, you’re beautiful”, it tells the design story of Villa Branco in Goa, and beautifully exemplifies everything Isprava does and stands for. Elle Décor went on to do a brilliant brand profile of the company, featuring stunning images and informative content. All in all, we are thrilled to be spreading the word, and sharing the joy of Isprava. Stay tuned on where we show up next!

With a passion

From the world of finance to the epicurean landscape of food, Aditi Dugar, founder of the fine dining, ingredient-curious restaurant Masque, unveils how creativity can take you to places…

1) Tell us about your journey and how your passion came to fruition?

I grew up in Bombay, in and around my mum and grandmom’s kitchens, both of whom are excellent cooks. I started cooking when I was about 16 and only grew to fall in love with all the baking techniques. However, I ended up working in finance up until my first son was born, after which I wanted to take a bit of a breather. That turned out to be the best life decision! I began spending more time experimenting in the kitchen, which pushed me to try getting work experience in restaurants. I ended up working in the kitchens of Le Gavroche and La Petite Maison, Zuma and Bo Lan, and with a vegetarian street food vendor in Bangkok. I also did a stint with a décor company in London, and it was the kind of finesse and attention to detail I saw there that stuck with me. It was something I found seriously lacking in the Indian market at the time. My mom and I finally decided to launch our own catering company (Sage & Saffron) in 2012, hoping to fill that gap. Prateek and I were introduced in Udaipur while he was still working there; we reconnected a couple of years later in Bombay. We found that our thought processes and the kind of experiences we were hoping to deliver aligned really closely, and that’s basically how Masque came into being!

2) From a 10-course chef’s tasting menu to a space that can only be described as stunning, what does Masque mean to you?

Masque is very much a product of the kind of food and dining experience Prateek and I wanted to bring to consumers. I want to deliver an experience that connects the dots in the food chain: a chef’s story on a plate, but one that takes you all the way back to where those ingredients have come from. On a more personal level, trying to pull off this format and food would very often seem like a really daunting, anxiety-inducing task, to be honest - but it also turned out to be a lesson in stubbornness that got us this far.

3) Creativity has many shapes, sizes, and forms. How would you describe your creative prowess?

I think mine comes with a lot of excitement – I get very enthusiastic about how I eat and how I serve; it is reaching that level of finesse that really excites me. How I run a business and attention to detail is very important to me, because it is something I truly appreciate when I’m on the receiving end of it.

4) Luxury to you is?

Perfection. Brands with discipline are the ones that epitomize luxury to me – it immediately tells you the language of the company and what is behind the brand. And time! To have free time would be such a luxury, even though I am awful at sticking to it.

5) At Isprava, everyone loves great food and beautiful spaces. Tell us about how these two things merge at Masque.

The space Masque occupies was designed keeping in mind the experience we were trying to deliver to the diner. The décor is not flashy and over the top, but it feels luxurious without being stuffy and high-strung. It’s quite an interactive meal, starting with the first course in the kitchen to a chef coming out to explain every dish. The kitchen door is always open and it’s not so unusual to see our regulars popping in to say hello. The design process was driven by principles of Wabi Sabi – finding the perfection in imperfection, beauty in things modest and humble. That, I think, is an apt analogy for the kitchen as well: we are not after the perfect-looking produce or the unbruised apples. We are looking for flavour.

6) What is your favourite space at Masque, and why?

Our bar table – what we call the monolith! It feels like a community space where ideas grow, a central point between the back offices, kitchen and restaurant.

7) What kind of holiday home would you want? Any from Isprava? Tell us why?

I always prefer staying at boutique hotels and spaces, and I love being anywhere I can hear the ocean – so I guess my ideal holiday home would be on or near a beach, open and airy with understated, elegant décor. Isprava Villa Verde would be a dream!

Office Address: 12, GD Ambekar Marg, Wadla Village, Wadala, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400031, India Email- shahzad@isprava.com or info@isprava.com Tel: (022) 6708 0502 Mobile-: 9833953686

[amsterdamwhitney]

