Advanced_Photoshop_Issue_136_-_2015_UK_.

NATALIESHAUISADIGITALARTISTBASEDINVILNIUS,LITHUANIA

WHOSE VISION BRINGS FORTH TWISTED FAIRYTALES THAT FILL

THEVIEWERWITHTEMPTATIONANDHORROR

AN ALLURING

BEAUTIFUL

NIGHTMARE

http://www.behance.net/

natalieshau

@NatalieShau

W

hen viewing the digital creations of

artist Natalie Shau, you instantly step

into a mystical realm. Imagine riding

an ornate horse from a carousel

through a land where you encounter wondrous

fairytale-like characters, as well as creatures that

dwell in your darkest nightmares. Infusing

photography, illustration and 3D design into her work

she transports you into a world where anything is

possible, the darkness can become beautiful and

pretty things can quickly turn wicked.

HOW DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS?

I developed my digital art skills on my own. I am a

self- taught digital artist and photographer. I do not

think nowadays that you have to learn about

photomanipulation in school or take special courses.

There is so much learning material available online

for free. Numerous artists have created special

tutorials dedicated to that subject. Also the best way

to learn is by practicing. You can find out what suits

you best, what techniques you can use by actually

creating and editing your own photos. But I did have

art classes in school. I also attended private drawing

classes. For a year, I studied graphic design in Central

Ireallylovethetragic

charactersofDostoevsky,

theyaresofullofpain,butat

thesametimetheystrivefor

justice and beauty

Saint Martins College in London. However, I noticed

that graphic design was not what I really wanted to

do. I am more into photography and photo art.

OVER TIME ARTISTS GO THROUGH AN

EVOLUTION. HOW HAS YOUR WORK EVOLVED

SINCE YOU BEGAN?

Evolution is natural for every creative person. I

learned so much during the first ten years of my

career. The technical aspects of my work improved

of course, but this is not the main value. For me, the

importance is that the technical skills allow me to

feel more free and capable of expressing my visions

better. Also my taste and interest changed. Now I am

very interested in mixing different styles to create

something unique. For instance combining fashion

and styles from different eras. I use modern symbols

in combination with historical events.

HOW HAS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

TRANSFORMED THE WAY YOU CREATE

NEW ARTWORK?

For me as a digital photographer a very important

role in the creative process are the improvements of

digital cameras. The possibility to have very high

resolution and crisp images is simply amazing. This

helps a lot! Being able to see the results in the

camera, then the possibility to download and use the

photos immediately after the photo session makes

the whole process so much faster and more

convenient. The same goes for scanners, graphic

tablets, etc. I am grateful that I live in a time where

we have access to all this equipment.

AS A WORKING ARTIST IN LITHUANIA WERE

THERE ANY OBSTACLES THAT YOU FACED

AND IF SO HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

When I started learning and creating digital photo art,

very few people believed it could be a career. So I had

a pressure to choose another speciality or

something more normal. Being a banker or a doctor,

etc. And still today, I can say that not all people here

Adobe Logo:Before doing a photo shoot for your photo art

project, it is quite useful to know what kind of light angle youwill need. This will enable you to combine your images easily

DreamofWinter:This piece was done for a show

at the Dorothy Circus gallery in Rome that alsofeatured Ray Caesar. The girl is seen daydreaming

about a winter wonderland filled with white deer

© Radoxist studio

EYE ON DESIGN PORTFOLIO INTERVIEW

© Adobe All images © Natalie Shau