Interview with Shannon Morrison

“After many years of using the airbrush, it has become a profoundly magical process for me. I am amazed by how an image seems to magically appear, yet my hand never touches the painting’s surface”

Shannon Morrison is a self-taught artist who creates wonderful pieces of figurative art using his airbrush and acrylic paint. He was born in Michigan in 1973 and currently lives in Arizona, where he is focusing on increasing the production of paintings and improving his technique. With an Iwata HP-B airbrush and Createx colors, Shannon creates beautiful and realistic paintings with a subtle touch of fantasy.

When he is not painting or drawing, this artist also plays the shakuhachi—the Japanese bamboo-flute— and enjoys working out. He describes himself as a “fitness junkie”, and his passion for physical activities led him to appreciate more the human body and inspired him to study human anatomy. In his most recent work, Shannon focuses on the nude female body.

“Blues contemplation” by Shannon Morrison (image shared by artist)

In this Q&A artist Shannon Morrison shares with PoseSpace how he got into art, why he uses airbrush as a tool, what life experiences influenced his work, valuable advice for artists who have an interest in airbrush and more:

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into art?

I have always been involved in art. Ever since I was a young child, I can remember spending hours drawing and coloring. One of my most profound memories was becoming incredibly jealous one holiday because my older brother got a Super Hero drawing set and I did not. I don’t even remember what I did get that holiday. All I remember is that I wanted a drawing kit, so that I could also draw things.

As I got older, I took drawing classes in school, confident that I could go somewhere with my artistic talent. Challenging life experiences kept me from pursuing further art education past high school, but I continued independent art study on my off time and weekends. I worked with anything I could – books, DVD’s, and just pure practice.

In my thirties, I launched a small graphic art business specializing in airbrush and custom painting. This lasted about a decade before I grew weary of the pressures of deadlines and unreasonable requests. I began to realize that I was not cut out for that specific industry and closed the business.

In recent years, I have shifted focus to pursue my own visions and ideas, and that’s where I intend to spend my remaining artistic years.

Why did you choose the airbrush as your main tool?

I chose the airbrush because of its apparent unmatched ability to convey realism, as demonstrated in the inspirational works of Chuck Close, Don Eddy and H.R. Giger. Now, after many years of using the airbrush, it has become a profoundly magical process for me. I am amazed by how an image seems to magically appear, yet my hand never touches the painting’s surface – I have a thought and it’s then rendered.

What life experiences have influenced your work?

There are two major life experiences that have shaped and influenced my art, from the tools used to the subject matter. First, my family seemed to have a never-ending struggle just to get by and I grew up with very little, which forced me to use my imagination as a way to escape this reality. I would create my own intricate worlds which, still to this day, I see come out in my paintings.

Additionally, I was extremely physically active and worked hard to develop my physical capacities, which contributed to my obsession about how the body looked and moved in space. This appreciation and fascination for the human form became the main focus of my art and paintings. My ideas focused on capturing the form in action, like a split second in time, similar to that of a still frame. This stop-in-action would create questions for the viewer as they searched for the story, often creating tension that could not be resolved.  

Do you listen to music while you work? What is your perfect environment to paint?

I am an amateur musician and therefore music is always on when I paint. I use music to shape moods – if the art has a light theme, I find music that creates that mood in me before I start to paint. It’s very hard for me to paint a sad theme in a painting while listening to music that picks me up and makes me happy (and vice versa).

Regarding PoseSpace, do you prefer individual poses, books, or sessions?

Early on, I had been using images from magazines and the internet, but I felt that the finished paintings and images were not fully mine because of potential copyright issues. One solution, using live models, was both time and cost-prohibited for me.  Later, I stumbled upon PoseSpace, which eliminated my need to find or afford live models.  Pose Space allowed me to produce finished art in full confidence that it was my own and without the worries of legal ramifications.

Additionally, I use Sessions, but I had started off with a couple of hard bound books from Amazon. Sessions allows me to see and adjust different perspective and angles with the same model.


What advice do you have for artists who have an interest in airbrush?

The most beneficial advice I can give aspiring airbrush artists is to see the airbrush as a tool to produce a result.  Similar to other art processes, it will have to be learned and practiced until it becomes second nature. In teaching airbrush classes in the past, I found that a lot of the students assumed that the airbrush was easy and some type of silver bullet that would paint great art for them, but that’s not the case. It takes time to master the airbrush, and even after that you still need to have developed drawing skills, understand value and shape, and have mastery of composition and color theory to produce good art. It is my belief that the airbrush does nothing more than apply paint—a very cool way to do it— but it’s still just another tool.

“The Wall” by Shannon Morrison inspired by modelBecca (image shared by artist)

How has your style changed over the years?

Art is a process that is ever unfolding and growing in me – what I am working on now may change completely in ten years. There have been times on my artist’s journey where I never really thought of myself as good enough, but I kept at it. The days became weeks, weeks became months and finally months into years, and somewhere along the way I started looking at my own art and thinking “I am getting pretty good at this.”  It became clear that I had gotten somewhere and had something worthy to say. Now in my forties, I have many years of learning and painting behind me (and so many more to go), yet I feel like I am just starting to see real fruits of my labor. My future goal is to just keep creating and moving forward.

