Friday, January 18, 2013

SPECIAL: An Interview with Travis Wright



Travis Wright, born in Australia and now lives in Japan, is the talented graphic artist responsible for the new cover art for DEATH'S DOOR:  Where Right and Glory Lead.

Travis has been kind enough to take some time out of his extremely busy schedule to do this interview with me and I would like to thank, and welcome him.


WD: Hello Travis; can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Travis: Originally, I'm from Brisbane, Australia and I moved to Tokyo, Japan in 2005 to get a new outlook on life and the world. Experiencing new cultures and all that.

WD: How long have you been a graphic artist?

Travis: I started out working for free on PC game mods in 2008 just to get some practice and experience and my work must have been noticed as I was offered my first paying job in 2009 and have been working professionally since then.

WD: Is this your 'day' job or do you have a different profession

Travis: I have a separate 'day' job in the IT industry here in Tokyo that I work at full-time while I freelance with my art part-time. I try to find sleep in there at some point too.

WD: Where did you study?

Travis: With my art, I'm completely self-taught. The information is out there, you just need to be dedicated enough to find it and learn and know that you'll never stop learning. Practice as much as you can, just keep drawing and painting.

WD: What type of technique do you prefer to create with (air brush, computer, sketching, etc.)

Travis: The majority of my final work is digital though I will always keep a sketchbook handy for ideas, practice and fun.

WD: When creating your work, what do you feel is the most important aspect: Planning, design or implementation ... And why?

Travis: That's a tough one; Planning helps a lot but isn't necessary to create a good piece. More important is that you have a good understanding of the basics (anatomy, form, lighting, composition, color, etc) and can implement them. Design is also very important, especially if you want to work in the game or film industry. Learn the basics first and everything else starts falling into place.

WD: Is there a major difference in creating for the computer or poster (print) medium? Can you tell us which you prefer and why?

Travis: Nowadays, most software can emulate traditional mediums so well that there's not much difference in how the final product looks so the choice comes down to other considerations. For me, working digitally is much more convenient as I have all the colors I need as soon as I open up a new canvas and it's easier to share it with other people to promote yourself.

Having said that, it's always nice to go back to traditional paints and get a little messy.

WD: What do you do for inspiration?

Travis: Books are an awesome source of inspiration as you are creating images in your head as you read and those images belong to you. The author may have written the words but how you perceive them in your mind is entirely yours and you can do whatever you want with that imagery. Films are also great to study lighting and composition and I also keep folders on my computer filled with work from my favourite artists that I enjoy browsing through.

WD: Is there a particular artist that you have taken inspiration from and what about that individual do you find most fascinating?

Travis: If I can only pick a single artist I would probably choose Feng Zhu, he's a Industrial Design artist from Singapore. He's one of the most prolific artists I have ever seen and his methods most resemble how I enjoy working so there's a level of understanding in his work that I appreciate.

WD: What do you think are the most important qualities in a graphic artist?

Travis: Quality of work, Speed and Approachability.

WD: Art, of any nature, can be appreciated by one and less so by others. When you create a piece of work, are you creating it for yourself (what you like) or toward a more general audience?

Travis: If I'm not working for a client, my art is usually something that I want to see or want to paint. Maybe I'm selfish in that way but I'm really just painting for me most of the time but I also believe in sharing it just in case someone else out there might enjoy it too.

WD: Is the client 'always right'; even if you are not happy about a piece of work?

Travis: When you're being paid, your main goal is to give the client or your Art Director what they want... even if you have to show them what it is they really want. I've been pretty fortunate in my career to work with a lot of good people who either trust me or know exactly what they want and are able to get that idea across to me clearly.

WD: How well do you take criticism?

Travis: I'm probably the toughest critic on my own work but I'm always open to other perspectives and ideas so long as it's constructive and informed.

WD: Do you sketch your designs first before converting to a digital format?

Travis: I'm always sketching. The best part of sketching is that you can do it almost anywhere at any time. It's a good idea to sketch out a few rough ideas when doing work for a client or Art Director, as sometimes you can surprise yourself with the alternatives you didn't consider in your first idea.

WD: How long does the 'average' piece take to produce (from initial planning to final product)?
Travis: Probably around 8 to 10 hours for an average piece.

WD: How many design or design concepts do you usually produce before choosing one?

Travis: It really depends. Very rarely, I'll get what I really want the first time and other times I have to keep going through dozens of ideas and sketches. Most of the time, it falls somewhere between the two opposites.

WD: Can you tell us about some of the projects you are currently working on?

Travis: I just finished up work on a PC Fantasy game where I designed a few of the main characters and also a series of book covers (six covers in total). Right now, I'm working on several designs for my own universe that I hope to compile into a book.

WD: As a writer, I sometimes collaborate with others to create a story. Is this something you, as a graphic artist do often? If so, what sort of work can you point to as examples of your collaborative efforts? How did you find the experience?

Travis:  So far, my only collaborations with other people is when I've been part of a team creating a game or when I've worked with an author to create cover art for their books. These are times when I've been able to share my own ideas but the end result is still entirely another person's vision and I just give them the occasional friendly nudge.

I'm certainly not against the idea of collaborating with someone on a project and I'm sure it's something I will eventually do in the future.

WD: Is there one project that you have created that stands out the most for you?

Travis: I would say it was my first paying job working for Interwave Studios. I was working on a game called Nuclear Dawn and at the time they hired me, I had no idea what I was doing but I was too scared to say no to anything. I just jumped into the deep end and learned as I worked... and I learned a lot! The Producers must have liked my work as they came back to me when the game was nearing release and hired me as a freelance artist to do their promotional artwork and cover for the game's box.

WD: Finally, what upcoming works do you have planned? Can you tell us about some future projects?

Travis: The only one that I have a solid plan for in 2013 is all of the work I have to complete for my own proposed book... that's enough stress for me for the moment.


Thank you again Travis for taking this time for me; and I look forward to working with you again soon.
You can visit Travis's web sites and see more of his great work at:







Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Mobile Website for www.WilliamDeSouza.ca LIVE!






The mobile web site for http://www.williamdesouza.ca is now live!

If you have a Blackberry, Android, Windows or iPhone with a data connection or WiFi connection, open your browser to http://www.williamdesouza.ca/m/mobile.htm