Today's interviewee is Dmitry Fesechko. Thank you for sharing in.
Spotlight are short interviews to introduce some of the artists here at Putty&Paint.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about you.
My name is Dmitry, I live in Moscow, Russia, now I am a freelance artist. As many artists I studied law (there is some trend, isn’t it?) in university, my graduation work was dedicated to copyright law. I always liked art and at the same time when I was studying law I began to draw and paint. When I began to paint, I was really fond of abstraction and pop art and avant-guard ... Mostly because I really did not have any thoughts and ideas about how to work with form. So I tried to work with color, to mix paints, to make something abstract… And then the truth appeared to me - abstract art is not so easy thing as it seemed to me. I also began to paint miniatures, and you know, many people start to paint miniatures when they want to make their own army for tabletop gaming, but it was not so for me. For me from the beginning the miniature painting was art. Then some of my paintings were sold, I began to take commissions on painting miniatures and then I realized that this is what I really want to do. After I graduated from university I began to take some private lessons from one good old artist. I studied anatomy a lot, academic drawing and so on. I also had some training on concept design. I have even worked for some time in one animation project, as a background artist but I really didn’t like working when you have an art director over you, detailed description what you need to do and so on. Now I’m painting miniatures, making paintings, taking part in some exhibitions and enjoying such life.
What are your favorite tools, and why do you use them?
I really like oils a lot. Good oil paints are made of natural pigments and the colors really have a very natural look. It is easier to work with large surfaces on miniatures and to make some freehands (but not the patterns – for patterns I use mostly acrylics) with oils. But painting in oils has some negatives too. You really need to have a good experience to predict the result because when you lay down the paint it is very shiny. Also you need to use varnishes, to wait some time when oil dries. As acrylic paints I use Vallejo, games workshop and andrea paints. In fact I don’t have a large pallete of acrylic paints, the habit that comes from working with oils. I very much like to mix colors. I also have an airbrush – H&S Infinity, but I don’t use it much, I don’t like the “glamour” look of works where airbrush is used a lot. I use kolinsky (best for acrylics for me) and synthetic brushes.
How would you describe your own style?
I like realistic looking painted miniatures and I really don’t like miniatures painted In kind of comic book looking style and too much stylized. There are some good artists using stylization a lot and their works are really awesome but I just like the realism more. I try to use vivid colors carefully, but also try not to do “only earth neutral colors miniatures”. I Don’t think that I can describe my own style in miniature painting itself and I don’t know if it is unique, but I like to do freehands, spend some time designing it, I like the realistic looking pictures on miniatures, like some soft edges on freehand drawings.
Show us your workspace. Do not clean it.
Who influences your work and what inspires you?
I think it is really better when nobody influences your work. Really. And no other works should inspire you. You should be inspired by your emotions, which you get from other works, but not those works itself, there is difference. Other wise you’ll be making replicas and can lose yourself. So a lot of emotions which I am inspired by I get from classical art. My favorite period is 19th century. I very much like orientalists, like Lecomte du Nouy. I have a very good book – Orientalism in western art, there are about 1000 orientalism art works from different periods. Vasiliy Vereshchagin (Василий Верещагин if you want to google it) is a really awesome Russian orientalist artist (although he was a soldier he fought in Asia all of his life). I really like works of Caspar David Friedrich, Peter Arbo, and of course Russian artists – Konstantin Makovsky (Константин Маковский), Vrubel (Врубель). Modern Russian artist Pavel Ryzhenko (Павел Рыженко) is also really awesome. And of course many many many others. Also I very much like the Spectrum annual artbooks. So the emotions is what really inspires us, I think.
What’s you current favourite music/movie/series you enjoy while working?
I like documental historical films, like travelling channel, like audiobooks (some of last – John Fowles – The Magus, Haruki Murakami - 1Q84). I like different music – classical rock like Led Zeppelin or Jefferson Airplane, Nick Cave and Tom Waits. One of my favorite bands is Morphine.
Show and tell us what you are currently working on or what you recently finished?
