This series of interviews will shed some light on some of the Mixed Media artists dA has to offer. This issue features CrisVector who combines Photoshop with Poser elegantly.

Mature Content

1) Please tell us a little about yourself first.
Hi... I'm Cristiano Siqueira, but I think that most people know me as CrisVector since I joined the DeviantArt community in July 2004. I'm a self employed illustrator based in São Paulo, Brazil. I work for all kind of clients that need some illustration work: Packaging, Editorial, Web Design... I'm 27 years old and I have done some kind of art or other since I was a child. But I started with this in a serious way as a student, for 12 years ago. Professionally I’ve been in the art area for 7 years, 4 years as graphic designer and 3 as freelance illustrator.

2) How did you start out with art? Which was the first (digital) medium you used and why this one?
As I said, I started when I was very young. I used to play copying comic drawings with carbon paper. Some years later, I started my art studies in the traditional way, learning painting and drawing. During that time, the software for illustrations wasn't so accessible to the public (at least in Brazil). Just the high level professionals could use some of them in special projects. The first time I saw a Mac running Illustrator I was 16 years old. I didn't have money enough to purchase any computer, so my dream was to get a Mac. After this first contact, I forgot the computers for a while, concentrating my efforts to reach a good level of illustration in the traditional ways. I tried a lot of techniques, from a simple work with pencil to oil and acrylic paintings, until I got satisfactory results in my work.
After my course I got a portfolio with some illustrations. So I tried to find some job. Three years after the first contact with a Mac, I saw myself working in a graphic design studio exactly with a Mac and Illustrator. It was my first "real" experience with some digital medium. My job was redraw logotypes, so I got a lot of experience using Illustrator, after this I've been introduced to Photoshop, doing image retouches.

3) What prompted you to venture beyond this medium?
The necessity. I started working in a graphic design studio. My only task was redrawing logotypes and do some image retouches. So it was a time to learn and dominate the new tools. All my thoughts in art were traditional, but using the graphical software, I saw it was possible to create some good art using them. I started some experiences with Illustrator, doing few and simple illustrations using pencil sketches as bases. Later I went to Photoshop, colorizing my sketches. Once I got a satisfactory result, using digital mediums, I never left them.

4) What does “Mixed Media” mean to you?
I think that "Mixed Media" is an elegant way to call that works done with various tools. It's a better name than "miscelaneous", I think. Personally I work in "mixed media" in almost all of my "non-vector" stuff. I like to explore the potential of different tools to create a single piece of work.

5) Which media did you use for your deviation Metamorphosis? Why did you choose these specifically and which part of the deviation is what?



Here I used Poser and Photoshop, so 3D and raster. The model and the guides to do the splinters I got from Poser. I chose it because it was the faster and easier way to get a realistic model with that outline guides. To do that small pieces flying away, the colors, the shading effect in the pieces and the background I used Photoshop. I use Photoshop every time to do color corrections and digital painting. So I finished the entire piece in Photoshop.

6) Do you have any tips regarding the use of several media in ones art – is there something one should keep in mind when combining the art forms?
I always keep in mind that all good work starts on paper, in the sketches. I think this is still the best way to plan the ideas, think about the concept before going to the digital tools... Once you have a solid idea of a good image, it's easier to know what media you should use to finish it. Sometimes people just think about the software and they forget to plan their ideas. The result is a work without personality, formatted. Let the idea define the tools, not the tools define the ideas.

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.

Previous Issues:

• #1 saiaii
• #2 Odessa11
• #3 cosmosue
• #4 fensterer
• #5 memod
• #6 Aegis-Strife
• #7 cypherx
• #8 starfantazy
• #9 Qa9ed2000