The Town Herald

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Feature Cover Artist Interview - [smakeupfx]

by [Mordigen]



Featured Cover Artist interview [smakeupfx] by [Mordigen]

Tim Baker, 45
I was born in Bakersfield California, USA and now live and work in North Hollywood California.

Work: I have several jobs. I'm currently employed by the State of California as a graphic artist, photo retoucher and model maker. I work for the Transportation Department (Caltrans), The Governor's office, Metro and the California Highway Patrol. I also run my own Special Effects Shop for Film and Television production. I do Special Makeup Effects (thus my screen name, SmakeupFX), Specialty Props, Sculpting and general special effects.


Hobbies:
I like studying science and astronomy for fun. I also enjoy rock climbing and camping.

Q:Where is your work is available for sale?
I don't usually do work for sale to the public, mostly I work for production companies or studios. If someone wanted to commission me for work, they could always just write me here on Elftown or to my email address on my page.

Q:Where can you be contacted professionally?
Smakeupfx@aol.com


Q: How did you get started with your art, and how long have you been drawing?
I did my first prosthetic makeup when I was 9 using materials from the local hardware store. I already knew that I wanted to work in special effects. I studied art and theatre in high school and then in college got two double major Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. I majored Production Design, Lighting Design, Sculpture and Photography. I worked as a designer in theatre for 10 years and then studied Makeup at the Institute of Studio Makeup in Hollywood. After graduating I took Dick Smiths Advanced Makeup Course. Since then I've been working as a freelance effects artist in the Film and TV industry.

Q:How would you describe your pieces in general, and what they mean to you?
In college I was pushed in the direction of "fine art". Fantasy art or effects work was definitely not part of that from the art school point of view. I tried to be that kind of artist until one day I just realized that I didn't have anything I wanted to say with "art" ... I just wanted to make fun creatures and monsters and props. Now I have a blast making whatever the script calls for. Projects I do just for myself are just fun. I make the kinds of things I want to see.


Q:What sort of technique do you use when painting or drawing?
I use every technique or process I can. I sculpt in many different kinds of materials from water based clays to cements. I use plastics, epoxy, waxes, plasters, rubbers and silicones in my work. I also work in metals like brass and stainless steel, wood, hand made papers ... anything and everything to get the job done.


Q:What would you consider your favorite or best piece and why?
I'm really happy with the series of 6 book props I'm working on for my graphic novel project. I think they are my favorites because I had to learn so much to make them. I designed and built the covers with a working astrolabe, quadrant, alternative base abacus and a mechanical enigma encryption mechanism. I love doing the research. Technically they required some new techniques and gave me the chance to play with some old ones. I had to do sculpting and mold making, acid etching and cutting of metals, book binding, leather work and filigree all for one project. It was challenging on so many levels.


Q:Where do you see your art going, are there any different styles, artists or subjects you’d like to experiment with?
I am working on a graphic novel done with models and miniatures instead of drawings. It is like doing stop motion animation puppets and sets and photographing it like a comic book. I hope to work on a series of these in the future. It's a project that lets me work on all the things I love to do, scene design, writing, model making, effects and lots of photoshop.


Q:Will you stay with your fantasy subjects, or do you think you’ll branch out?
I might work on some children's books but fantasy is my first love.


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 the sense of history, ancient and arcane, full of mystery and magic. It's such an unlimited genre where we can mix and match from any style or period.... and swords are fun.


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 get asked about how to work in the film business quite a lot. I'm not an expert but from what I have seen, the most important thing is to just go and do it. If you want to do makeup, than practice makeup everyday. Then move to Los Angeles, Bollywood, New York ... where ever they are making movies and start looking for work. You can build your portfolio as you go, as long as you are working at it.

lil' more about the featured pieces:

What was your inspiration behind this piece?
I wanted to do a project of my own, without having someone else approve all my work. I wanted to be free to let the story and designs go where they wanted to.

What emotions, or vision were you trying to portray within this piece?
I wanted the books to feel like they were full of secret things ... magical and ancient but with a sense of old science.


Tell us a little bit about how you came to create this:
These book props are central to the plot of the graphic novel I'm writing. I designed them on paper first then spent hundreds of hours building them from scratch.


How do you feel about the finished piece?
I really like the way they turned out. I'm looking forward to making the last two books in this series. Then I can start making lots of puppets for the next stage of my project.








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