Shannon Morrison’s website: http://shannonmorrisonstudios.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrshannonmorrison

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannon.morrison.artist/


Interview by Andrea Miliani

Interview with Christina Ellis

“I have worked with many mediums, both in painting and sculpture but for some reason that fact that not many people work in cement/concrete – it interested me more”

Christina Ellis has explored “the storytelling of the human experience” in art for decades. This artist began her career as an illustrator and art director, but later studied sculpture at the University of Alaska where she learned from her professor and favorite artist, Ken Gray. Her work led her to discover and feel passionate about an unpopular material among sculptors: cement.

Ellis has participated in many exhibitions and demonstrations such as the “No Big Heads” show. She is now immersed in her studio in Portland Oregon enjoying the challenges of sculpting busts in cement. She finds inspiration in strangers on the streets and imagines what it would be like to invite them to a dinner party and meet them face-to-face. The result would be hard to predict, just as her cement sculptures.

Sculpture by Christina Ellis (image shared by artist)

In this Q&A artist Christina Ellis shares with PoseSpace how she fell in love with cement, why Ken Gray is her favorite artist, her rituals and advice to art students:

When did you first know you wanted to become an artist?

I have always been an artist. If I could find some mud or sticks, I was creating art. There was something about it that made the world feel right for me.

How did you get started with cement?

I have worked with many mediums, both in painting and sculpture but for some reason that fact that not many people work in cement/concrete – it interested me more. While researching concrete one day, I came across a video about a sculptor named Katherine Stanek. Her work was so beautiful and profoundly touching the way she took this blah, messy medium and created visual masterpieces. I was hooked.

How do you start a sculpture— do you have any rituals?

I have a ritual candle infused with herbs and essential oils to awaken creativity, playfulness and imagination. I have it burning whenever I am working in my studio.

Do you have a favorite artist?

My favorite artist was my college art professor, Ken Gray. He was a phenomenal artist and sculptor and a phenomenal teacher. He brought out the creative light in each one of his students. I always had a deep interest in sculpture but had been putting off taking sculpture classes because they were long and hard and dirty. One day, I learned Professor Gray had cancer. I immediately enrolled in every one of his classes. He taught me the joy of sculpting.

Scupture by Christina Ellis (image shared by artist)

What do you think of PoseSpace?

I think PoseSpace is an amazing service for artists. The care and artistry that is put into the photography of each pose is a great resource when you can’t get a live model.

You opened an art school in Southern Oregon, could you tell us more about this project?

I had renovated an old house downtown Medford Oregon and wanted to bring art instruction to a community that was not known for its exposure to the creative world. I had a full school of dedicated students, both young and old. My timing was off though, the next year, 2008, people were forced to choose between groceries and art school tuition. I had to close the doors.

What advice do you have for young artists who have an interest in sculpting?

Allow yourself to be free – play, create, make your own rules.

Christina Ellis’ website: www.cmegallery.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cmegallery

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cmegallery

Interview by Andrea Miliani

Interview with David Nelson

“Once I saw that contemporary artists were dealing with ideas, everything changed for me and I was hooked”

David Nelson is a contemporary artist based in Dublin, New Hampshire. His interest in art began as a child when he discovered comics. Later, at the university, David studied and admired the great artists, but ended up revealing the real value of contemporary art. His work, both abstract and figurative, capture his style and innovation with striking colors and disruptive ideas.

Nelson defines on his website one of his main interests in art, the idea of agency: “For something to come into being by letting other forces be the agent doing it.” This concept makes more sense when we see one of the paintings of his “Incarnation” collection; a bunch of dots in cyan, magenta, yellow, and key —properly placed—that create beautiful shapes of human bodies when seen from the right perspective.

“Incarnation: Garden Variety” 20’ x 16’ clear acrylic finger-painted on billboard vinyl (image shared by artist)

In this Q&A artist David Nelson shares with PoseSpace how he developed his techniques, how he discovered CMYK dots, what contemporary art means to him and a few details about his experience at the Governors Island Art Fair:

When did you first know you wanted to become an artist?

When I was in my teens, I was an avid comic book collector, and took a comic art class with a local artist. I loved it. I decided to study fine art at University of Maine, where the department head surprised me by taking my not-very-traditional portfolio seriously and was very open and encouraging. I was also happy the university setting would give me the opportunity to study literature, my other big interest.

One of your main interests is the idea of agency and you use only primary colors. What inspired you to come up with this concept?

I began my studies absolutely hating contemporary art, thinking it was the biggest cultural hoax in history. Until my senior year, that is, when I was forced to study it. In spite of myself, I became fascinated. Art was about ideas. Art was a visual means to explore complex questions about life—the same philosophical and theoretical questions I was discussing in English Lit and science classes. What’s the relation between order and chaos, emotion and intellect, objectivity and subjectivity, pattern and disruption? Once I saw that contemporary artists were dealing with ideas, everything changed for me and I was hooked.

Which artist or painter has influenced you?

When I had to do a paper on a living artist for the Contemporary Art class, I told the professor I didn’t know any— my heroes had been Degas, Vermeer and Tiepolo. He said, “OK, do Jean Dubuffet.” I never heard of him, so when I saw his paintings looked like the scrawls of a child or tar poured on a canvas, I was horrified. That is, until I read his thinking behind it. He was trying to capture something universal and atavistic, something deeper than intellect or observation. He was grappling with those same dynamic balances I was: organic/mechanical, emotional/intellectual, abstraction/representation.

How has your style changed over the years?

In college I made abstract works with a tight linear pattern, but using paint that would creep and craze on its own. I created strict grids that were made up of scribbles, mechanical patterns made up of organic leaf shapes, splatters that were random, but precisely placed by a friend’s personal computer.

