— The featured artist of the 86th issue of Living the Photo Artistic Life magazine is California-based AWAKE artist Evelyn Elwan. I’m pleased to be able to share my interview with Evelyn here on Quill and Camera . . .
Q: “What got you started in digital photo artistry? And what would you say inspires your work now?”
I’ve always appreciated art (and photography) but the total lack of pencil and brush skills kept me from bringing my creativity to life. I was okay with that though.
Then one day I discovered Sebastian’s Photoshop Artistry: Fine-Art Grunge Composition course. Those beautiful images grabbed my attention, sparked my curiosity, and made me decide to explore further.
As Sebastian described the journey ahead, it was my “chance to shine as an artist” and bring my “deepest artistic vision” to life. That’s when I realized Photoshop wasn’t a software to simply adjust, enhance, or crop photos, and for the first time I experienced working with layers and blending modes. What a pleasant surprise that was!
After that, I signed up for the AWAKE and KAIZEN groups, then hopped online with the others and was introduced to dozens of amazing digital artists.
This group has been my main source of inspiration and I’m so lucky to get to enjoy their creations every single day. I like to analyze other compositions and try to decipher the artists’ techniques by paying close attention to all the details that make their work stand out. This process certainly helps ignite new ideas to complement my own images.
Q: “How do you approach your work? Any particular process you tend to follow?”
Sometimes I have a specific idea in mind before I start, but most of the time it’s just a general concept arising from some passing inspiration — a song, a saying, even a word. Or as I said, perhaps a piece I saw from another artist.
I might go to my “artistic treasure box” and look for a photo or a few elements to start the project, then let it develop itself as I go – even if it ends up taking off in an entirely different direction than I originally planned. The entirely chance direction a piece might take has many times turned out even better than I could have hoped, and that’s what I call a “pleasant mistake.”
Then comes the post-production stage, where it’s so much fun to add some final touches of “magic” to the image. In finishing out a piece I always take my work through Camera Raw, and often experiment with the NIK collection, ON1, Topaz Studio, or even a few iPhone apps like Glaze, Snapseed, Superimpose, and Mextures.
Choosing textures, colors, and lighting to manipulate the final mood and style gives me a great feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Q: “Do you think that an image must have a message, or is it enough that it is well-crafted?”
Whether a message is meant to be loud and clear or left a bit subtle, it can be quite subjective and affect the audience in different ways, as perception plays a major role. The interpretation of an image will always vary from person to person. For that reason, I don’t think an image must have a message, but it needs to be well-crafted in the eyes of the artist who created it. From there, if you’re lucky, it will capture the viewer, hold them a while, and connect with them in a positive way. If you’re especially lucky it will trigger a delightful feeling, or simply amuse their senses, even make them smile.
Q: “What does living the photo artistic life mean to you?”
For me, living a photo artistic life means that I have the freedom to express myself in my work.
Which ideally means creating art that not only excites me but somehow connects with or speaks to others.
It’s also about diving deep into my imagination, tapping into my creative side …
And ultimately finding my individual style — something only I can say in the particular way I say it.
Creating art has become a passion. It’s entertaining and therapeutic at the same time.
I’ve been enjoying this journey greatly, and I can’t image my life now without creative expression and digital photo artistry in it.
Q: “Any advice or tips for aspiring digital artists?”
Go out there, look for inspiration, and take it all in. Explore your ideas, write them down, and learn different techniques. Try to discover what brings you the most satisfaction when creating art. Observe, research, study. Eventually see if you can find your own style.
There are so many great tutorials to help you achieve your artistic goals. Devour them. Then put the ideas to use. That’s how you’re going to get good. And it is such a great feeling when you watch your talent flourish, when your images get more polished and rise to a different level.
Be sure to share your work with family, friends, and other artists. And go ahead and ask for their feedback.
I am so thankful for having discovered Photoshop Artistry, then joining AWAKE and KAIZEN. It is an incredibly supportive and inspiring community, composed of so many friendly, talented artists.
And as we all know, practice makes perfect, so spend time creating art as often as possible, even if that time you spend immersed is only a few minutes here and there.
But also step back and take a break if you feel the need. And when you return to your work, remember, there is no right or wrong here. There is only your creativity and your journey to find ways to express it.
So enjoy the process.
And most important, have fun!