Itsura Manga: John Vuycankiat

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?

You could consider me one of the citizens who went to school as dictated by the norms. At a young age, I gained interest in video games, cartoons, comic books and music. These forms of art inspired me to start learning to draw on my own, enhanced by the hardcore criticisms of others. Moving on, I was never the type of person who liked to hang outside the house. I was a shut-in more or less during high school. Setting foot in college, I learned to enjoy more of the outside world. Blended with people and society beyond the castle walls, hung out at bars and enjoyed playing pool, experienced social problems, damaged my liver after becoming an alcoholic, enjoyed some puffs of brotherhood...
It was like a round trip overdrive to complete what I've missed for being too sheltered. The outgoing life coupled with its ups and downs had taught me a lot.

Summing these all up and I can say that experiencing life constantly is what fuels me to illustrate, create characters and conjure up a tale based on all of my experiences. It's what makes me the artist I am today.

What inspired or convinced you to become an artist?

That feeling of wanting to change the world by means of a story-driven art.

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

Typical day? Sleep, work-out, chores, internet, illustrate(work at home for foreign client), eat, music, video games when vacant, bath. Before resigning from local employment a few months back, I worked and hung out with crazy, outgoing and fun loving people.

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

Years back, I worked on adult websites of UK clients by producing hundreds of image content monthly. Recently, I work for Ronin Studios as pencil artist for sequentials and character designs.

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

I start off with thumbnail sketches. Then get down to the actual draft and if needed, trace it via lightbox.

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?

Adobe Photoshop would be my weapon of choice. On a scanned line art, I organize a series of layers each with a different role. I've become comfortable using a combined method of vector (via pen tool) and airbrush strokes executed by tedious mouse clicks (Yup! Plain old mouse).

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

Hanging out with friends and listening to music. Constantly exposing myself to knowledge and historical stuff of my choice. Most importantly, I remind myself that there's someone out there who's 10 times more skilled than I am - helps me pump up the creativity effort...

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

Perspective angles! Just love it when it feels like illustrated characters are about to pop out of paper/monitor.

Who are the top illustrators whose works excite you the most?
Frank Frazetta; Ogure Ito; Hiroe Rei; Obata Takeshi.

What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?
Dynamic illustrations, realistic anatomy, color combinations and facial expressions.

What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?
Here are some:
www.onemanga.com
blog.plaync.jp/kanzeon.slog
www.francescadani.com
www.bekkoame.ne.jp/i/taka_tony/
shunyama.web.fc2.com/

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

Aiming for perfection. Going beyond the boundaries.

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

Notify via thebloodemperor[dot]deviantart[dot]com or through yahoo: blood_emper0r[at]yahoo[dot]com

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

Nothing for sale as of this moment. I plan on releasing an indie comic sometime later during Anime Overload Festival 09 at SMX Convention Center, Pasay City