Later, experience in graphic design and art direction introduced me to CMYK process color. This got me thinking, what if I spattered the dot pattern with paint? What if I controlled the paint by using random numbers or scattered objects? I’d be making an image by relinquishing control rather than taking hold of it. Colors would layer and mix “on their own.” I spent about ten years exploring this dynamic in non-objective process paintings.

I was tempted to use the CMYK dot idea to form more concrete images, but that was crazy — introduce subject matter? Things!? Actual things are so freighted with meaning—or plagued with cliché. Then I remembered Dubuffet: kids and cavemen all wanted to draw the same thing— the simple human form.

So I took straightforward, full-body photos of my family, color-separated them, blew them up to life-size, and executed the coarse dot pattern with clear CMYK acrylic from a ketchup squirter. No pose, just standing there—a record of “this is me.” I liked how the vagueness of the painted dots fought with the photographic “realness” of a particular individual. I’ve explored this idea in a range of scales—applying paint with industrial syringes at postage-stamp-size, to finger-painting 20’ x 16’ figures on billboard vinyl.

To learn as much as I could about the figure, I decided to try sculpture. It worked for Degas, after all! I was pleasantly surprised to find I had a pretty good working knowledge of anatomy. Drawing those muscular superheroes in my comic art days wasn’t wasted.

“Garden Variety” 12” x 12” x 20” Polymer clay, artificial moss, glass garden cloche (image shared by artist)


How did you discover www.posespace.com?

It became pretty clear that If I was investigating the body in this iconic way, it was inevitable for me to consider the nude. It was great to find quality reference at Posespace. I’ve been especially glad to see models with “normal” body types and straightforward poses. The 360-degree views are tremendously helpful for sculpture.

Can you tell us about your experience at the Governors Island Art Fair?

Governors Island is a former military base 800 yards off Manhattan’s southern tip. For  five weekends each September, over 100 artists from around the world transform spaces in the historic buildings with their art. I showed paintings from my “Incarnation” series in 2017 and 2018. It was terrific to talk with hundreds of visitors every weekend. My artist’s statement prompted a lot of great conversations: “The human experience means bringing our unseen into where it can be received some way by other bodies. And something is always lost in translation. So life is always a beautiful, frustrating challenge of giving and receiving partial messages, garbled transmissions, incomplete sentences.”

David Nelson’s website:  www.davidnelsonart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidnelsonart/


Interview by Andrea Miliani

Interview with Davey Edwards

“I believe the female anatomy is one of the hardest to sketch in realist form. The way movement and gravity affects the fluidity of women’s anatomical parts is one of God’s greatest designs”

Davey Edwards teaches cadastral sciences in Texas and has a Ph.D. in geosciences, but during his spare time —besides riding his Jeep— he uses his pencils to improve his drawing techniques and exercise the right side of his brain. A few years ago, he started drawing on his son’s lunch bag and, after some encouraging feedback, he decided to share his art.

Even though he doesn’t consider himself an artist, he’s been building an interesting portfolio on his Instagram account. The female body is his biggest challenge and favorite subject. PoseSpace poses have helped Edwards understand the human body, and social media channels have been a great source of motivation: “I use other’s artwork on Instagram to inspire me. There are a lot of great artists around the world!”.

“Lazy Summer” by Davey Edwards inspired by Adhira from Posepace (Image shared by artist)

In this Q&A interview, Davey Edwards shares with PoseSpace his goals and aspirations as an artist, his favorite painters, and the life experiences that have influenced his work:

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into art?

Currently, I am a professor of cadastral sciences at a university in Texas.  I grew up loving the sciences but also loved art; drawing, painting and sculpture. When I went to college, I studied pre-medicine with aspirations to be an orthopedic and design prosthetics.  My love of art found a new avenue when I studied anatomy and where I got into figurative art of the human body.

What are your goals or aspirations as an artist?

All day I use the left side of my brain, to be able to sit down and concentrate on an art piece give me a sense of relaxation and use the right side of my brain.  For several years now, I have been wanting to write a graphic novel, or an illustrated novel. I have a storyline and have sat down a couple of times to write it but usually get busy and lose interest before getting it back again.  The name is Allu, it is about a succubus born from a fallen angel, Lilith, and Adam and Eve’s first born, Cane. It is a mixture of legend and biblical history.

Allu, Davey Edwards’ fictional character inspired by Sarahann (Image shared by artist)

Do you have a favorite living artist, whether famous or completely unknown?

Well my favorite artist and the one I think I usually emulate is William Bouguereau but he is not living.  But for one that is living I would say Amahi Mori, she is a pencil artist who has got a great understanding of human anatomy. I would say that I try and use her style of pencil art combined with Bouguereau.  As you can see, as long as I practice and push my ability, my art has evolved with pencil.

Do you have a favorite PoseSpace.com model?

If I had to choose a favorite Posespace model, it would be Saju and Sarahann.  They appear to be tall and proportioned to how I would like to see my character, Allu.

What life experiences have influenced your work?

I think I live a very interesting life.  A lot of what I get to see influences my artwork from real life to museums.  If you scroll through my Instagram account, you may notice that I primarily sketch/paint female characters.  This comes from my love and respect for women and not what some might think. I believe the female anatomy is one of the hardest to sketch in realist form.  The way movement and gravity affects the fluidity of women’s anatomical parts is one of God’s greatest designs.

