On Dune, Nivanh collaborated
directly with the film’s costume
designers. On American God, he
worked alongside the series director
and production designer. Sometimes
he’d be doing traditional line art,
perhaps a couple of roughs to build the
image step by step. Other times he’s
photobashing, jumping straight into
what will be the final image, trying
different combinations on the f ly. It’sthis diversity that Nivanh likes most
about freelance: “I have to constantly
adapt to the client’s needs. Sometimes
it’s natural, sometimes it’s difficult,
sometimes it’s weird (and no, I won’t
give examples!).”LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU EXIST
Nivanh’s life as an underground
street artist helped his career as a
blockbuster concept artist in a
number of ways. They both require
performance, making art in front of
people. They both aim to quickly and
succinctly convey an idea or a
message. And they both often require
the artist to be comfortable working
without direct recognition.
Street art taught Nivanh his most
valuable lesson when he was a boy
walking to and from school every day.
In his working-class neighbourhood,
with its mix of people and cultures, a
hundred different types of food, dress
and music, the brilliant noise at the
core of all proper communities, the
one thing that really stood out was the
graffiti by “BZ.”
Through quantity as well as quality,
you need to let people know you exist:
“If you don’t do it, nobody will.” That’s
not some hollow motivational quote.
Nivanh – with all his experience – still
has to be proactive about finding new
work. At the beginning of each month,
he searches jobs in the entertainmentSPECIAL EFFECTS
“Most of the time,
effects do almost half
the work of making an
image look cool and
take it up notch.”
UNCANNY PARTS
“Here I was inspired by
the flying landmate
concept from anime
move Appleseed –
another image that
includes uncanny
biological parts.”
most of the work he was doing. He
made an effort to continue personal
projects and freelance work so he didn’t
end up with a five-year gap in his
portfolio, which paid off when he left
in 2017 to focus on freelance full-time.
This was a tough decision. He misses
the work with Jonathan and the team.
But it was time for a “different pace”,
and the space to develop his own work.
Back in February, Nivanh released
his first book, Dreaming in Mech: The
Art of Nivanh Chanthara. He’s also
working on his own IP. But he’s also
won some of the biggest commissions
of his career so far, each coming with
their own specific demands.I use all my past experiences in my
job today. Maybe it’s the good side of
being a self-taught concept artist
Interview