According to his bio ‘PoltArt also known is Aleksandr Poltavskiy is a freelance illustrator located in Meridian, ID. He has been doodling his entire life but decided to try it on a serious level about seven years ago.’ What I dig about Alex`s work is that it marries old-school thrash and hardcore designs with a the more urban vibe of skateboard graphics. The work is bold, it stands out and each piece definitely has PoltArt`s unique stamp on it.

What inspired you to first start drawing? Did you struggle in your formative years or did it come easy to you?

Everything inspired me honestly. I was drawing ever since I can remember, when I was younger I had a friend who had a huge collection of comic books, I loved those covers! At the same time while growing up I played a lot of video games such as Atari, Nintendo (The original), Sega Genesis and such. So all of those video games and their covers really made me want to draw since I loved how colorful they all were.

As far as struggling goes, I did struggle a lot at first. Posting in non art forums can be very difficult. I remember one time I did some Grand Theft Auto fan art and showed it off and people just bashed it and laughed how my hands looked like penises. So I did have a rough start, but not quitting really helped me improve. And always looking at inspiration and reference did a whole lot as well!

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

I am not sure if we are going with first art sold or actually a professional level illustration so I will go with the second one. I think in 09 I actually got a chance to do stuff for the band Lamb of God. I did a few designs for them but the one that was chosen was a girls T-shirt design. I was still very excited about it and the interesting part was that this design was a random one. On others I tried very hard to think of complex concepts, on this one I threw together random things I doodled and surprisingly it turned out nicely!


Were you self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

I was all self taught. I actually went to art school one day and one day only. When I got there the teacher told us to draw what we wanted so I thought of drawing a sadistic voodoo doll. Apparently when you are 12 years old you are not allowed to draw that so they just told me how I can’t draw things like that. This quickly took away any interest I had in art school.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

Over the years I really evolved with my work. In the past I would draw a sketch on paper then scan it over and ink it using the pen tool in Photoshop and go forth. Then I started inking using the brush tool when I got better with a tablet. Now days I start with a sketch digitally, and ink digitally. I have tried to ink on paper and scan it and color that but I could never get my lines as crisp as I would like them to be, so I just stick with digital inking.

How has your toolbox evolved compared to when you first started out?

Well over the years it got a lot smaller heh. I still do have pens I ink with when I care to do something on paper alone, but for most part everything I ink is digitally.

Favorite brand of ink:

When inking on paper I tried various companies and the one I like the most is the Faber-Castell Indian Ink pens.

Type of paper:

I always liked standard computer paper, it’s just perfect the way it is for me. Cardstock is also very nice, especially when working with color markers that bleed through typical paper.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

A lot of the time I go to the conceptart community. A lot of high end professional artists go there and it is a very overwhelming place even with inspiration. I only try to look for it every once in a while because I feel the more I look at someone’s work the more I kind of start leaning to his or her style, and that is definitely something I want to avoid. As far as masters of Ink I don’t really have any names that I know of. One of the artists I always loved ever since I saw his work in a book was Albert Durer, he puts so much detail into his inked pieces!

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

Usually I start doing research on the client if I hadn’t beforehand. I find exactly what this person is into and try to create something that would work for those interests. I always do a sketch or two first and submit it while explaining to them that the sketch is a rough idea of placement rather than accurate details of the art so they know it will look completely different and better once I attack it completely. After I get the sketch approved I begin to ink the piece. Sometimes I color a little while inking that way I can get some colors thrown on and plan how I am going to color what. I continue that proves until the illustration is done. I typically try to keep the client updated the entire time to make sure they are still good with the art and they don’t want any changes yet. Because if I finish then they decide they want the hand to be a little bigger I have to re-work a lot of colors!

How have digital tools affected your creative process over the past few years?

I love digital tools a lot! Having to work with a tablet is awesome; over the years trying various applications also helped me find something I am comfortable with. About a year ago I also purchased a wacom cintiq tablet, and that made life so much easier. I am able to now do a lot more details in my work, and have it look very crisp at the same time.

What would be your best and worst professional experience?

My best work experience would definitely be when I had a single client buy over 5 designs I have done in the past all in one day. That was definitely a wonderful day. On the other hand my worst experience was when I actually first started working. I had a client who I agreed on a rate for. Afterwards he decided to not pay and I had done 6 or more illustrations. That was definitely a good time to learn to ask for a kill fee up front.

What was the best advice you’ve ever received but may not have listened to the first time out?

Light source. Back when I was starting out a guy told me to work on my light source. For some strange reason I had no idea what he meant by that and so I kept doing the same thing I was doing, so it took me a bit to realize how to define a light source and use that to add more interest to my work.