Tell us one thing you thought you knew, that it later turned out you were wrong about

Oh if I could only be right half the time…

Davey Edwards’ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doubledaggie/

Interview by Andrea Miliani

Interview with Dennis Young

“It is inherently satisfying to reproduce on paper or canvas a likeness of a human soul that engages the emotion and the concerto of effects and highlights of the human form”

Dennis Young is a self-taught artist located in New Castle, Delaware. He worked in healthcare for many years but now he is a full-time artist. Around twelve years ago, he decided to paint again and remembered how much he enjoyed doing this. Figurative art that captures moments—cityscapes, facial expressions, experiences, landscapes— became his new passion.

Recently, Young opened his own gallery where he exhibits his beautiful oil and pastel paintings. He specializes in plein air art and has earned many awards in this field. During winter, he takes refuge in his studio and works on portraits and human figures.

Dennis Young’s business card featuring painting
 of model Jenni (image shared by artist)

In this Q&A painter Dennis Young shares with PoseSpace how he became a doctor and an artist, his regrets and satisfactions, advice for students or artists interested in plein air painting, and more:

When did you first know you wanted to become an artist?

At the end of my last semester in Pre-Med in college I opted for a studio drawing elective where I drew assignments in charcoal on newsprint. My instructor set me aside from the rest of the class to work independently. I also drew faces from photos and that really pleased me. But I had intended to become a doctor since ninth grade and art did not figure into that. During the first two summers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, I went out into the countryside in Wilmington and painted landscapes that would take me weeks to complete. I had never heard of “plein air painting” and I had no instruction. I still loved to paint faces and did so back at home. When I started a private practice in psychiatry and started a family with my wife, Teresa, I put away the paints for the next 30 years and didn’t think about them. Now that’s a HUGE regret. I stumbled upon a notice in the local paper for an introductory watercolor class and tried it. Then it all came back to me. For about the last dozen years or so I have been trying to make up for that lost time and think about how much farther along I would be in my artwork if I had just peeked out an hour a week back then to paint and draw.

Why figurative art?

I am drawn to paint the human figure and especially the face and the eyes. It is inherently satisfying to reproduce on paper or canvas a likeness of a human soul that engages the emotion and the concerto of effects and highlights of the human form… the light and shadows, the warmth and coolness, the form and subtleties. Sort of Pygmalion-like, I look forward in the mornings to visiting the easel and gazing (critically) upon the developing form on the easel where only days before there were only a few unintelligible paint marks on the canvas.

Can you tell us about the process of making your work? How do you decide when to work in your studio and when to work outside?

I especially enjoy painting outside and being engaged as part of that subject. I like to paint where people are and to interact with the curious. I have even dressed in pirate costume and painted Delaware’s tall ship, the Kalmar Nyckel. The difference between painting inside and outside is analogous to listening to a concert on the stereo and being at a live performance. I do not paint outside in the winter months and my studio is my favored activity where I paint from photos in travel and also my portraits and figures from live models but especially from the PoseSpace site. That is a joy that justifies winters for me.

I begin the painting of the form directly with lightly sketching in thinned oils and then block in colors and focusing on getting my facial proportions right. I establish highlights and put a lot of focus on the eyes. I suppose my 40 years of office consultations where I would listen and look directly into the eyes and facial expressions of people have influenced my gravitation to perceptions of facial nuances.

(images shared by artist)

Do you have a favorite PoseSpace.com model?

I have several PoseSpace models I gravitate to but the one I have painted the most is Jenni. She has brought me awards and she graces my business card. She garners the most comments in my newly opened gallery, Mo’zArt. That’s the gallery I have opened in Old New Castle, DE after having retired from medicine.

Do you have any shows or activities on the horizon that you’d like to tell our readers about?

I have participated in quite a few competitions and shows in the past ten years and I will be in more this year but the highlight of my artistic ambitions has been to open my own gallery a year ago in the center of the charming historic town of New Castle, Delaware. I exclusively hang my own work. Though I am not making a profit from sales I am having a blast. I host Fourth Friday Art Loops there where residents and tourist come and enjoy the art, good conversation, wine and live (in warm months) music. My current show for February and March is exclusively the form and portrait, “Clothing Optional”.

What advice would you give to young artists regarding plein air painting?

I would advise someone new to plein air painting to make every opportunity to go out and paint, even if in solitary circumstances. One reason is to soak up the experience of being out in the aforementioned live “concert”. Another is to attempt to see nature as the instructor who will show color in shadows or who will give a critique about painting what you SEE rather than what you KNOW. This is an opportunity to get your mistakes out of the way and to feel good about some beauty you’ve created been if you hadn’t planned it. You will surprise yourself one day with some real gem you’ve painted and that will come with practice.

What’s been your greatest artistic success?

I am still awaiting my greatest artistic success which may forever elude me. That would be winning a significant award in a major plein air competition. Otherwise my cherished successes has been the satisfaction of seeing the emotional reaction in people to whom I have delivered a commissioned painting. Even when I wasn’t so satisfied with the painting myself!

Dennis Young’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dyoungarts

Website: www.dennisyoungarts.com

Interview by Andrea Miliani

Interview with Duke Marsh

“I realized that with emotion that I can paint any subject I want in any style I want”

Duke Marsh is a talented rising painter located in Southern California. He recently started his artistic career and shares his wonderful paintings on his Instagram account. His biggest influences have been “the delicate touch of Michelangelo, the shadows of Rembrandt, the softness of Monet and the vivid life of Van Gogh.”

