The Town Herald

The netpaper about Elftowners, by Elftowners, for Elftowners.

Featured Cover Artist [Chimes]

by [Mordigen]



Name & Age: Emma, 17.
Country of Origin & Residence: England.
Work: Student, no job sadly.
Hobbies: Photomanipulation, Singing, Writing, Drawing, Reading, Web-Design, Photography.

Q:Where is your work is available for sale?
It currently isn't. However, I may be setting up a DeviantART printshop in the near future.

Q:Where can you be contacted professionally?
Hanehaku_opacho@hotmail.com. My page should soon contain my new web-adress, also.

Q: How did you get started with your art, and how long have you been drawing?
I've been doodling throughout my life, I don't really know how it started, if I'm honest. I currently study art in College, it's fun.

Q:How would you describe your pieces in general, and what they mean to you?
Well, what it means to me depends on how I feel when I am creating it. Sometimes they end up meaning something to me without me realising while I have been creating them. My pieces tend to be... fantasy styled. I am a great lover of fantasy.

Q:What sort of technique do you use when painting or drawing?
I rarely paint, I'm not very good but when I do I normally go over it in pen to make it look better. When drawing I am normally fond of sketchy pieces, I very rarely finish a pencil drawing. I don't have any specific techniques, I normally start and then see what happens.

Q:What would you consider your favourite or best piece and why?
Hmmm. I think 'Running Away' is my best, it's definitely my favourite. I like it because it's more personal than a lot of my art, I think other people may be able to get something out of it, some form of feeling. I like that it has that quality. I think it'll mean something different to everyone. 'Running Away' can be found on my DeviantART account (http://sapphireeyedstranger.deviantart.com).

Q:Where do you see your art going, are there any different styles, artists or subjects you’d like to experiment with?
I think I will be doing a lot of illustration in the future, both with photomanipulation and drawings... maybe even the odd photo too. As for styles, I don't really know. I have a habit of stumbling upon styles I like and then trying them out just for fun, sometimes they stick too. I want to create more of my own style though.

Q:Will you stay with your fantasy subjects, or do you think you’ll branch out?
I have become fond of Dark Art... and have been branching into that a fair amount lately. I wouldn't mind doing Surrealism again, I did some a couple of years ago. I would like to try my hand at many genres but I think Fantasy will always be my main subject.

Q:What is it that makes the genre of Fantasy special to you, what makes it so magical and capturing for you that most of your artworks spring from it?
It's what I imagine, I adore fantasy worlds, creatures and neo-victorian styles. Fantasy scenes create some breath-taking art, not only art but writing too, I love the way it makes the imagination run wild. If I could, I would live in a fantasy realm. Emotion is also easier to convey through art, for me, when it's something that doesn't seem real.

Q:And, finally, What do you have to say to those aspiring Elftown fantasy artists and writers? What would you love to see from them, what do you warn them against, and what do you think they should remember?
I want to see something different, something I've never seen before. Surprise me. I think that people should remember that it's not what other people think about what you write, draw or create that counts, it's what you think. These things will mean more to you than they ever will to anyone else and as long as you like them, that's all that matters. I don't think I warn anyone against anything, it'll either come out really good or really bad, it's a risk but it's worth it.

lil' more about the featured piece: "Zodia's Wheel"
What was your inspiration behind this piece?
I knew I wanted to do a manipulation using some form of field and skyscape, I wanted something rich in colour. Then, I found the wheel and came up with a little back story in my head. I am hoping to write it down as a short story fairly soon.

What emotions, or vision were you trying to portray within this piece?
I wanted the fantasy feel, of course, but I also wanted ... warmth. I'm not sure why but to me it feels really warm.

Tell us a little bit about how you came to create this:
Well, as I said above, I wanted a field and a skyscape so I started with that. The golden field seemed perfect and then I stumbled upon the wheel and something clicked. Out popped this manipulation.
To create this I used The Gimp, which, for those who don't know, is a free program that is pretty much like Photoshop. However, Photoshop does have more tools. I used a few textures, I like giving my pieces an old look to them, and lots of colour changing and blending layers. As with most of my pieces I stuck with my trusty blending brush, which I made myself. It tends to be the only brush I ever use.

How do you feel about the finished piece?
I know that I could have done better with the blending at the bottom of the wheel, I think if I went through and re-did it I would try to make it look more like it is coming from the field rather than fading into it. I still have a lot to learn, but I will soldier on.






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