All the works I recently finished are here – on Putty and Paint: Samurai bust, Time composition, S’erum and Knights. I really should mention that all of them were done for Russian Alternative contest. There is also my last painting (though it was done in the beginning of this year) “Time Smoker” on the photo and one painting I’ve just started. It should be still life in classic glazing technique – some robotic mask or something like this ) I also just started some miniature projects – giant (and there would be archers with him I think and somebody killed) and model from Warmachine (If I’m right), hope I’ll finish them (cause sometime I don’t finish what I’ve started).
Regards,
Дмитрий
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Visit Dmitry Fesechko at Putty&Paint and on his Website fesechko.com
Today's interviewee is Radek Pituch. Thank you for sharing in.
Spotlight are short interviews to introduce some of the artists here at Putty&Paint.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about you.
My name is Radek Pituch, age 28, I was born and do a living in Warsaw, Poland. I studied law and now work as a public servant at the Mazovian Voyvodinship. I always liked arts, in the past done a lot of drawing and painting using water colors and oils. My adventure with the hobby started at the age of 7, when my father bought me a Matchbox 1/72 scale Hurricane, what a kit it was back then! The years passed and I changed my interests to armor and diorama builing. In 2008 I started a modelling blog, in 2009 I started publishing in different foreign magazines. In 2012 I got into cooperation with Canfora Publishing and Rinaldi Studio Press and participated in their recent modelling books. From 2009 onwards I started attending local polish but also international shows finally, gaining more reputation over the years, to be invited for judging in different categories and run some seminars at the dutch SMC modelling event and Belgian Scale Modellers Convention lin late 2013.
What are your favorite tools, and why do you use them?
For painting my miniatures nowadays I use mostly acrylics, Tamiya, Vallejo and Lifecolor brand. Although from time to time I also use the good old Modelmaster or Humbrol enamels (for certain purpouses) as well as Talens and Winsor & Newton artistic oils. I prefer acrylics for their ease of use and odourlessnes (well except Tamiya ones). For painting I use Daler Rowney and Kozlowski paintbrushes. As for sculpting I prefer Magic Sculp and Greenstuff (Duro). In the past I tried Miliput but MS suits me better for my basic sculpting material. For bigger sculptures, from 1/24 onwards I also use Chavant clays (Autostyle and NSP). For sculpting I use simple tools, actually most of them homemade out of toothpics or old paintrbush sticks but also some dental tools if needed.
How would you describe your own style?
Seeing Calvin Tan’s style of painting or Bill Horan’s style of sculpting back in the years I was always under a kind of influence of these two but I actually developed a style of my own, some claim it’s a bit of comic style of painting but for me yet realistic, this also considers my sculpting style.
Show us your workspace. Do not clean it.
I have limited space for my workbench, I organised a small table where I build miniatures. Lately I modified it to be able to take instant photos of my current WIP since I publish a lot in different modelling magazines and books.
Who influences your work and what inspires you?
As I mentioned earlier, my biggest inspiration for miniature sculpting and painting are Calvin Tan and Bill Horan, which I value the most for their ability to work with colors and sculpting materials to achieve realism and lifelikness of their pieces of modelling art. As for AFV miniatures most of my influence comes from the well known artists who influenced the whole modern modelling world and that is Adam Wilder, Mig Jimenez, Mike Rinaldi, Mario Eens. As it comes to diorama stuff I always liked works of Per Olav Lund and also the master of the detail - Volker Bembennek. Most of these guys are my friends now.
What’s you current favourite music/movie/series you enjoy while working?
It depens on the mood but I like jazz music as well as good old Black Sabbath to listen while working on my models.
Show and tell us what you are currently working on or what you recently finished?
My current WIP is a small vignette depicting a scene from the failed Dieppe raid from summer 1942 for a new modelling book which should be available this summer from the Swedish published Canfora Grafisk Form&Forlag. On the picture you can see the figures that I work on at the moment.
My blog and my facebook page to subscribe.
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Visit Radek Pituch at Putty&Paint
Today's interviewee is Sander van der Does. Thank you for sharing in.