Marsh’s art education is based on visits to distinctive museums such as the Getty Museum. He explained that after looking at art history he then tries to recreate the paintings from his personal perspective to build what his mind sees. Color blindness didn’t stop this artist from daring to experiment with color, emotions and realistic representations.

Sailboat in a Plein Air scene by Duke Marsh (image shared by artist)

In this Q&A painter Duke Marsh shares with PoseSpace how he started his artistic career, why artists like Van Gogh and Rembrandt have had a great influence in his work and how he will pursue his professional career:

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into art?

I always wanted to be able to paint or draw but I think the logical side of my brain got in the way. Then, about three years ago I learned a different way to think about pictures. That is when I finally started making worthwhile paintings. I’ve now done 96 paintings in the last 3 years.

Since I really didn’t have any art training, I had a lot to learn (I had one watercolor class 40 years ago.) While I have a doctorate, my jobs have been in everything except for art. My goal was to first teach myself to be able to paint realistically. I figured when I have enough control of the brush to paint the sailboat in a Plein Air scene and have it look realistic, then when I go to do something that’s more impressionistic or fantasy it will be what I actually set out to paint.

Is art a hobby for you or do you make a living from it?

Right now I do this as a hobby. However, I’m a goal-oriented person and I plan on doing this professionally. I’m in my sixties now so I have more and more time to paint. And the world has no limits, so I started putting my paintings on Instagram. Now that I have an inventory and my own styles I am just looking for the right gallery to form a long-term relationship.

How did you discover www.posespace.com?

The Art Model books led me to the posespace site. The girl holding her legs is the first nude I tried to paint. It was inspired by one of the poses. I had real troubles with the skin tones since I’m color blind.

Painting  by Duke Marsh (image shared by artist)

Van Gogh seems to be a great influence in your work. Can you tell us about your connection with this artist?

Once I started getting fairly realistic, I realized that I needed some motion or emotion to make the pictures more interesting. Also, I liked the dramatic use of black by Rembrandt. However, I still thought my paintings were lacking quite a bit. Too much black loses the vibrant emotions. That’s when I started combining vivid Van Gogh colors with the black shadows of Rembrandt while still trying to get some emotion or movement into it. I realize that with emotion that I can paint any subject I want in any style I want.

Also, when I read that van Gogh was alive during the Golden Age of the Cowboys is when I started doing my “What if Van Gogh met” series of cowboy paintings.

Do you ever think about what your legacy will be?

I haven’t thought of what my legacy would be until you ask that question. I hope to be remembered as the painter who brought paintings to life.

Duke Marsh’s Instagram:  @duke_marsh_artist

Interview by Andrea Miliani

Interview with Aleksandar Tancovski

“I don’t care how long it takes, one day I will be making oil paintings on large canvases of fantasy art like my Old Masters”

Aleksandar Tancovski is a 21 years old art student, born in Skopje, Macedonia. Ever since he was a little boy he enjoys drawing, especially the female body. However, when he was in high school, Aleksandar thought he would become an actor, until one day his father found a pamphlet of an art course that changed his life.

This young artist was so fascinated by the atmosphere of his art course that he decided to enroll in the Faculty of Art & Design of the European University-Republic of Macedonia (EURM). One of his biggest fears is being replaced by machines, that’s why—he explained— he didn’t choose an academy of traditional arts; taking a more modern academic program gives him peace of mind.

Drawing by Aleksandar Tancovsky (image shared by Artist)

One of his beautiful drawings—of our model Adhira, is featured on PoseSpace’s home page. In this Q&A Aleksandar Tancovski explains how he discovered fantasy art, who are his favorite artists and what are his aspirations as an artist:

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into art?

Like every kid, I started drawing early, the difference is, I didn’t stop. In kindergarten there was this kid that was drawing knights and castles. Sounded like a better idea than the monsters I was drawing at that time so I started drawing knights, at first on top of castles or just single units standing in the middle of nowhere.  I’ve always been a daydreamer, always imagining myself in some medieval battlefield or a fantasy world with creatures, my parents and peers were worrying why was I lost all the time and walking in circles, running around or swinging with my arms. I guess this would be considered normal as an artist?

As soon as I got into primary school I started drawing legions of knights in which they engaged into battles like in a strategy video-game (basically stick figures with bows and arrows, shields and spears, swords, horses). I guess the inspiration for that came from video game Age of Empires 2 and Stronghold. As soon as that phase passed, I got into drawing weapons, tanks and soldiers because I played First-person shooter video games and finally, I got into Warcraft 3 (fantasy strategy game) and started drawing characters from the game (Elves, orcs, undead, human). It was then, when I looked at some of the concept art and fan art of the characters in the game, that I learned of a theme called ‘Fantasy art’.

Which artist or painter has influenced you?

When I learned about ‘Fantasy art’ I looked it up on Google images and as I was scrolling through the images, a drawing of an elf woman with a spear caught my eye. It was from a fantasy artist named Clyde Caldwell. And I was like: “Wow, the female body sure is a great thing”.

I was fascinated by the female figure and it went off from there, I found out about other artists like Boris Vallejo, Luis Royo and of course, the best of the best: Frank Frazetta. I looked up to them like previous generations looked up to the Old Masters. They were the Da Vincis, the Durers and the Caravaggios for me. All these barbaric women, witches, fairies, demons, they were like visualizations of my dreams. Probably induced by video games or movies. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to visualize my dreams and share them with others, maybe my daydreaming and night dreaming could be put to some good use. So I what did I do? I started copy drawing. But something wasn’t right. Why were my drawings nowhere near as good as my Old masters? (Gee, I wonder why) Because I didn’t know the basics of shading, I didn’t know about form or anatomy. I was just trying to make my drawings look as much as possible as theirs.