AMSTERDAM WHITNEY GALLERY, 531 West 25th Street, Chelsea, New York City, located on the Ground Floor, is proud to showcase in its exhilarating AUGUST 29-OCTOBER 3, 2017 exhibition leading Contemporary Master Artists whose works explore the abstract, figurative and natural worlds, exalting the realm of the aesthetic through brilliant coloration and dazzling form. This specially curated exhibition and “Chelsea Roaring 1920’s ~ Great Gatsby” Gala Champagne Reception on Saturday, September 9th from 3:00-5:00 pm, at our beautiful Ground Floor Gallery, inaugurates the Fall Opening of the Chelsea Fall Art Season and offers an exuberant visual synthesis of abstract, figurative, photographic, landscape and floral compositions which assiduously captures the senses of both art acquisitors and art aficionados alike with its scintillating regeneration of the visual realm. Pulsating with dynamic synergy and dazzling artistic creativity, these artists' sophisticated, eclectic and joyful representations of the world shine the spotlight on a universal artistic language. Compelling, lively and emotive, the artworks resonate through the medium of our shared humanity by celebrating the human spirit and connecting with fundamental aspects of identity.

AESTHETICA of the ARTosphere provides a visual syntax of the natural terrain, exploring the global legacy of world-wide topography as observed by three gifted international artists hailing from Texas, Australia and the U.S.  Their expressive reveries of dream-like floral, still life and landscape paintings are infused with inventive narratives as they address intimate natural worlds of chromatic color along with textile brushstrokes. Suggesting both a physical and psychological landscape, their luminescent compositions pay homage to nature and convey both a powerful physicality juxtaposed with a harmonious spirituality. Texan based painter NANCY BALMERT honors the natural elegance of her floral subjects through chromatic blossoms, effusions of luminous light, and attentive realism, whilst nevertheless expressing a unique sense of modernistic individualism. Australia native and Canada resident YOLANTA DESJARDINS transcribes an opulent vision of nature into her spectrally hued floral and sumptuous still life oil canvases. Canadian artist BARBARA MUIR's spiritually rich landscape paintings reflect a love affair with nature as they emphasize the temporal, fleeting beauty of the natural world.

FULCRUM of the FANTASTIC introduces four masterful artists hailing from New York State, Illinois as well as Austria and Latvia, who profoundly explore the human form with a unique artistic perspective.  Their oeuvre manifests the inner depths of unbounded feelings, conveying a universal appeal through their visceral celebrity and figurative surreal portraits. By communicating the mysteries of life through the realm of stylistically fantastical figures, these talented artists transcribe a fascinating visual synergy as they conjure a broad scope of the human experience. New York based Surrealist PHILIP CATANIA creates uniquely structured dreamscapes that present his chimera as visual poetry with an enigmatic realm which incorporates an otherworldly universe.  JACK JASPER captures meditative reveries by implementing a rigorous color palette that combines figuration with abstraction, acting as an engaging connection between representing nature as a mimetic expression. Austrian based SUSANNA MALINOWSKY creates luxurious compositions which are inspired by the world around her.  Filled with emblematic imagery, fantasy opens doors to phantasmagoric worlds where her female figures and serene landscapes are fully imbued with imagination. Contemporary Latvian painter DIANA RADEIKO uniquely portrays portraits from around the world to capture the multitude of individuals defining our multicultural world as she harmoniously unites physical and emotional characteristics to engender an exceptional portrayal of an individual soul. Above all, Ms. Radeiko works to achieve a deeper understanding of life and the intersections between these pop cultural personalities and our world

MIRRORS of the MATRIX creations are filled with emblematic imagery fully imbued with imaginatively fulfilling abstractions that contemplate the heart, mind and soul of contemporary society. The artistic combination of strokes arouses, through color and attitude, the soul which freely expresses itself: now frantic, now calm. Brilliantly compelling, their abstract compositions captivate viewers with a unique blend of the fantastical with the real. Seeking to unmask the deep inner core of the human heart, LAWRENCE ARMSTRONG's multimedia artwork explores the tensions between order and chaos while creating complexities in the structures themselves, as they overlap and produce vibrations and illusions of spatial expansion. German-based TON LINDHOUT gradually builds layers of colors and texture to mimic nature in his abstract, landscape paintings. JULIE WINDLER, “The Riverside Potter,” brings new dimension to pottery, combining fine art and seamless craftsmanship in her wheel stone, ceramic pottery. Through her colors, brightness, and textures of her pottery, Ms. Windler's quest is to use the materiality of the clay medium to suggest the very essence of humankind.

