Artist Spotlight- Hamsterfly (AKA Viktor Titov)

Happy Halloween everyone! Every artist benefits from looking at other people's art. As my college sculpture professor would say, you can't have good output without good input. In my journey of personal discovery, I have come to admire many people in the industry. This is certainly true of Viktor Titov, whose brilliant use of painterly strokes juxtaposed with accurate form catches my eye among a sea of other fantasy artists.





Book cover again by *Hamsterfly on deviantART

 

What makes his work so unique is his ability to add artistry into every piece without overworking it. In an interview with Imagine FX Victor attributes this affect to his practice of “trying to emphasize some details and then [rubbing] them off because they’re too obsessive and they occupy the central part of the composition.” Regardless of how he does it, it comes off as effortless. It's not easy creating art so loose and yet so detailed.

Uncle Eear by *Hamsterfly on deviantART

 

Slavemarket by *Hamsterfly on deviantART
 

I couldn't help but see a lot of another favorite artist in his work, the celebrated Craig Mullins. Indeed he has stated Craig to be an inspiration in some of his work.

In my own journey to enhance my loose skills like Viktor, I have come across some amazing resources. First off, I tried Marta Nael's Digital Impressionism tutorial.  Here's the result:

I must confess though, it would have not been possible without some amazing brushes by some amazing people: Titus Lunter's Brushes and Brushes by Levi (scroll down to the end of the page for the link). The other secret I have discovered is the Unsharpen Mask filter in photoshop. Try it sometime- it creates instant detail! It really makes it pop.

I feel kind of like a hypocrite because I frequently tell people that there is no secret brush or secret filter that will automatically make your work great. No I take that back, I don't feel too bad about it because the problem is not using tools as a means to an end, but using tools to make up for you lack of skill. In this case these tools enhanced the ability I already possessed to help create a looser look. Try the tutorial if you have some time.

So tell me, who influences you?

In other news, I was ecstatic to receive my copy of Expose 10 and find that I had been given an Excellence Award for the steampunk category on page 276. It printed pretty well, which was great because the proof they sent looked a little odd.

And to the friends and family on the east coast, I am sending warm thoughts your way. Stay safe!