It didn’t work that way and when I think about it, why would I want to copy somebody else’s style and story? Why not create my own? So I decided, I will learn anatomy and shading but not by copying someone else’s drawings, but by drawing real models where I choose how to shade, what to shade, what kind of pose it will be, how much contrast to put, the contours and only that way I will be able to slowly develop my style and learn anatomy before I go into fantasy art. Posespace enabled just that.

At one point I had a pretty dark imagination because I got into the thriller genre and I was also influenced by Beksinski and H.R. Giger, I drew macabre art but it had more shock value than actual artistic merit. Until I have perfected anatomy, perspective, coloring and shading, I will not go into that despite the ideas waiting in line to be realized.

Painting made by Aleksandar Tancovsky (Image shared by artist) 

How do you start a drawing — do you have any rituals?

I daydream and night dream more than I actually draw. Before I start drawing I usually do a few sketches or just crosshatch on a bill or a piece of paper and draw simple shapes to warm up. I listen to A way of life from Hans Zimmer (from the Last Samurai, great movie) and other music from movies, anime and so forth.

What is the importance of gesture drawing for you?

Well practicing gestures helps a lot, I think that I can draw a decent pose just from my mind and I’ll need that when I won’t have a pose in front of me or won’t be able to find the pose I’m looking for.

Do you have a favorite PoseSpace.com model?

Hmmm, this one is a bit difficult to answer. I think currently my best drawing is the one of Michaela‘s pose*. To me it’s more about the pose itself and the lightning. I like high contrast and when the tendons, the veins, the muscles, the ribs and the wrinkles are visible and pop out. I like the body in the drawing to look as one of my art course teachers put it ‘Powerful’.

*featured on the cover image

Do you have a favorite source of materials?

I think I shouldn’t move to another medium until I have perfected the pencil but I had to at the University. I use mostly Staedtler pencils and Faber Castell. As for other mediums, I am pretty good with pastels (Koh-I-Noor) and watercolors (Faber Castell and Staedtler). I have not practiced enough with acrylics and oils, but I intend to use oil in the future as my medium of choice, hopefully.

What are your goals or aspirations as an artist?

I am currently working on perfecting the technique so I can have the tools to visualize my ideas. I have tons and tons of ideas, just waiting in line, ringing my brain and I just hope they will sound just as well in the future as they sound now. There are 3 things I want to have: perfect technique, unique style and a story behind my artwork. I don’t care how long it takes, one day I will be making oil paintings on large canvases of fantasy art like my Old Masters.

I also hope that one day I’ll be a teacher as well, I’m the kind of kid that’s gotten into something he likes and just won’t shut up about it, I guess that kind of enthusiasm will be appealing to some of the students mixed with a bit of sense of humor.

Other goals would include my own comic book with characters, designing video game characters and inspiring other artists.

Aleksandar Tancovski’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atancovsky/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tancovski.aleks

Interview by Andrea Miliani

Interview with Eric Saint Georges

“I cannot imagine myself anymore doing anything else… and regret sometimes not to have done this many years ago. There is so much to learn and life is so short”

Eric Saint Georges is a talented French artist living in the USA since 1994. Even though he’s always enjoyed drawing and building objects, he has had a conflicted relationship with art. After college, Eric studied electrical engineering but didn’t join the workforce right away. Instead, he followed his artistic instincts and went to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris for two years. He learned to draw and sculpt, and participated in a workshop with French artist Pétrus in 1978.

However, after developing his artistic skills, Eric preferred to work as an engineer for 35 years. It wasn’t until a few years ago that he decided to devote himself to art and started drawing, building sculptures, teaching art and experimenting with different materials in his studio in Los Gatos, California.

Ali, bronze 10″ high. Sculpture by Eric Saint Georges (image shared by artist)

This artist has learned to incorporate his knowledge —including Aikido, a Japanese martial art he’s been practicing for over 45 years— and take advantage of his virtues to create art. In this Q&A artist Eric Saint Georges shares with PoseSpace his life-changing experiences, favorite artists and future projects:

Even though you studied drawing and sculpture in the “Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts” in 1978, you pursued your professional career as an electrical engineer. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that you decided to make art. Could you tell us more about this decision and how you felt at that moment?

After all these years of engineering, I felt that none of what I have done couldn’t have been done by someone else. Of course, I had fun solving some interesting problems but I felt that at the end of the day all this hard work was not making much of a difference. On the other end, I loved art, I knew I had some talent and a lot to learn and progress to make. I had been thinking a lot about it for several years, and at some point made the decision. I took another couple of years to transform our garage into a studio, wait until our daughters were out of college, and quit my job. For one year, I still worked half time as an engineer while taking various art classes and in January 2016 went into art full time. I cannot imagine myself anymore doing anything else… and regret sometimes not to have done this many years ago… There is so much to learn… and life is so short. Maybe it is the reason I like to work fast, and focus on expression and energy, with little interest in realistic representation of things.

Do you have a favorite living artist, whether famous or completely unknown?

My favorite is probably Andy Goldsworthy land art. I also love Pierre-Yves Tremois etchings (his lines are so beautiful).