Spotlight are short interviews to introduce some of the artists here at Putty&Paint.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about you.
My name is Sander van der Does and I am 24 years old. I am living in the Netherlands in the beautiful city of The Hague. Presently I am finishing my study to become a Fiscal lawyer at Leiden University.
In respect to the hobby, I started with it inspired by my father, when I was a kid of 8 years old by making models of airplanes. Later on tanks came into the picture and other military miniatures. The last 3 years I have specialized in painting miniature figures (mostly historical subjects) that I like much more then the other modelbuilding subjects. Since it gives me more options to work with colours then just olive drab and panzer grey.
What are your favorite tools, and why do you use them?
My favourite brushes are the ones of Winsor & Newton no. 7 series and Da Vinci Maestro Series 10. They are not cheap but the quality makes it worth for me. If you treat them well, they last very long. I can still use my brushes from 2 years ago.
As far as paints are concerned I mostly work with Vallejo Model Color and Andrea although I am beginning to appreciate the Citadel paints more and more.
Some time ago a was introduced to Citadel’s Liquid Green Stuff putty, great stuff to fill and smooth small gaps and irregulations.
But I think the most important tool are my friends, which give me the feedback I need to improve my miniatures. They keep the hobby like fun during events, workshops and the painting sessions we have together. Inspiring and learning from each other is the key element for me.
How would you describe your own style?
Difficult question to answer by myself. According to my friends my work style can be described as extreme but balanced. For example I like my faces to be very expressive with a lot of contrast and at the same time to be balanced by blending them a lot so the high contrast won’t bother the viewer.
Show us your workspace. Do not clean it.
At the beginning of a new miniature I always clean it, but when the painting is going on it seems to get a mess everytime. Will be a common problem I think. :)
Who influences your work and what inspires you?
Nowadays the internet and shows are the most important source of inspiration for modellers I think. Also art can be a good help to get inspired to paint miniatures.
For me personally, the lessons and courses I have had from great figure painters such as Marcel Boerrigter (NL), Fernando Ruiz (ES), Danilo Cartacci (IT) and recently Jesus Martin Gallego (ES) were a big impulse for my painting skills and my passion for figures.
I am a fan of the workstyle of those guys, which is beginning to show of in my figures I think. Seeing those guys painting and learning from them makes me enthusiastic to try to become better and better.
The last challenge I had was two weeks ago at a two day course given by Jesus Martin Gallego in Madrid, where I painted my first female figure (Luz) of Nocturna Models (owned by Jesus). I am very grateful I have the opportunity to participate in such courses. Attending such courses I can highly recommend.
What’s you current favourite music/movie/series you enjoy while working?
I don’t really have a favourite music style to be honest, I like almost everything. I put on Spotify and wait what’s coming along. :)
In respect to series I’m currently a big fan of stuff like Game of Thrones and Spartacus.
Show and tell us what you are currently working on or what you recently finished?
I am currently working on the latest bust from Heroes and Villains Miniatures, a Germanic Warrior. The nice sculpt and the crisp casting, makes it great fun to paint those bust figures on scale 1:12. Not to big, but big enough to go to town with little details. You can see my workstyle in this figure, extreme in giving expression and contrast to the figure but blended as well. Off course the blending isn’t finished yet, but it gives an impression already.
Also you can see the first progress of Luz from the course in Madrid from Jesus Martin.
My latest Historical miniature I finished can be found on PnP.
It’s also a bust form H&V Miniatures that I did for a painting demonstration on the Scale Model Challenge last October in Holland.
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Visit Sander van der Does at Putty&Paint
Today's interviewee is Patrick "The Small" Masson. Thank you for sharing in.
Spotlight are short interviews to introduce some of the artists here at Putty&Paint.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about you.
Hi, my name is Patrick Masson. I am 37 years old, married and have 3 boys. I am a freelance sculptor since may 2011.
This often makes smile when someone says that I was already a sculptor when I was little, because there is indeed a link between my size and my nickname “The Small” … And yes it is true that the sculpture or modeling is an old passion for me … Although I initially tried to draw (especially during school hours …), when I began to touch the Fimo in 1995 this was a revelation.