CATALYSTIC COUNTERPOINTS presents three multi-talented, global perspectives ranging from the U.K., Australia and California, whose diverse skills spectrally explore the universe through spontaneity, dynamism and diverse media. Sensationally expressing the energy of the world, their brilliant gestural brushstrokes and huetopian color palettes express the spontaneity of journeys into newfound places which showcases nature and imbues a sense of an ethereal reality. With their unfailing eye, these works synthesize information ranging from reality and cross-referencing imagination, while creating a fragmented space that hovers between the possible and the impossible. Irish born-U.K. based DAMIEN McGINLEY's mixed media paintings are inspired by cities and the people who inhabit them as he energizes his canvases with an exciting chromatic syntax. In her non-representational series, "Landscape Lost," MARGUERITE RUNDLE's abstract compositions captivate viewers with a unique blend of the fantastical with the real as she skillfully applies her keen eye for shape and color combinations with the intent to allow the viewer to interpret her art independently of outside influences and to focus entirely on the elements of the painting. Contemporary artist PATRICK WALSH’s striking Photomosaics® demonstrate the vast creative power of photography, masterfully illustrating how the camera can wondrously transform old film negatives into incredibly stunning works of art.

[symbianosgames]

Jason: As someone who loves to light, I am excited by this new tech and look forward to seeing it evolve over the next year or so. Not having spent a significant amount of time in this limits first hand experience, but the small amount thus far is encouraging. With any new software, tech or approach comes the learning curve.  This is accompanied by a rigid physically based boundary that can be hard to break out of when trying to explore. 

The long term challenge: Can we use that perfect scanned data simply as a base and springboard to a variant of that texture, while still maintaining all the physical based accuracy and detail from the scan?  On top of all that...can we get the varied look that our games need?  

- Twitter user Ara Carrasco asked:

What's the most important aspect of art direction for you?good lighting, good modelling & texturing...?

Jason: Practically speaking, I usually say lighting as it can alter the mood/tone of a scene with a simple dawning of the light.  Theoretically speaking, I would say tonal cohesion between what the game/film/movie is trying to represent with what the art is trying to communicate.  

Andrew: I'd have to say that it's the name for me. "Direction". I really like the word. I think we forget what it means sometimes behind the semantics of a job description, but directing for me is about asking the right questions rather the giving the right answers. I'm constantly amazed by how inventively creative people can solve a problem that you put in front of them. And as long as you are providing them with the right bounds and goals you get something that evolves way beyond what you could have initially anticipated. Power amplification is the name of the game. It sure is a lot of work to prevent things from going in diametrically opposite directions but to me it feels like if the artists have the room to roam within the bounds of the fictional worlds that they are creating the vision and direction get amplified tenfold providing for really rich and exciting experiences.

Greg: I would have to say that the most important part of Art Direction is the presentation.  Establishing where the camera is and how the game is going to be experienced by the player is paramount to me.  This is where the picture as a whole comes into focus.  It allows you to concept and design elements at an appropriate detail level.  In a lot of ways figuring out the presentation gives you the edges of your canvas.  It is the boundary that you create the picture in.  From there everything else flows.

Brian: Answer: I always start with the big picture, for environments it's Composition, Lighting, Motion and Context (What is the story of the environment) For characters, Silhouette and Motion.

Denis: That's a tough one there is so much to it. If I'd had to pick, I probably go with good communication and keeping your team motivated. Communication is key to optimize and limit iteration cycles. For that to happen it has to be a two sided dialogue, so you as AD can take in feedback and act according to it. For me personally the artistic decision making often happens during discussions with my team and I just make sure I follow through with it and keep people on track.

Motivation is essential for me because it keeps the team engaged and they will push for the best possible result, sometimes way beyond what was initially asked of them.

Both of these points in the end have direct impact on productivity, quality and efficiency - hey I'm German after all ;P 

- Twitter user Evan asked:

How do you balance advanced and detail visuals supported by modern consoles with practical design that supports gameplay? As in, keep clear indicators for the players while looking natural and not contrived for gameplay purposes at the same time?

Brian: It's always a conversation about goals.  On Tomb Raider we always tried to create believable worlds that the player instinctivly understood what was interactive or where they were supposed to go.  We use "Visual Language" to help guide the player with consistent visual cues. We mark climbable ledges with white paint, rope coils are always used to indicate where a rope arrow can go, bright pocked walls indicated axe climb surfaces and specifically cracked walls indicated places you could open with your axe.  We protect these patterns in the game so the player always knows how to interact when these examples of visual language show up in the game.