Do you approach your album cover illustrations illustrations differently than your t-shirt designs?

I do approach those differently. When doing a T-shirt design I separate each color into a different layer, whereas on an album cover I just mash all the colors together.

Which pieces are you most proud of thus far?

You know I am always proud of my current work. There are pieces that I have done in the past that is great and I am proud of achieving progress with them such as work I have done for Lamb of God or Harley-Davidson, but every time I do a new project I feel like I have a new favorite. I did a cannibal T-shirt design for Born of Osiris a few months back and even though I have done new work I still feel that is my favorite and I am very proud of it because of the concept and the colors I used.

What’s your vital daily ritual?

Well I do a lot of stuff and have a lot of hobbies. Usually if the weather is nice I like to go out and practice stunting on my motorcycle. Then I get home and start working. Throughout the day I get snacks and continue working. I pretty much continue this until 4-5am? I also take breaks throughout the day to play some video games. I have an Xbox 360 hooked up to my monitor so I just switch over play for 30 minutes then get back to hours of work. It works nicely heh.

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

Oh man, so much music in my MP3. I listen to a lot of music but while answering this I am listening to Gianluca Ferro an instrumental band from Italy. I do love all sorts of music from death metal – hip hop – Horrorcore – old school music such as Bobby Vinton.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

Umm, well that is a difficult one to answer. I usually have random stuff from magazines cut out that I like, as far as actual work goes I do have a nifty Guild Wars poster I got with the game back in the day that I have posted.

What’s the last novel you read and last movie that you saw that you’d recommend? Which movies and books do you always return to?

Right now I am on a few books, they are I Lucifer by Glen Duncan, and Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker. Those are both great books and I really love concepts that deal with demons, and horror, and just interesting story lines. So I would recommend those, I also love the Dark Tower books by Stephen king. I always seem to return to his writing. Heh as far as movies go I can’t get enough! I watch a lot, recently purchased Netflix so usually while working I either have a movie or music playing. The other day I actually saw the movie Due Date, I thought that was pretty funny. My favorite movie is probably The Crow with Brandon Lee.

Current and upcoming projects?

Right now I am working on a skateboard design or two, which I am thrilled about because I haven’t had a chance to do any so far. I am also back to work on some projects for Bravado, which is always exciting. And always doing random personal stuff, recently started a mummy design.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

Keep going? Heh just kidding that is pretty much what everyone would say right? Well I would tell him or her to promote himself to everyone he or she can. Use all the different social networks and company websites to get in touch with bands and labels. Just email everyone showing examples of your work and letting them know you would be interested in working for them. Don’t be shy! What is the worst that can happen? The band lets you down and says they are not interested? On the other hand if they are interested, then you would get yourself a client! Another thing is if you have different designs you have done for fun submit them as a mock up with the band’s name, maybe the band will love it and purchase that design right away!

What’s been the most effective means of marketing yourself both online and off?

Honestly the best marketing I have ever done was online and on MySpace. Back before their high tech flash version MySpace was fantastic to use for work! I would constantly send messages to different bands/artists and get work that way.

Thanks for the interview, I had a fun time answering your questions, was nice to reevaluate how I got to my current stage as an artist.

For more of Alex’s work head on over to PoltArt.com

by Richard Serrao

The first time I saw Wes Craig’s artwork was on a Texas Chainsaw Massacre comic from Wildstorm and to be honest I had never heard of him before. Once I looked inside though his artwork blew me away. Ever since then I’ve been a fan and I really wanted to share his work with everyone so that you can enjoy his work as well.

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

My first pro job was on “Touch” from DC comics, it’s rare in comics that your first job is for a major publisher, usually you have to climb through the ranks of small publishers and small paychecks at the beginning. I got really lucky on that one.

Although I never really even sent my samples to smaller publishers so, who knows? Maybe I could have started working earlier if I had. But I’m happy with how it turned out. Touch was part of a new line called DC Focus that disappeared pretty quickly, but it was all about the learning experience, and it was really valuable to me.

Self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

Self taught in terms of the usual tools of comic books: pencil, pen and ink, etc. I made my own comics for years as a kid, full stories, inked on full size board, hand lettered, the whole deal, and when it came time to go to college I took the closest thing I could find to Comics 101 in my area which was a three year course in Illustration and Design, which prepped you for a career in commercial illustration.

