Alex Vede – 7 days of inspiration – Advent Calendar [23]

Today, we want to introduce you to an illustrator, who inspired us a lot this year with his remarkable style – Alex Vede. Maybe you have already come across some of his works online, like on Instagram for example, but have you had the chance to learn more about him and his workflow? He was so kind as to answer some us some questions. If you want to know, what he said, stay tuned:
One initial question: Christmas is coming up for many, for you too? How do you spend this time?
I usually spend the holidays with family, girlfriend and friends, mostly staying at home these days.

How did you start?

When did you discover Wacom?
I had my first Wacom tablet when I was 15, but I’ve been drawing all my life.
Which tablet did you use back when you started, which one(s) do you use today?
When I was 15 I got an Intuos 5 for Christmas from my parents and started experimenting with digital art. I learned to use Gimp and used it for many years, until I discovered Sketchbook Pro. I bought a Wacom Cintiq 16 a few months ago and it’s awesome. The drawing experience is completely different with a screen tablet.
How did you find out what creative area you wanted to specialize in?
I’ve always loved film and storytelling, that’s my thing. I work on my art always with a story in mind, or a concept of a story. So storyboard, comic, and illustration are very cool ways of telling a story through images.
How did you find your own style? Any recommendations to aspiring artists?
That’s a difficult question because it’s changing all the time. It depends on what I’m interested in the moment. But I would say that my style is very loose and fast. I like expression over a full rendering. Also I like ink textures, dripping and fast strokes. About color, I definitely have a thing for orange. I don’t know why, but a layer of orange on top makes everything look so much better to me, so I use it a lot.

Inspiration & motivation

What inspires you?
It’s usually movies or stories I have in my mind. Maybe some character I imagined, or maybe an emotion I want to try to put in pictures. Someday I make a drawing listening all the time the same song on repeat.
How do you keep yourself motivated each day?
Thinking about what I want to achieve – stories I want to tell. Also looking at other artists. I want to be as good as them.
How do you overcome the creative block?
A lot of times a good movie makes me want to draw, sometimes music, life experiences, everything really. If I have a creative block I just draw, even if it looks bad. If I just wait I don’t believe it’s going to go away by itself.
Which artists do you follow?
Ashley Wood and Pascal Campion are my two main ones. I also love the work of Mike Mignola, Richard Anderson, Simon Stalenhag… And my girlfriend Cony Ferrada, she is also an illustrator and it’s very inspiring to have her close. I think we help each other a lot.

Leisure time

What’s your favorite music?
I love music, very different styles: Odesza, Hans Zimmer, illenium, electronic, movie soundtracks…
What kind of holidays do you prefer? Summer, winter, city, beach, mountains…?
I prefer nature over city. I like camping, big cliffs and foggy mountains.
What are your top 3 favorite places in the world?
Probably some of the coolest landscapes I’ve seen, Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, many places at the Spanish coast near where I live … also I have to say I love abandoned places, like ruins.
Which movies / series do you love?
Some of my favourite movies are Rango, The Last Samurai, Saving Private Ryan, Toy Story, The Dark Knight, Sunshine, Oblivion… There are too many movies, I’d like to make a list one day.

Workflow & process

How does your workflow look like and what makes it unique?
I used to draw with ink and paper and then paint in digital. But now with my Cintiq, I draw on the screen. I made my own brushes and textures. I start with a sketch, pencil like. Then I do very dirty and loose lineart trying to imitate what I do with real ink. Then I add color, shadows, lights and finally a lot of texture layers.
What do you recommend aspiring artist looking up to your art?
I consider myself an aspiring artist too. So I would say that working a lot and doing the art you really want, is what makes me like my own art, and got me jobs.
Are there special tips, tricks, shortcuts you use while creating?
Stole a lot, but do it from different artists. My style is just a mix of things I learned from a lot of artists that I admire, and a few things I discovered myself. But it’s all about practice and time. A lot of hours of work.
Which software do you use?
I use sketchbook. I love it, because of how simple it is. I learned how to use it in just one day. Very simple, but very powerful software. It feels like drawing on paper.
Are there special go-to resources that you use frequently? Which ones?
Instagram and Pinterest, I have a big collection of art that I like there, also art books.
How much of your workflow happens analogue?
I like a lot analogue art, it feels unique but digital is faster. So I do most digital now. But trying to imitate analog.

Your advice

Any last words of for our aspiring artists in your field of specialization?
I would say that for storyboard and comic artists the important thing is to be fast and keep in mind that the story is the main focus, find the best way to tell it. That’s what I try to do.
Which tutorials can you recommend to aspiring artists in your specialization?
I learned a lot in YouTube. You have everything there, try to see speed paints of the artists you like. That helps a lot.
How to earn money as a digital artist? What do you do?
The thing I do the most is storyboard, but also illustration and character design. I get most of my jobs through Instagram.

Outlook

What are we going to see from you next?
I’m working to make my own graphic story. It’s a ghost story with a lot of monsters and adventures, and hopefully some emotional moments.
What are open points on your bucket list?
There are some places I really want to see, Australia, the big Hollywood studios, Iceland, Malta,… And definitively there are things I want for my career. I want to put one of my stories out there, work for film and be part of a great movie production. Also I would love to see Pixar from the inside, working for them would be a dream come true.

“Thank you, Alex!”

We hope your dreams will come true one day and we want to say “Thank you, Alex, for your insightful answers and this remarkable illustration!”. We surely love it, and is you want to see more of Alex, be sure to follow him online:
Website
Instagram