Greg: In a game like XCOM there are many design requirements that effect the art.  It is beneficial to try and identify what needs to be communicated by design early so that visual opportunities are more easily identified.  Being a turned based game can be seen as a huge challenge to immersion, but we saw this as one of our opportunities.  The camera in XCOM is a great example of this since it can literally be anywhere while you are playing.  By changing the camera we can reinforce the design mechanics and provide a tension that is difficult to convey from a more three quarter view.  However, the camera changes also provide some real art challenges.  We needed to make assets that read clearly from the top down view as well as in a close up cinematic camera.  This led us to the initial art direction of XCOM: Enemy Unknown that focused on a “miniatures” look with slightly exaggerated forms and more chunky geometry.  We didn’t want have the details be so small for the close up cameras that they would dance or shimmer from the default gameplay camera.  On the flip side we couldn’t make things so chunky that they destroyed the immersion when the camera dropped down. We spent a lot of time initially balancing these issues and setting very clear modeling and texturing rules.

Andrew:  Design dependencies are always a tricky subject. Confused or frustrated players can't enjoy the game so keeping them happy and their goals clear is a big part of art production. For us it's a constant back and forth. At the very beginning of a project we would iterate with design on gameplay relevant art elements to make sure we can produce art around it that integrates with it nicely. We always want to make sure not to muddy up our language. Exceptions are dangerous and confusing to the player. False positives are also a thing we have to look out for a lot especially in games like Uncharted where it's so easy to create a traversible path somewhere we don't actually want the players to go. 

Sounds trivial  but it's also incredibly valuable to have artists constantly play their levels. It's something that's easy to loose sight of in the heat of production.

And if all else fails it's time to break out the bird poop and yellow paint ;)

- Twitter user Will T Atkers asked:

About how long does it take for a main character to go from concept to final phase?

Andrew: Depends. I'm a strong proponent of getting something in the game as soon as possible, no matter how rough. But from then till someone rips the gold master from out of your sweaty sleep deprived hands it's continuous iteration and polish all the way. It's one of those art is never finished answers. It's important to note that it's easy to reach diminishing returns when you iterate for a very long time. And it's on you to plan and prioritize accordingly. The Pareto principle is a good example of how it usually breaks down: 80% of the work usually takes 20% of the time and the last 20% take the other 80% of time. The last percent come painfully slow, but they also provide most opportunity to grow. Taking something from 0 to 80% awesome is a relatively common skill, but the difference of 1% between 97% and 98% is almost infinitely more valuable. It is literally the "cutting edge" and sometimes takes weeks or months of work to get to.

Jason: In truth, I’ll say about 1 year.  This is strictly for a front and center character like Delsin.  I’ll try to break it down…

First is creative direction needs. What is the purpose of this character? What kind of attitude will they be exhibiting in the game? What kind of arc will this person have? Do they have a disarming or aggressive sensibility?   All of these conversations happen before we throw down any concept art.

Next we hit up concept and begin to sketch things out. Essentially, this process is fairly iterative with our creative direction team until we’re all in a good spot. One unique thing here I have experienced has been a found footage video concept or ‘personality rip-o-matic’.  

Then a fork happens.

On one road, the character team takes this into pre-production to build an in-game proxy model.  The goal is to check movement, scale, and begin to work out the sass of the character through prelim animations.  How do they run? How do they jump? What does this person do when in idle? What does the shape at a low poly look/feel like?

On the other road, we begin CASTING.  Since we use scans and full performance capture, this is very important process to our hero character model pipeline. The creative direction team creates a character description (2 page max) document of our hero. This usually entails basic details like sex, height, weight, and age. Then the remainder of the document explains this person’s motivations, goals, flaws, potential arcs, and habits.  Then we audition a ton of people in hopes that we find someone that can not only bring out the attitude we’re hoping to get, but also have a likeness that is in-line with our visual goals.  In the case of Delsin, Troy Baker fit the bill nicely.

After we cast an actor, we begin the scanning process.  Full body and facial expressions are scanned and sent back to our team.  Our concept and character team will work with the body scan to make any edits that are needed to fit our hero; shorter, taller, thicker, etc.   We take these measurements and send them to a fashion designer who makes patterns to use in Marvelous Designer. Now these two roads have largely converged and we’re onto the next steps.

From here its fairly straight forward. We create hi-poly models of our character based off concept art, bake down and replace our temp PROXY model.  Then comes quality bar iteration through various scenarios. In the past we have 2 scenarios that drive the biggest feedback.