What life experiences have influenced your work?

I believe my aïkido practice is helping me to understand and experience that power (in the case of martial art) and true expression (in case of art) cannot come from the intellect, and has to come from your core, without interference from your mind… This is also another reason why I work fast. If I take the time to think, my work loses its energy and its life.

How do you view the state of figure art in the current art culture?

I believe people have and will always connect with human form representation. That is our nature. Now, whether this is an important part of the current art culture, I am not sure…

Drawing by Eric Saint Georges (image shared by artist)

You mentioned you would like to use your engineering background to combine art and technology. Have you started doing this?

I started a project using Virtual Reality and 3D printing to create sculptures. I have also a few projects I am thinking about. One is about interactive art. Today’s technology brings us many tools we can use for that purpose. Taking people (random) inputs, and transforming them (using computer algorithms combined with physical elements) into animated images or sounds. Another one is to create interesting and beautiful ways to visualize science phenomena so that people can experience them as images, videos or sounds. These will probably take time to realize. In the meantime, working on my sculptures, designing new types or armatures, making molds, casting bronze, etc… involve a lot of engineering.

Tell us one thing you thought you knew, that it later turned out you were wrong about.

When I was young I thought I had plenty of time…

Eric’s website: http://www.ericsaintgeorges.com/about/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericsaintgeorges/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-saint-georges-979817/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericsaintgeorgesart/

Interview by Andrea Miliani

Interview with Sladjana Buhovac

“I should have followed my heart long ago but it’s never too late to start again”

Sladjana Buhovac is a talented figurative sculptor from Sarajevo based in Canada. A few years ago, she rediscovered her passion for sculpting and decided to sculpt non-stop. Sladjana shares her work on Facebook and Instagram and her community keeps growing and admiring her fascinating sculptures.

This artist is constantly working on new projects. Sladjana seems to find inspiration in daily life. She can sculpt a bust of Julian Assange in clay or a Morgan Freeman portrait in terracotta, but also a beautiful mermaid in the sand or a peculiar snowman after a snowfall. Recently, she has taken advantage of technology in social media and has created short clips to show a complex sculpture of Adhira and Leo’s kiss or the details of her new Venus—sometimes with beautiful instrumental music in the background.

Sculptures by Sladjana Buhovac (image posted on Instagram)

In this Q&A sculptor Sladjana Buhovac shares with PoseSpace how she started her career as an artist, what inspires her, why she uses our models and shares valuable advice for artists interested in sculpting:

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into art?

I was born in Sarajevo in former Yugoslavia. I started drawing at a very young age and everywhere we went I always had paper and pen with me. I loved design and wanted to get in secondary art school in textile design. As admission exam, we had to draw, paint and sculpt. When I went to see if I got in, I was accepted as a sculptor, not as a designer. I was surprised and confused but it soon became clear to me that they recognized my talent before I did. So I started studying at the University of Fine Arts in Sarajevo but my first year was interrupted by war. We left Sarajevo for Belgrade, where I continued my studies of fine arts and got my BFA major in Sculpture in 1997.

You have mentioned on Instagram that sometimes you start a new project before finishing your previous sculpture. What inspires you? What makes you feel that urge to start a new sculpture?

What most inspires me is the human figure. I kind of gave up on my art after moving to Canada and started sculpting again just a few years ago. There are so many things I wanna do to make up for lost time. And since I can’t work with live models at the moment, finding your website was a great inspiration with so many great models and poses so good that while doing one pose I can’t wait to start a new one. I highly recommend it for sculpting since you can see poses from all angles.

Sculpture by Sladjana Buhovac (image posted on Instagram)


What were you doing before you decided to sculpt again?

After moving to Canada I enrolled in a program that lasted 1 year in the local College, which was more of a workshop for sculpture. I did portrait in stone but I never finished it. I was overwhelmed with depression at the time due to some family issues and moving to another country contributed even more. Later on, I worked in restaurants and retail stores until my husband and I opened our own upholstery business in 2002. He is the real master of his trade. I had my corner in the shop set up for sculpting, but I wasn’t much inspired. He taught me how to sew and I learned very quickly and became very good at it. With all the beautiful fabrics I had around me, I started designing and making my own handbags which I sold on the craft market on Granville Island. I tried sculpting over the years, but that wouldn’t last too long. I participated in one contest at Stage Gallery in New York with a portrait of Camille Claudel I did from photos I found on the internet. I received a letter from them that my work was an honorable mention in that competition. Still, that wasn’t enough to push me forward. Then, when my son was born in 2007, I dedicated my time to him for several years.

Real inspiration and ignition of my passion for sculpting again came on one of my vacations in Cuba in 2015. I was on the beach and started sculpting life-sized women in the sand. That was the turning point. When I returned home, I got some clay and started sculpting portraits of my friends from photos. And I knew that this time I’m not giving it up ever again. I just love sculpting with clay. I love working in stone too but that is a very slow process and with clay I can do sculptures in one day. My living room is my studio for now.

What are your goals or aspirations as an artist?

I hope in some near future to exhibit my work to a larger audience.

What digital device do you use to see PoseSpace.com’s photos?

I mostly use PC since the screen is larger than other devices, but I also use my iPad from time to time.

What advice do you have for young artists who have an interest in sculpting?

