ARTIST INTERVIEW: LARS RASMUSSEN

Danish artist Lars Rasmussen has already developed an impressive portfolio of work over the past 6 months. Starting out in the advertising industry, it has given him the ticket to do what he enjoys the most - Digital Art. Lars answers some questions on his method and the experience of working on Erth Chronicles.

EC: Where were you brought up and how has this imprinted on your visual style?

LR: I was brought up in Vejle, Denmark with our backyard leading up to a huge, old forest with scary underground ruins, beautiful streams and lakes, steep hills, adventurous winding paths and dense spider web infested woods. This place was like another dimension to me, and this is where I spent my time until the age of ten, when we moved away.

I’m not sure how this has affected my painting style, although the things I imagined happening in that forest - seeing trolls transformed into trees and rocks, and hearing the horrifying screams of strange creatures hunting their prey in the dusk, might have sparked a tendency to imagine life a little more interesting than it really is.

EC: Have you been self-taught or did you attend Art School, College or University?

LR: I never attended art school, which I regret. Up until two years ago, I only drew cartoon type line art, and art school would definitely have introduced me to more aspects of the discipline. Today, kids are exposed to concept art and online tutorials very early, and know that it’s actually a career possibility, which they can - and should pursue in art school. It was John Howe’s work for The Lord of the Rings that got me fired up to try the more painterly approach. Though he paints traditionally, he is definitely the main reason I am doing this today.

EC: Explain your process of working.

LR: That varies a great deal, depending on the complexity of the subject matter. I love research, so that’s where I start - and I can spend a lot of time googling for images and other relevant info. I then used to go straight to the computer for sketching - but lately I tend to sketch with pencil and paper increasingly.

I then either scan the sketches or start over on the computer. I have two screens which makes it possible for me to have all my research material on one, while painting on the other. What I do from here is just start loose and then tighten up what I feel is interesting. I usually don’t apply texture until the very end, but sometimes I do it the other way around - starting with a lot of overlaid textures, and using the abstract shapes as a base for the entire painting. The problem with the last technique is of course, that you don’t know where you’ll end up exactly - which is fun and totally alright, if you don’t have a specific subject to portray.

EC: How important is working in your sketchbook - from the smallest thumbs to fleshed out sketches or speed paintings?

LR: My sketchbook isn’t as important to me, as I’d like it to be. The one advice that I constantly see repeated from the masters is ‘Draw from life!’. I definitely see the logic, as this will increase your understanding of real light and shadow, and help you build up that mental library of how things really look. It’s my goal to draw more from nature - people, animals, architecture … whatever I come across.

EC: Research is an integral part of the design process - do you feel that this helps inform us and our work? What would you use as an example of an ill informed design?

LR: Research has become a crucial and very enjoyable element for me, and I always start out gathering relevant info before - or while sketching. Everything around us looks the way it does, because it has to - humans, animals, plants, machinery - everything. All successful creations are shaped by their surroundings, and that’s what I focus on when designing.

The whole idea is to make people ‘believe’ your design. The real challenge is to be believable and original at the same time. One without the other is easy – an elephant sized creature, balancing on one very skinny leg might be cool and original, but no one is going to believe that this guy survived any kind of evolution. When designing an underwater monster, I’ll spend a lot of time studying fish, squids, shellfish and whatnot - looking for a common link that I can implement into my design to make it sell the idea.

EC: How were you contacted about Erth Chronicles and how is it different from other projects you have worked on?

LR: As I’ve only had my stuff ‘public’ for a good three months, I don’t have much experience from other projects. Luckily I was featured in ImagineFX issue 18, and as a result, Rich contacted me and asked if I was interested in contributing conceptual artwork for his epic adventure. After reading some of the novel, I was quite exited to be a part of the team that already featured some extremely talented guys.

EC: How is the project shaping for you so far?

LR: I’m loving the story so far, and it really puts pictures in my head. I think the Erth Chronicles universe is the perfect outlet for what I want to do artistically.

EC: What is the working dynamic with Rich on this project?