First, the in-game model must be awesome. Since inFAMOUS is a third person action game, the in-game model matters the most. Seeing them running around in the game world with good lighting performing polished versions of those proxy model animations usually highlights a few issues. Sometimes we can’t see them at night so we add better shape or increase value.  Sometimes it’s simply “Delsin isn’t punk enough”, and we add some shiny flare on his vest.

Second, cutscenes will bring the personalities to life. Often cutscenes drive the high end quality bar for us. Unfortunately, cutscenes take a while to make and usually come fairly late in the game.  This is where we iterate on our character specific tech like eyes, skin shading, clothes and hair.

In short, it’s a lengthy process for Hero characters. I wouldn’t be lying if I said a year…  We spend a lot of time ensuring our main character is tonally sound in the marriage between Art Direction and Creative Direction.  For a second tier character we are looking at 2 or so months. 

Brian: Depending on the character, it varies. Heroes usually take longer. Lara took a full year to develop for Tomb Raider 2013 because we were reinventing her. Generally for principal cast models, we spend 2-4 weeks in concept development, hand sculpted realistic characters take 2+ months (High poly, Low Poly bake, textures/materials/shaders) Blend shapes for facial animation and rigging takes another month. Total time 4 months.  Secondary characters usually are created faster, 2 months from concept to finish. Scanning will change these metrics, but a lot more time is spent on preparation like casting, wardrobe, scanning, processing so a fully realistic character scan can get in game in about a month, but if you scan a bunch of bodies and heads at one time, the process is much faster.

Greg: The time that it takes to go from concept to final model depends on several factors.  By working with concept and design the complexity of the character gets defined and the amount of articulation can impact the timeline for production significantly.  Depending on how important of a role the character has will also dictate the time spent in concept.  For us we typically can take about two weeks in concept for one of our aliens in XCOM, but that can really vary and it will stay in concept until we are happy with the direction.  The modeling for something like an alien can take around 4 weeks on average.  With procedural characters, like the soldiers in XCOM it is much more difficult to quantify the time.  A lot of effort is put into developing the systems and how all the parts interact, as well as planning for armor upgrades and customization options. This is really a huge task and quite a bit different from a character that is more self-contained.  Pipelines are also much less linear than just going from concept to model and there is a ton of overlap now.  We typically have the modeler, animation and rigging team involved during the finalization of the concept.  All of these disciplines are able to give input before we go into real production of a final character. Once we are happy at the concept level the model is blocked in and goes to rigging and animation.  Feedback is compiled and applied to the model at this stage. The major point for us is that the model isn’t finished until it is in the game and moving.

- Twitter user Travis asked:

What can you do to keep a cohesive art direction between world assets and FX?

Denis: All my projects so far have been stylized and We went through heavy iteration to find the right style. One initials setups we did on my last project was a small art ready diorama. We made several versions of VFX to see how they'd fit. We also concepted some of the VFX which was helpful. But because of the abstract nature of effects I still consider them the hardest to iterate on. In the end it boiled down to try and error for us.

Combat FVX are a Beast of its own. They have  a lot of requirements like  damagetype, area of effect, faction/monster affiliation and on top it has to resonate really well with combat design, sound and animation.

Having so many pieces that have to collaborate on VFX you have to make sure that everyone knows what the goal is and where we are aiming artistically. Since constantly supervising this process is something you cant afford in production.

Greg: I don’t see these as separate things.  The overall rules for the look of the game directly apply to the effects just like any other element in the game.  Just like a prop in the environment, effects need to be developed in context and not in isolation.  Any effect is an extension of the thing it is attached to, whether it enhances the environment or a character’s ability.

Brian: I always think of them together, FX and Lighting will make every environment come to life.  It's important to ensure FX only dominate a location when they are the star, like being in a level that is on fire, or flooded, etc. But always ensure the style of FX matches the Art Direction of the Environment.  Zelda is my favorite example of stylized FX that match and enhance the Art Direction.

Andrew: Agreed with the gents that this issue is not specific to FX. Maintaining vision and boundaries is crucial with any aspect of art direction. And encouraging people and departments to communicate and collaborate is the timeless challenge of any production. Getting people in the same room to talk and removing middlemen is always the best remedy in my experience.

Technically there are issues with having particles look integrated and leveraging environment data is always a big help. Making sure particles light consistently and accurately under environment lighting and don't need any shader hackery is a big one. Using environment data like surface color or material for the types of squibs or fx to play also add a lot to tying it all together. There are cool geo-based particle approaches coming up so having them integrate with the world should become even easier.