Heron, interviewing mindfields
Enjoy.
Featured on main site.Quote:
CX: So,what's your real name?
mindfields: My real name is Ronald Plieger
CX: How old are you?
mindfields: 17, birthday is on december 16
CX: Where are you from?
mindfields: I'm from the Netherlands
CX: How did you end up finding your way to Climb-X?
mindfields: Well, first I joined the forums when metal noted me, that was somewhere around the start of CX. Back then I had a different name than now. I had no time to do any other gfx besides my wallpapers and I concentrated on Deviantart. Recently Busta invited me again.
CX:When did you first get into digital art and why?
mindfields: I think a little before 2.5 years ago I started with sigs when I got photoshop. I got on a few forums like Syndicate Customs. Thats when I realised I really wanted to get into doing this stuff especially sigs back then. I advanced pretty quickly because of the great feedback and high level on that forum. Made it to moderator and allmost admin when the forums went down. In the latest months of that forum I started doing my wallpaper. That is about 1.5 year ago. I started off with some basic c4d renders and alot of tutorials on that stuff. Most of the time it was cluttered and all messy but I liked it. I really started designing abstracts when I came across the surreal-utopia website. The designer there had a story about how he came to design abstracts and from that moment on I knew I wanted to do that and I was going to make it.
CX: What programs do you use most often for designing?
mindfields:I use photoshop cs (cs2 is right on my desk here but I haven't installed it yet) for about 2.5 years now. I have started using cinema 4d about a bit more than a year ago and currently I use release 9. and I use apophysis 2.02 for fractals that I sometimes make to backup my brushing.
CX: What things/people in life do you think inspire you and your pieces the most?
mindfields:I do not really have a point of inspiration that I look back on whenever I want to make a wallpaper. Other artists do inspire me to keep making the abstracts I do.
CX:What other artists have influenced you and why?
mindfields:The designer from surreal-utopia influenced me alot in the start. His art was my big example. I used to follow his cinema 4d tutorials and that really helped me getting my renders right and the brushing on that.
after I started I got influenced by the better known artists on deviantart like:
strukt, jesar, niteangel, liberate, zygrael and also viperv6. I used to look at all their wallpapers for like a day and you could see the drool dripping from my mouth. I tried to 'copy' their style. Fortunately it didnt take long for me to realise I had to develop my own style rather than pushing myself into someone elses style.
I started to get my own renders out and tried to do brushwork around it. Things went pretty well and on one point I started to get a real boost with watches and favs on my pieces and so people got to know me and my style.
CX: How long do you usualy work on a piece for?
mindfields: In general it takes me about 5-6 hours to complete a piece. I allways do it over multiple days. I never complete it in one day because the next day or even thesame evening you think of something new. I've had pieces where I was working on it for over 15+ hours and they turned out to be not the way I wanted it. So then..back to the roots and do it again. I even have a piece in my folders now that cost me 12 hours and I never released it...even though I believed it was my best. But it was missing something so then I don't release it.
I even had awesome pieces that took me about 2-3 hours of work, incredible.
Usually cinema 4d takes up about an hour (including rendering) and ps takes up the rest.
CX: Is there a set routine or guideline that you go through when making a new piece, or is evey piece done on impulse?
mindfields: I allways start with opening cinema 4d and making some renders in there. I allways experiment in that, and I don't have like a picture in my head of what I want, I just create and see what comes out. After that is done I pretty much know what I want to do in photoshop and how it should look. And most of the times it ends up that way. But sometimes it doesn't go the way I want it to. Then I just make a new render and hope for a better result on that one.
CX: What words of advice would you give to beginners and up and coming digital artists?
mindfields: like I allways said. Do not try to become big, just try to make the stuff you like. Show it to better artists that are quite good and nice to you, don't be afraid to contact people.
Also you need to experiment alot with renders and brushing.
To the beginners: Use tutorials, there are just a few who have done it without but it takes longer (like I did, I used about 20 of both photoshop and cinema 4d).
And above all, if you are not yet on Deviantart. www.deviantart.com. It will seriously help you improve alot.
CX: So what do you do when your not online, do you have any hobbies or other interests?
mindfields: I play the electric guitar. I have been doing that for a year now and I am just plain addicted to it! that takes up allmost all time that I have when I am not online.
CX: What's your favorite style of music?
mindfields: Rock for sure. I listen to different kinds of rock but usually its harder/punk for me.
CX: Do you have a favorite movie?
mindfields: Hmm I could say that but it changes from time to time so, if a good one comes in the cinema tomorrow I will go watch it.
CX: What's your favorite website that is not graphics related?
mindfields: www.aaotracker.com for sure. The forums there are just great!
CX: What is the ultimate meal for you?
mindfields: Hmm..hmm..lasagna?
CX: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
mindfields: Somewhere on a nice stage playing guitar (hopefully). Besides that I wouldn't really know. By september 2006 I have to decide what I want to do for my next education which is quite high. If I make the wrong choise I am basicly screwed. I have no idea what I want to do yet.
CX: Do you have any final remarks that you would like to say?
mindfields: All of you on Climb-X. <3 you!
to all artists: Keep making your style of art and if you want to contact me for a collab or advice, pm me on the forums!
