EYE ON DESIGN PORTFOLIO INTERVIEW
she is holding the wolf mask. This is classic
photomanipulation, where I combined all the
scenery and plants from different photos. The
photo of the model was taken in the studio. I
rented a special costume for this occasion.WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE
PHOTOSHOP TOOLS AND HOW DO YOU
UTILISE THEM IN YOUR WORK?
I would say [the] Camera Blur filter, [as] it helps
create more natural depth of field blur.WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE THAT YOU
HAVE CREATED? DID IT INVOLVE ANYTHING
PARTICULARLY SPECIAL?
I really enjoy howEclipseturned out. This image
was inspired by one of my favourite artists, Eiko
Ishioka. She was a costume designer who
worked for movies likeThe Cell,The Fall, and
Bram Stoker’s Draculaby Francis Ford Coppola. I
hope this work was able to portray even [a]
small particle of the mood of her great
costumes. This work was created in 2012, when
Ishioka passed away.YOUR CLIENT LIST IS GROWING: SONY
MUSIC, CENTURY MEDIA, NUCLEAR BLAST,
OGILVY & MATHER, AND TRISOL. HOW DO
YOU FIND YOUR CLIENTS?
I do not search for clients, all the people and
companies that I have worked with actually
wrote to me with propositions for various
projects. I enjoy working on any project where Ican incorporate my style and vision, rather than
just plain technical skills. I really love when the
client trusts my taste and gives me freedom to
visualise the idea that they need.DO YOU HAVE ANY DREAM CLIENTS THAT
YOU WOULD LOVE TO WORK FOR AND WHY?
I would love to work with people like Bjork or FKA
Twigs. Their music and style is just so appealing to
me. I would also love to work for a fashion
company, where I could create illustration to print
on fabric so that people could wear my artwork.IF YOU COULD EXPERIMENT IN ANOTHER
MEDIUM, WHICH MEDIUM WOULD IT BE?
I think I would love to experiment with 3D
character design and try to print it in [a] 3D printer
to create [a] real figurine from my artwork.WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANYONE
WHO IS LOOKING TO LAUNCH A CAREER IN
DIGITAL ART AND ILLUSTRATION?
My advice is to be self-critical and always strive
for perfection, work a lot and listen to people who
could give you great advice in this field. But also
do not pay attention to the people who want to
put you down and make you feel that your effort
is unworthy.I am also inspired by historical fashion and architecture.
But I also find a lot of interesting ideas in the modern
symbols of our time■ LIGHTING
For your composition use images that are lit from the
same direction. If your main figure is lit from the front,
back or side; make sure that other objects are lit the
same. You can always turn and flip [the] image, or
overpaint the light and create shadows.
■ SHARPEN
If you want sharp and detailed artwork, always use
photos with a sharp focus. If the image is not sharp
you can sharpen it using a High Pass filter. For this
you need to duplicate your image layer, change to
Overlay mode over your original layer and go to
Filters>Other> High Pass.
■ BLUR FILTER
When you paint something over a photo – for example
improving skin tone, painting shadows, etc. and it doesn’t
look smooth enough – you can always use a Blur filter to
blend shadows and light to make it better.
■ PAINTING HAIR
If you do not have brushes to paint hair, you can create
your own by painting few black dots on a white
background close to each other. Select this area and then
Define Brush Preset, this will create your own unique
brush. You can adjust brush settings in the Brush panel.
■ DOLL EYES
Want to create a doll-like look for your model by
making her eyes larger? I do not suggest using the
Liquify filter! It will make her look unrealistic and funny
(unless this is your goal). You can enlarge an eye by
selecting the area, then creating a separate layer. Then
enlarge it with Free Transform.PORTFOLIO TIPS
NATALIE SHAU’S SECRETS TO CREATING
STUNNING ARTWORKStorm:bright colour in an almost monochromatic It is very effective to use splashes of
work. This technique will focus the viewer and draw their attention. The usage of pink
directs your attention to the girl’s faceLove and Doves:by porcelain ball jointed dolls. Many of Natalie is fascinated
the characters that Natalie brings to life resemble these classic toys. This exudes
a type of innocence in her work