At the begining I was doing a character from time to time as a gift for family or friends. They were most often adaptation of french comic’s characters like the Fourreux or Fol de Dol from Régis Loisel. In 2002, I did some dragons for Fenryll, these were my first produced pieces.
Then I had a very less productive period (if you put standout my three beautiful children !), my work as an engineer and the family do not allow me to give a lot of time to this passion. But in 2006 I met Arnaud Saran (drawer) and together with Arnaud Gerard (story writer) and Frederic Chollet (webmaster), we have created a website http://ltdk.free.fr and a blog http://latribudek.canalblog.com where we were presenting our work.
This was enough to be back with delight into the sculpting of characters and fantasy creatures …
In collaboration with Arnaud Saran and Thierry Masson, I created the figurines of Mr Bone, Ezop the Werewolf, Barney the Steamthing and I started to show them in different contests in 2009 and as a result it encourages me to pursue.
The hobby-passion quickly took a very important place in my life, to the point that I have decided in 2011 to leave my work and start as a free-lance sculptor… ARTIK TOYS was born!
Since then, I am sculpting for different companies and game as CoolMiniOrNot, DarkAge, SmartMax, Eden, and others and I am still planning to do some personal creations for my own miniature company Artik Toys.
What are your favorite tools, and why do you use them?
Most of the time I’m using a dental tool and a home made wood tool. Then for the very fine details I’m using a needle. These are the main tools I’m using for 90% of the sculpt even if I have tens of different tools. I’m always searching for a new one that might be better but at the end I usually come back to the first ones.
My prefered medium for miniature sculpting (30 to 70mm scale) is Fimo. I am doing a mix of fimo soft grey dolphin with fimo classic champagne plus a small amount of fimo classic black to get a darker grey. Because grey is my prefered color to sculpt. I like the way this color catch the light and the way you can see the volumes. And more other, I really like the fact that the masters look like resin finished parts at the end. It makes very nice masters.
For bigger scale (70 to 200mm) I usually use a mix of Scuper sculpey and Sculpey firm.
How would you describe your own style?
That’s a very difficult question for me. I don’t know if I really have a style, I have some trouble analysing my own work to define that. But to try an answer, in my work I am trying to be realistic most of the time, even if I’m doing comic style there is always a search of realism in the anatomy, in the clothes or in some details. I always search for some realism to try to make the piece “alive” even for cartoon character or monsters, I honestly don’t think I manage to do it every time but I try at least. I like to think the sculpture can move and speak. Maybe this is this point which describes the best my style if I can say so.
Show us your workspace. Do not clean it.
Here is my workspace, still not finalized though … As you may see, right now the desk is not the final one. I am still looking for the final dimension and material for it. It is also not very well arranged and organised for the tools but I am waiting for the final desk to find the best organisation.
At the end I will have 4 locations to work, one for the computer, one for miniature sculpting,
one for sanding and dirty work and the last one for bigger sculpting. In my mind that’s great, maybe one day I’ll be able to finish it ;)
For the cleaning, I’m trying to do it after a certain period (usually about once per month) or when it becomes too crowded to work, you know … when there is only 10 square centimeters free to work … ;)
Who influences your work and what inspires you?
A lot of different people are influencing my work.
As I am a full autodidact in art and sculpture, I have not a huge knowledge in history of art but some masters like Rodin, Bernini or Michelangelo are really inspirations for me. And I can spend hours looking at one piece of them.
In the world of miniature, I would say, Remy Tremblay, Allan Carrasco, Jacques Alexandre Gillois, Pedro Fernandez, Joaquin Palacios, I am always amazed by their pieces. There are also other sculptors in bigger size like Mark Newman, Cyril Roquelaine, Simon Lee, Jose Ismael Fernandez and so many others.
Influences are coming from drawers like Thierry Masson, Arnaud Saran, Brom, Frazetta, Regis Loisel.
And at then end, I will say that every day on internet there are plenty of amazing artists (sculptors, drawers, painters, photographers) who bring me a lot of motivation and inspiration.
