Interview with Artist Felipe Gaona
The RPG small press works with a bunch of talented freelancers, and it is always nice to know more about the people you’re working with on a project. Therefore I sent several interview questions to each of the artists on the Inkwell Ideas’ Creature & Encounter Cards Kickstarter project.
Felipe’s website is http://www.felipegaona.com/
How long have you been working as an artist?
Not much, I started working in illustration in 2008 approximately, so that’s 4 or 5 years, I studied Design here in Chile so I didn’t start until after I graduated.
How did you learn to draw/paint?
Some of the basic techniques I got from studying design, but I’m pretty much self taught. I do investigate a lot and try to learn by reading books and websites.
What is your favorite piece you’ve done so far? Why?
I really like one with a couple of samurai riding horses that I did for L5R, although I think I have a few that are better that I can’t show at the moment. Why? It has a good composition and communicates the idea well, and horses are always a challenge!
What subjects are your favorites to draw /paint and why?
Mostly fantasy people, I like creating characters, but not just doing the concept art and designing them, I like to paint them in some sort of scene. I also like monsters, it’s great to have more freedom and go crazy with the textures.
What subjects do you feel you draw/paint best and why? (monsters, landscapes, buildings, fantasy people, steampunk, spaceships, etc.)
I think I’m good at painting monsters for some reason, I still have a lot to learn about the human figure to consider myself good at drawing fantasy characters, I’m improving though.
Which creature for Inkwell Ideas are you looking forward to most? Why?
From the ones in my list I really want to make a great dire tiger, I’ve been studying tigers lately and I’m impressed by their power and beauty.
What can publishers do to make things easier on you?
Just give me more work! I don’t think I’m hard to work with, I guess more than anything I appreciate good communication.
Do you game? (Tabletop RPGs and/or board games and/or computer gaming–which ones? Something else?) Have any gaming stories?
Yeah I love to play games, I don’t have a gaming store, although I used to work at Devir which distributes products by Wizards and Fantasy Flight Games just to name a few publishers, so I’ve play a lot of games, MtG, D&D, Pathfinder, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, you name it. I also have an Xbox and a Wii, lately I’ve been playing more Gears of War 3 and The Witcher 2, both great games.
Tell us one other thing (or more) about you… (kids, other hobby, strange fact, etc.)
My girlfriend is a great artist and she kicks my ass at drawing! We help each other a lot with critique and I think we improve a lot by learning from the other. I also started practicing martial arts last year, I’m a student of the Hung Gar Kung Fu style, that specializes in Tiger and Crane movements, thats why I wanted to paint the tiger!
