Brian Joseph Valeza

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Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where did you go to school, and what extra-curricular activities did you take up? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?

Well I am a crazy loony artists that likes to go wacky, hehehe. I took up FINEARTS at FEATI UNIVERSITY here in the Philippines. Watching the master and asking questions is what prepared me to became the artist that I am today. Hehehe. Oh and read on to know more.

What inspired or convinced you to become an artist?

I've always love drawing ever since I was young. Reading a lot of COMICS and MANGA further convinced me to be an artist, hehehe. To be able to go toe on toe with those artists is my goal.


What is a typical day for you, and who are the people you work with?

-Well, I wake up at 5:15am and prepare to go to work till 6:30am then, commute to work for at least 2 hrs. hehehe. Then do my work till 6:15pm then commute again for 2 hrs then eat suffer then go to sleep, then wake up and do the whole thing again the next day for rest of the week, hehehe. But it's OK cause I'm kinda enjoying work, and I was fortunate enough to have wacky officemates, hehehe.


What are some of the things that you have worked on?

I've done work for some book publishers as a freelance illustrator. Now I'm a freelance colorist for MANGAHOLIX (a local comic magazine) and a conceptual artist of RENDER DREAM (a new game design studio).

How do you go about an illustration, what goes through your mind, from start to end?

What goes through my mind? Well that's simple. I MUST SURPASS THE LAST ONE I DID, hehehe. If I've done something with blazing fire I must be able to do something different the next time but it must surpass that one without overdoing it, then do another one that will surpass that one again and so on and so forth, hehehe.

Could you talk about your process in coloring your art (if at all), as well as the types of tools or media that you use?

Well, first I set a target, a digital coloring style that I want to learn, then try to imitate that, and fail gloriously, but I accidentally create my own style through that. Then improve it further more.

I'll tell you a secret. I'm not good at coloring, hehehe. Go to our school and I'm the last person people would ask about coloring, hehehe. I just know stuff when it comes to digital coloring in PHOTOSHOP.

What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?

Reading comics and manga, watching tv and movies, listening to music, walking home, playing video games, looking at toys, looking at other peoples work on the web, looking at beautiful girls on the street on the way to work, listen to stories from my friends, almost anything in my daily life keeps me creative.

What is your most favorite subject to draw, and why?

Aside from mecha, everything that can be drawn is my favorite subject.

Who are the top illustrators whose works excite you the most?

There are sooo many illustrators whose works excites me the most. Pro and non-pro. I really can't pick just any of them since all of their works inspire.

What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?

Work hard, be humble, and most of all -- enjoy your work.


What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?

DEVIANTART.COM RULES!!! Hehehe.


What wisdom could you give us, about being an artist? Do you have any tips you could give?

Just like what I've learned from other artists, work hard, be humble, and enjoy your work. Oh and this one that I've developed, INSPIRE and BE INSPIRED, hehehe. Gere' how it works (for me at least): every time I learned that I inspired someone with my work it inspires me to do more that will inspire others that will inspire me again to do more and so on and so forth. This way we all gain something.


If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

Telepathically, hehehe. Just kidding. E-MAIL me at totmoartsstudio[at]yahoo.com.ph or send me a NOTE on totmoartsstudio2.deviantart.com. But still, being contacted telepathically would be cool, hehehe.


Do you have any of your art work for sale (comics, prints, or anything) for fans of your work can know where and when to buy it?

Well, I've done some coloring on issues# 2 and 3 of MANGAHOLIX which is in bookstores now, oh and sometimes (when I'm on the mood) I do FREE COMMISSIONS on deviant art to thank people for appreciating my works, hehehe.

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Aside from being an artist/graphic designer, what other jobs would you like to try?

Back then I wanted to be a PALEONTOLOGIST, I love DINOSAURS, to study them was my dream, then growing up I kinda realized that, it ain't gonna happen, hehehe. But I still want to study dinosaurs.