My advice is to never give up on your art. Don’t listen to others, follow what inspires you the most. When I studied fine arts in the late nineties, figurative sculpture seemed like a dying field. Everyone, including my classmates, were pursuing installations and abstract work and I felt totally lost, I got a gift that nobody was interested in. So it seemed at the time. I should have followed my heart long ago but it’s never too late to start again.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sladja.sculpture/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sladjasculptures/

Interview by Andrea Miliani

Interview with Tim Skinner

“Changing the lighting on a sculpture is the same as rearranging the paint on a canvas. As sculptors we need to sculpt with this in mind. Light is literally our paintbrush”

Tim Skinner is a Canadian sculptor who also enjoys photography and collects vintage cameras. He has lived in warmer lands—Australia and Israel—, and tried, unsuccessfully, to study auto-mechanics and join Photography School. However, he did become an accomplished graphic designer and discovered his talent for sculpting a few years ago. His sense of humor precedes him and his sculptures are the best proof of this artist’s great talent.

On his Instagram account, the sculptor shares images of this works of art, his charming cats and models—Todd and Max— and special equipment like his Fujinon 75-150 f4.5. Tim’s website features a wonderful quote from famous Japanese writer, Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, that seems to guide us to his aesthetic interest: “We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.”

Sculpture by Tim Skinner using Nedah036 and Candace029 as a reference  (shared by artist)


In this Q&A sculptor Tim Skinner shares with PoseSpace the details of how he discovered his passion to create sculptures, who are his favorite models and explains why light is so important when displaying a sculpture:

You are a self-taught figurative sculptor. Can you tell us more about how you got into art?

I’ve always been interested in art. I really enjoyed drawing but it never came naturally for me. It wasn’t until many years into a career as a graphic designer that I accidentally discovered sculpting while playing with plasticine with my kids. It occurred to me that I was having a lot more fun than they were.

At that time I had lost interest in art and considered it to be far too self-indulgent for grown-ups, so I discounted the notion of pursuing sculpture. A lifelong friend persuaded me to persist with sculpting, his point being that one should demonstrate by example to our kids that personal growth is valuable and worthwhile —not necessarily self-serving.

That was about five or six years ago. My first sculptures were embarrassing, but I felt this was something I could get better at, with enough time and practice.

Can you tell us about the process of making your sculptures? Do you have any rituals?

I have no formal training so I’m not an exemplar by any means. I started sculpting with drywall compound, the stuff they stick to walls to cover seams. It was messy and dusty, time-consuming and awkward; but I already had it on hand.

Some time later, a friend gave me her recipe for homemade wax/clay —a fantastic modelling material. I sculpted with that for years, but mould-making and casting is time-consuming and expensive. All I want to do is sculpt. That other stuff just keeps me from sculpting.

So recently I’ve switched again —to epoxy clay. It’s like bread dough until it cures to a rock hard consistency. This is ideal for me. The epoxy clay is applied like an exoskeleton over a rough wireframe or foil armature. So basically, I rough in the general form, a section at a time, with fresh epoxy clay, then once it cures, it becomes more like a traditional stone-carving process.

Once I’ve settled on a composition, I start looking for reference material. My workspace and my methods are not well suited for live life-model work. The model would likely expire from tedium or old age before I was done. So I use general observation (people watching) and photo references.

It’s commonly believed that photo references are inadequate compared to live in-person models. I do not hold this view. I think if the life-model’s pose is recorded thoughtfully it can be a very compelling asset. That’s why I’m sold on the PoseSpace service. The high-resolution 360-degree image sequences are an essential part of my workflow. They’ve helped me to get to a level not possible with only single static images.

You also have a passion for photography and the images of your sculptures on social media are very artistic. Could you explain how you combine these arts?

Photography, when done correctly, can force us to consider lighting. Changing the lighting on a sculpture is the same as rearranging the paint on a canvas. As sculptors we need to sculpt with this in mind. Light is literally our paintbrush. I hope my photographs inspire other sculptors to become more particular about how their work is lit. It’s vitally important. So often I see fantastic sculptures ruined in hideous ways by thoughtless light. I always like to see a photo of my work in a client’s home in order to verify that they’ve lit it properly. If someone rearranged the lines on a drawing, the artist would go bonkers. Sculptors don’t seem to be given nor do they expect that same consideration. I hope my photos help to drive that point home.

Sculpture by Tim Skinner using Anaiv222 as a reference  (shared by artist)

Do you have a favorite PoseSpace.com model?

I rarely rely on one pose sequence for any given sculpture. Usually a few. The gesture from one model and the musculature from another perhaps. My Library of PoseSpace downloads has a few poses by AnaIv and also KeiraG. That is not by mistake. If either of these models has something approximating the pose I require then that’s what I will choose. Both AnaIv and KeiraG have outstanding muscular definition. That helps me to accurately transfer their musculature to my armature. I think it helps me to concentrate my study on one or two models generally, because that familiarity helps when I have to extrapolate how the figure would look when I inevitably go off-script.

What challenges do you face working with the nude figure?

Absolutely none. Everyone is very supportive and encouraging.

What advice do you have for young artists who have an interest in sculpture?

I’m not a commercially successful sculptor, so any advice I might have relates to an artistic pursuit rather than a career pursuit. Of my sculptures, the ones that seem to resonate the most with people are the pieces I made by indulging my own desire. So-called “legitimate” subjects and processes should be viewed as suggestions. Never take credit for mistakes that turn out well. Encourage people to handle your sculpture. They are objects. The experience is enriched exponentially when people touch the form.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim_canadian_sculptor/

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/timskinnercanada/


Interview by Andrea Miliani