LR: Working with Rich is great and we seem to be very much in tune concerning which direction the designs should be headed. It’s very satisfying for me to experience that my research and reasoning towards design details are heard and appreciated. Being the writer and creator of Erth Chronicles, he obviously has a very clear vision of what he wants - but never to a degree where new ideas aren’t taken into consideration with an open mind.

EC: How important is the art direction where needed?

LR: I think the art direction is very important, as you can’t expect every artist to be as familiar with the Erth universe as Richard himself. Everyone has their own take on the characters, creatures and environments, and that makes this project so interesting. But without someone to keep the concept on track, things will get out of hand fast. For example, if the writing refers to a bat as being ‘very large’ - some will paint it the size of an eagle, while others will paint it the size of a jumbo jet. But you’ve got to appreciate the creative process and the art direction itself - and accept that no matter how long you’ve spent on your design, your first try isn’t necessarily the best you can do. The art direction I’ve received on this project has only made my stuff better, and if I didn’t feel that way, I wouldn’t stay on. But Richard, being an artist himself, understands very well what can and cannot be done design-wise.

EC: What is the process of creating artwork for such a huge world like? The concept, the fine-tuning, the development?

LR: My personal approach to a project this size, is to try and understand the world as good as I can, and to try and keep a consistency in the different designs. Not that the designs should look the same, but they should reflect that they exist in the same world - no matter how different they might be.

EC: The 'Hero’s Journey' is synonymous with mythical story telling - how integral do you feel this is to any story?

LR: I think it’s something that has proven to be the cornerstone in all story telling. It’s hard to imagine stories not built around that structure - that is if you want the audience to engage themselves in the story. It demands a main character(s) that people can relate to, or aspire to become. If the hero dies in the end of the book or movie, (which would actually be a very likely outcome, if one were to take on a large dragon), the audience gets upset and feel they didn’t get what they came for. Creating a story is like science, and there are even formulas of how to create a good story - and these should very rarely be messed with. It’s the variables you put into the formula, that decides whether or not your story is original.

EC: What are you hoping to take away from creating these visuals and what are you hoping the readers and fellow artists take away from absorbing your interpretation of Erth?

LR: What I’ll take away from this experience, is the exciting opportunity of adding flesh and bone to a great story, that exists only in words - and to be part of an amazing creative process amongst other artists I admire. That’s very rewarding.

I hope that my work will add a solid layer to the story, strengthening the illusion and believability of Erth Chronicles as a pseudo-historical adventure that might have - or will happen.

EC: Any particular work that you’d love to do in your career?

LR: If painting ever becomes my career, something like this would be just fine.

EC: Any other creators that you’d like to collaborate with?

LR: Anyone who wants to create something amazing and feels strongly about it. Or someone who don’t give a crap, but pays really well.

EC: Is their any preferred method or style of working that you are more comfortable with?

LR: Not really - It all depends on the subject matter. I love character/creature design, and there are so many characters I want to do. But I’m definitely going to try out the sceneries as well, although I’m sure that’s going to be one bumpy ride for me, plus it’s hard to top what’s already been created by my fellow contributors.

EC: Fantasy and Science Fiction has grown tremendously the past ten years, thanks to the likes of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and continue to inspire many fellow creatives. How do you see this genre changing and developing over the next few years?

LR: I think we’ll see more development than change. I believe that the worlds already established and loved by millions, will be the basis of more great stories. Especially from the gaming industry – World of Warcraft’s Azeroth is a great platform for both books and movies.

EC: As well as the novel, potentially, where else do you see Erth Chronicles going?

LR: There are no real limits in my opinion. It has all the right elements for a mmorpg, movies and all you can think of, really. It’s all about bringing it to the ‘right people’s’ attention.

EC: Do you have a favourite character so far and is there anyone in particular you are looking forward to tackling?

LR: Knowing him only from a brief description and one chapter, Lomax is definitely something I look forward to. But also Old Yana, Jinn and many more.

EC: Finally; Rojin or Newtonian?

LR: Rojin! - I’m not good with heights.

You can check out Lars' profile and work so far on Erth Chronicles in the Galleries, where you will find further details and links to his website.

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