@SlowPumpkins - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: Where did your philosophy of having the passion to do something you're proud of come from?

A: I not sure when I started to think like that but I believe we all as human beings had this feeling when we accomplish something, we like to build and create stuff.

Q: What do you like about games? What games do you enjoy, and why do you think they resonate with you?

A: I love games because they can have all the things I like in just one media, they can have songs, visual arts, characters that you love and good writing, all in the same game. And the challenges of beat a video game too.

Q: What do you enjoy about horror movies? How do you define a horror movie, and what are the elements that make good horror for you personally? What aspects do you not like?

A: I think it’s pretty close to what I said about games, horror movies can be gruesome and funny at the same time, they have iconic villains and heroes, unique visuals and characters you can only find in horror.

Q: You love music—death metal, doom, grindcore, new wave, darkwave—but you listen to almost everything. Why do you think you love music, and why do these specific genres appeal to you? What are some songs and bands you enjoy?

A: Another one that I can’t tell you why, but I remember when I started to get into metal and heavy songs, I was about 12 years old when I listened to linkin park for the first time, just a few months later I watched the first Resident evil movie, that movie has a lot of new metal songs, new metal is a mix of a lot of styles, started with this kind of song made me like almost all types of music.

Q: What is goth culture?

A: kinda hard to explain, there’s nothing written on stone, goths can be too different from one another, but most of them have the same taste for music, movies and how they like to spend their time. Some people just like to listen to “post-punk” bands, some are more into electronic stuff and other are more like a symphonic metal fan, all can be called goths but they are totally different persons (and I’m talking just about music, but this apply books, movies and life in general). When I say goth culture is more like a generic way to say a large group of people that are into darker songs, horror books or just makeup and alternative fashion.

Q: What is NG about? How did you discover the NG website? What made you decide to join the community? Do you feel differently about the site now compared to when you first joined?

A: I know NG since I was a kid, I used to play games there at the time, and recently discovered that it still exists and a lot of people still use it. I know the people who like my art are there and a lot of artists I love are there too, so I needed to start using NG. About how it feels to be there: It's like a comfort place, I miss forums and the internet where you don’t need to consume insane amounts of information everyday. 

Q: How did you become interested in swimming? You have swimming classes twice a week, and you've also started going to the gym. Why do you think you're focusing more on being healthier as you get older?

A: I did classes when I was a kid, now I need to start exercising cause I’m already having some health issues, most of them I just need to practice exercises, so I decided to start something I was already familiar with. Now I just need to go to the gym to stay strong and get better at the pool (I want to start to swim in lakes and beaches next year).

- Wrong change

When I was a teenager, the woman from the bank gave me the wrong change (the extra money was enough to buy a game boy) I was planing to do that but I was robbed by some dude on the same day. I did the wrong thing and get instantly punished, I swear. instant kharma.

Q: How do you feel the experience has impacted you, and do you think differently because of it?

A: when I was young I felt bad, but if the same happens today I’ll just give back the wrong change, not because of kharma or something, but I don’t want to ruin someone else's day.

- 400 bookshelfs of 5 meters of height

I worked almost two years on a place who you may call backrooms, it was thousands of files and lawsuits on a giant place, something like 400 bookshelfs of 5 meters of height. I didn't have any picture of that time but it was fun to work on a haunted place like that, this was even before stuff like slender or creppy pastas, I wish I could go back in time to share that place to the world (that place is gone now, most of the files are digital only).

Q: Why do you think that place was creepy?

A: all the documents placed in there are crimes, processes and legal stuff. Nothing good was placed in there, not a single funny story or silly act. It was like a graveyard for files.

Q: How do you know when you like an art piece?

A: When it surprises me.

Q: What are your inspirations?

A: Today I think my inspirations are mostly japanese games, the songs I like, comics and cartoons. I really like the vibes from 90’s cartoon network and comics from the era of the heavy metal magazine. I try to mix this with my taste in games.

Q: What are some good art resources and proper training to develop skills as a visual artist?

A: I believe you should draw with everything you feel most comfortable, but for that you need to try everything, I truly recommend going to painting classes, you need to learn before you can choose what to do in art. But the universal tip is: always uses references, always practice with figures, nature, digital images or books, we can’t draw without memory and for that we need to at least draw one time with a reference. For example: never draw a horse? Find a picture, book or I don’t know find a horse on the street, draw him on paper and pencil, try to understand the shapes and how his structure works, you will draw a better horse from imagination later, works for everything.

- Value art

Getting back to talk about art, I worked on everything when it comes to illustrations, I did books, comics, games, pixel art, hentai, all you can think of. and I'm glad I did that, because now I know what I like to do and what I feel good doing, I spend years don't giving much value to my own art, I only changed when I started to took classes and started to talk to other artists, started to get jobs as a illustrator. If I didn't started that classes I'll probably will be working on something else today.

Q: What does it take to be able to value your own art?

A: A lot, sometimes you need to lose job opportunities, raise your prices knowing that fewer clients will come over, but I think the most important thing is: you need to know what person you are, what are your visions and beliefs, what you love is important, what you are is important too. People can feel when you deliver something that you did with passion.