I didn’t learn anything new about comics, in fact they were looked down on by most of the teachers, but I did get my first education in acrylics, watercolor, Photoshop, etc, so it was really useful for that.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

I use a lot of Faber-Castell Pitt pens and Microns, the brush and calligraphy types. I like the beveled edge of the calligraphy pen. If I have the time I like to use those along with a Windsor-Newton brush and Speedball ink, do some spatter and get messy, the fun stuff.

Favorite brand of ink:

Speedballs the best for me so far, but I’m not an ink snob, you can get cool effects with watery inks too.

Type of paper:

Strathmore, I’ve used the smooth kind for years but i just started using the vellum kind for one project and I love it, lots of tooth, makes the ink very scratchy, if that’s your thing, which for me, it is.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are YOUR masters of ink?

Hmmm… I like guys who can bring their own voice to the pencils, it’s a rarity and getting rarer by the day, also pencilers who ink their own stuff, which is one of the reasons I do it myself. Kevin Nowlan, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Bolland, Paul Pope, Moebius, also Klaus Janson, who I didn’t like when I was a kid but I’ve grown to love, I didn’t like Jack Kirby when I was a kid either… apparently I was a stupid kid.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job? Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

I sit down with the script, analyze it, try to figure out the best, clearest shots to tell the story, pencil it on 8.5×11 printer paper, keeping it small so I don’t get bogged down with details, then blow it up to 11×17 Bristol board (by that I mean scanning the pencils into my computer, increasing the size in Photoshop, and printing it out in non-repro blue on my big-ass printer), and ink it over the blue line, trying to keep the life and energy of the pencils.

And this may be getting off the point but bear with me, the most important thing to me is getting the emotion of the piece, because above all you want to connect with the readers emotions. Technical prowess and the proper tools are important but to me, emotion is what matters above all, putting your own emotion into the work. It’s like hearing a band that’s the most technically skilled band ever, but that’s all they are, and at the end, you’re unmoved.

I’d rather hear music by a bunch of novices that play it with heart and with urgency and feeling over the technical stuff. Which brings us to our next question…

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

Tom Waits is a constant, every album Radiohead’s ever done, Spoon, Metric, Arcade Fire, Death From Above, lots of other stuff too, some rap, jazz, lots of punk, pulling inspiration from as many sources as possible is important to me.

Looking back on what I just wrote, why does every rock-loving white guy have to mention they like rap so they can seem cool, but they never mention any names? Mos Def, K-OS, Native Tongues.

There, see? I know my stuff.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

Sadly, I don’t own any original art, but I hope to change that some day soon. On my walls in poster form is an Alphonse Mucha, “Starry night” by Van Gogh, a Japanese print, and just so I don’t get too artsy-fartsy here I also have a Mike Mignola Hellboy, and a Jack Kirby New Gods splash page reprint that I cut out of a book.
But the gold is really on my bookshelf, tons of art books, convention sketch books, graphic novels, etc.

Last novel you read and last movie that you saw (that you’d recommend)?

This isn’t the last novel I read but the one I’ve read most recently that blew my mind was Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow, and in comics I’d say Parker by Darwyn Cooke, and Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli were both amazing. The last good movie I saw was A Serious Man by the Cohen Brothers. And just for popcorn fun, I thought Iron Man 2 was really good, but that’s me.

Current and upcoming projects?

I’m working on a creator-owned series for Wildstom right now, it’s a five issue series, created, written, drawn, inked, colored, lettered, and designed by me. So as you can imagine, it’s pretty labour intensive and it’s taking me about two months to finish each issue, so it won’t be out until early 2011. For updates you can go to http://mojoblender.blogspot.com/

What would be your dream project to work on that you haven’t yet have had the chance to?

Working on my own comics and getting paid enough to live, is my dream, so, check. But aside from that there are certain characters I’d love to work on; Superman being the biggest, also Thor, the Hulk, the Flash, The New Gods, and the Joker.

As an artist you continue to grow and improve with each new body of work, how do you motivate yourself to do this?

Well thank you kindly good sir. I’d say I’m in a constant state of trying to get better, with occasional fits of laziness where the work looks like crap to me. I don’t want to get to a level where I think I know how it’s done and there’s nothing else to learn. I want to keep on learning until I’m in the ground. I’m always studying other artists, practicing different techniques, and trying out new tools.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

You’ll never make it and you’re a failure.
Too harsh?
Really, if you’re working your ass off then you will get there eventually, you just have to keep marching onwards. If the next level means company work like Batman or whatever, then you have to hit the comic conventions and show the editors of the company your stuff, if the next level is doing your own work, you can do it right now, put it up on the internet. Right this minute, damn it!

For more info on Wes visit his blog and his original art pages.