fREQUENTLY aSKED qUESTIONS
Any questions about my work? Don't hesitate to contact me!
In the meantime, here's some frequently asked questions!
Overview
Question 01
I'm new to all this - what is "Digital Art"?
Even though it's over 100 years old and also Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol created it, the term "Digital Art" regularly raises questions.
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Is it made by a computer? No, not at all.
Definition says, Digital Art refers to any artistic work which uses digital technology as part of creation.
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Put simple, you use a computer program instead of oil paint and canvas.
Did you ever sketch something with your mouse in "Microsoft Paint"? That's basically what I do - well, a few levels more detailed, haha!
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Pro's use a graphic tablet instead of the mouse where they paint on directly with a pressure sensitive pen. ​
Question 02
Okay - but isn't Digital Art easier than Traditional Art then?
No, it's just different.
Imagine a piano and a guitar. Press a piano key and instantly get a good tone. On guitar, your first tone can sound incredibly crappy, as we all know...
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Is piano easier than guitar then? No - it's different!
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As a piano has advantages compared to guitar, it also has disadvantages - like key changes which you have to practice for years, while on guitar you simply change the fret.
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Transferred to Digital Art, it has advanatages, like the "return" button which erases your last brushstroke. Wow, that would be great on real paper...
But, it's a thousand times harder to create a vibrant and alive feel to your art.
Digital brushwork can very quickly look artificial and amateur.
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You have to train for years to get good at it.
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Not for nothing, movie companies like Marvel or Disney only get the very best digital artists in the world for their movie concept art.
Question 03
But AI can make 'art', too, for free...
Oh WOW! Can it?!
Incredible, didn't know that!
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Then, it can also replace your guitar solos!
Awesome, I don't have to pay anymore for your albums!
I just feed your songs to the system and live carefree ever after!
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...well, in case you really think AI could create art, you can as well stop reading, leave my page and live on happily in your bubble of ignorance.
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Instead if you're interested in why AI is not able to create art, here's why:
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​Even if you ignore the fact that AI was trained with millions of copyrighted works from artists who didn't get a single buck for it, it really just... sucks.
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At very first glance, it might look cool.
If you spend a few minutes comparing AI images, you'll soon notice they all look the same - super-sharp and artificial, no artistic style, no visible brushstrokes and beware of zooming into details.
- well, there are no details. It's just a generated mess trying to replicate a detail a real artwork once had.
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AI scans real human art, ruminates it and pukes out a pile of randomness.
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It cannot ever feel what emotions your music evoke and convert that into an artwork.
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Simply compare.
Question 04
I don't like the look of Digital Art, I prefer Traditional Art.
Great! I'm trained in almost all kinds of traditional media and happy to bring your idea to paper or canvas.
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For watercolor paintings, I use highest-quality German Hahnemühle paper together with prestigious Schmincke colors.
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For sketches or pencil drawings, I use Faber Castell pencils.
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And for acrylic paintings on canvas, I rely on fine-grained high-quality canvas with vibrant Reeves colors or - for the highest possible aspiration - Schmincke PRIMAcryl® Professional acrylics. Can't get any better than that, evidently.
Question 05
What gear do you use?
Already waited for the gear question!
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Just as you enjoy your 1961 Honeyburst Les Paul (or... probably your 2018 Epiphone), I enjoy my Wacom Cintiq 16 Pro.
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It's kind of the medium professional model of Wacom, the go-to company for graphic tablets.
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It has a display, so I can paint directly on screen and it feels very natural, almost like pen on paper.
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My preferred program is open-source tool Krita. Being donation-funded, it's incredible how well it works. Doesn't leave any wishes open.
Question 05
Why did you decide to create art for musicians?
Ever known that struggle of too many passions?
I invented that.
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I'm an artist - and a musician.
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This is my way of connecting both worlds.
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Piano is my first instrument; the E-guitar came a few years later.
I own a Yamaha piano and a Music Man LIII HSS along with a Line 6 multieffect pedalboard.
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Last year, I produced my very first single.
I postponed the release until I can properly focus on its marketing.
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The advantage for you?
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No need to explain terms like "mojo", "pocket" or "twang" to me.
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You want your brown sound mirrored on your album cover? Well, let me see how we can include subtle EVH vibes!