What’s you current favourite music/movie/series you enjoy while working?
My favorite music is for sure Pink Floyd. There is no better way of scupting for me than doing it listening to Echoes, High hopes, Wish you were here, Shine on you crazy diamond, Marooned and all the others songs from them. Most often, I sculpt while listening the full discography of them.
Show and tell us what you are currently working on or what you recently finished?
I can not show what I am currently working on as it has to stay secret until the release.
But I can show a personal piece I have started and that I will finish when I can. It is a bit bigger than usual and made out of Monster clay. This is called “The Comforter’s Collector”. I’m quite happy with the idea but I have plenty of stuff to do to make it as I want.
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Visit Patrick “The Small” Masson at Putty&Paint or on his website ARTIK TOYS
Today's interviewee is Martin "Dre4mit" Goumaz. Thank you for sharing in.
Spotlight are short interviews to introduce some of the artists here at Putty&Paint.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about you.
My name is Martin Goumaz and I’m 30 years old. I live in Geneva, in the french speaking part of Switzerland. I’m working in the social part with the youth. I’m also the proud father of two kids, Robin (2.5 yo) and Maya (1 month). My life is pretty busy at the moment as you can guess!
People may know me under my nickname, dre4mit. It doesnt really mean anything, it is a nick that i keeped from my videogames sessions when i was a teenager. It’s probably the same story for many painters :) .
What are your favorite tools, and why do you use them?
I think my favorite tool is the internet. As I’ve always been painting alone, the internet has been my teacher. What I love in the miniatures painting community, is that most of people are happy to share their knowledge. So you can ask people how they painted this or this effect, you can read tutorials, you can watch videos, you can look at and analyse photos of amazing minis… Of course watching things on the internet won’t magically transform you into a top level painter, but if you practice enough it will help you to progress.
I use Raphael brushes (from 2/0 to 2), paints from many brands (MC, GW, P3, Liquitex…) depending of what I’m painting and the effect I’m looking for. Some brands are more shiny or more matte, more or less covering etc. I also paint with a wet palette. I owe an airbrush but i nearly never use it. I’m a total newbie with it and I hate the cleaning.
How would you describe your own style?
I think my works are clean. I’m a perfectionist guy, I like smooth blendings and i hate to see technical mistakes on my works. I mostly look at technique, when i paint and also when I look at other painter’s minis. Even if it’s maybe not the main thing that determines if it’s a great paintjob or not. I also try to create atmospheric bases, giving something more to the figure. I love creating bases :) .
Show us your workspace. Do not clean it.
As I had to leave my painting room to let it to my daughter, I moved in the living room and managed to put everything in this console. It’s small so I have to clean it very often, but it works quite well ! The good thing is, I can close it so my children can’t touch everything :) .
Who influences your work and what inspires you?
Well, when I started to paint at the end of 2009, i was simply looking at paintjobs on the internet without paying attention to the name of the painter. I think you can find great ideas looking at paintings of any painter, master or not. Later I discovered the MASSIVE VOODOO crew, who inspired me a lot and learned me many things through their tutorials. After that there are of course some well known names, like Sebastian Archer, Diego Ruina, Fabrizio Russo, Matthieu Roueche, Thomas David, Francesco Farabi, Jérémie Bonamant Teboul, Mirko Cavalloni, MASSIVE VOODOO guys and many others… But photography, canvas paintings and everydays life are also great inspiration sources.
Show and tell us what you are currently working on or what you recently finished?
I’m actually working on two things. A bust given & sculpted by my friend Massimiliano Richiero. It’s sort of a warrior with a spiky helmet. Quite a strange model but I love it. Still at the preparation stage.
The other thing is a bigger project, the Boelg from Alambic Miniatures. An absolute pain to prepare, but I hope i’ll be able to start the painting soon. I love this sculpt! I progress really slow, my children don’t allow me much time. With luck one of them will be finished in one or two months :) .
Cheers !
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Visit Martin “Dre4mit” Goumaz at Putty&Paint
