Interview with Vector Artist of the Month Ryannzha

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”. ~Herman Melville

/Ryannzha , AKA Rian Saputra, is one of those rare, vivacious young artists who found a distinct flavor to his work early in his career. His unique palate led him to be voted as the first recipient of the Vector of the Month award.

When did you decide to start your own business and go freelance?

When I was 21, YO-- the time I decided to drop out from the college.

When did you first become aware that you wanted to create art for a career?

When I sold my sketch, when I was 8, YO.

When did you first notice your own style emerging?

3 years ago.

Who was your best teacher as it applies to art?

Forums are. Art communities such as: Shadowness, DeviantArt, and DesignerCouch, etc... helped me, tremendously.

What are your greatest inspirations?

Women, emotions, solitary things.

What are your greatest obstacles?

Time.

What part does other artist’s work play in your learning process?

It plays a huge part, as their works often captivated me and opened my eyes towards a new approach of objects, colors and composition-- parts that can be used for making my future works better.

What advice would you give to artists who want to work in the industry as a freelancer?

Originality is what clients seek. Being open-minded will allow the artist to be able to take what the client wants and transform it into art.

Do you have any other hobbies and interests are priorities in your life?

Reading, playing puzzle games and any other stuff that challenges me.

What software/hardware/medium do you use?

Traditional: some proper papers and pencils. Digital: proper PC/MAC, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, Wacom Tablet.

What ‘techniques’ have you learned that opened your style up the most?

Colors and composition.

What would you suggest for the beginning digital artist to use software/hardware?

Photoshop for pixel and Illustrator for vector, but don't limit yourself.

What technology (software/hardware/medium) has had the biggest impact on your Art?

Pencil tablet, because that's one of the missing link between the traditional and digital art. It preserves the manual skill with also having limitations in this digital-age.

Do you ever feel restrained by your medium?

No, there's supposed to be no restraining medium. As a creative person, we should be able to creatively use any kind of medium with it's limitations while having an unlimited probability of results.

What do you feel is the most important technical element of your artwork?

Colors.

What is your opinion of the way that politics/government influences art?

Art is often used as the medium of communication between the artist to the audience. Several artworks are expressions of the artist's political views, or who they idolize by their own perspective-- a token of appreciation and support. An astute audience should be able to distinguish between the beauty and what it's trying to communicate. We have to be able to see through this beauty and challenge it's meaning with our own perspective.

What is your opinion of the way in which online communities influence art?

Massive-- positively and negatively. Online communities deliver unlimited and almost instant progress in having new inspiration via ease of access. They can also can be bad for those who don't use it wisely, which can diminish one's originality until it's gone.

What is your opinion of the way in which the ‘digital age’ has influenced art?

Digital is just another medium that artist should use because it is greatly used by people, ease of access and mobility, and lack of time/space limitation. It's the time portal. The digital age is just one of those ages that teach us to survive.

In your opinion, does society play a role in what people create?

Yes, society is the unspecified target audience.

In your opinion, should traditional art forms be resurrected in digital forms?

That'll be lovely. Many of top notch traditional artists do that without abandoning their traditional arts.

What are your thoughts on originality?

Crucial, but, in a non-divine sense. What I'm trying to say is, originality forces the artist to be creative but in a sense that we don't have the ability to be purely "original". We visualize what we saw and what we captured.

What do you try to communicate through your art?

Emotional approach.

Do you feel that form, function and purpose are important in today’s artwork?

Of course they are and will always be. Artists have their own view which they liked to be shared. Thus the function/purpose always exists on good art through the form/elements inside the artwork itself.

Who are some of your favorite current and historical artists?

Well if you're asking about my current favorite artists.. it'll be quite a long list, so let's just break it down; all the artists in art forum/online community artists who is in my friendlist/followed by me are my favorite artists as well as a few illustrators and graphic designers. As for the historical artists I have few of them : Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, Johannes Vermeer, and Robert Doisneau.

Aug 3rd, 2011