Hello fellow Artzonians,
Guess who is back with another interesting interview for your reading/viewing pleasure?
Yes, you got that right, It is your girl @chiama with another engrossing interview with a very special and talented artist.
After coming across @midlet's work, I began to believe that he has super powers. LOL. His work is truly distinct and my favorite are the portraits. When I first saw them, i thought they were oil paintings but alas, I found out that they are digital!
Enjoy the interview!!!!
what country are you from?
The US, I currently live in California, in San Francisco. Cool, it's awesome that we can meet peeps from all over the globe on here
Yeahhhhh. It is truly amazing!I like that California Love song, I think tupac and snoop dogg, Not sure....
Haha, yea that's a classic
How did you come about the name 'Midlet'?
My last name is Middleton, when I was a student one of my friends randomly called me Midlet and I embraced it because I thought it sounded funny. I only go by that online though.
When I first started I wasn't really sure how anonymous I wanted to be. As I'm getting more into it, I'll probably start to share a bit more personal stuff, like my real name.
Is art a family thing? Are any of your relatives artists?
My brother drew a lot growing up, I'd like to say he inspired me, but he probably added to me feeling like talent was an innate thing because he was good at a young age without any formal training. Other than that, neither of my parents are artists. My mother was a science major and my father was an engineer growing up. I don't know how I ended up doing this other than everything else bored me to death.
What inspires you?
Haha, simple question, but not simple to answer. Hmm, I've always been a fan of art, and throughout my like I think I've been obsessed with being good at something. The thing I tried to be good at has changed multiple times over the years, but when I thought about what I felt like I could spend my life doing, it was art. I'm inspired by just about all forms of art, from visual, to musical, narrative, film, whatever. I think these things have a lot more in common than different. So I guess, I'm being inspired all the time by anyone pushing themselves to do the best that they can do and add something to the world that came from them and their own unique perspective.
What sort of music do you like to listen while you work? I will be a fan of 80s/90s RnB for life!!!
My mother says I listen to weird music, haha. I tend to lean towards stuff that is either abstract and without words, or things that have words that don't make a ton of legible sense. I like all kinds of music(including 80s/90s RnB of course) but when I'm working I like artists like Bonobo, Radiohead, the Blaze to name a few, don't want to run through my whole playlist, haha.
Cool, You said your brother inspired you to go into art, is there any other artist whose work inspires you?
Yea, there's a ton. Craig Mullins, Katsuhiro Otomo, Kim Jung Gi, Iain McCaig, John Singer Sargent, Richard Schmidt, Ash Thorp, Raoul Marks, Patrick Clair, I could go on forever, but those are a few
Most are artists working in different entertainment industries
Do you have a specific niche? I see animation and oil paintings on your blog....
I'm pretty focused on Illustration and concept art as well as Motion Design. I'm an instructor at an Art School here in San Francisco, so a lot of the portraits are class demonstrations from that, but my "work" is more commercial illustration, concept art for games, and then freelance motion design. I like to post my animation experiments here on Steemit because I think they're fun to look at. The 3D tools are really in depth and complicated, and the only way to make all that information stick, is to constantly tinker and try things out.
How has Steemit contributed to your journey as an artist?
I think it's just the kick in the butt that I need to be a bit more productive.
I really like it because it just gives me a little incentive to produce something daily
Great!!! What would you say to upcoming artists? How do you encourage your students?
Don't expect to be good or do anything good straight off the bat. You will suck, and that's okay. Everyone has to put in the time and work, some people started when they were 5, so it might seem too late or a million other reasons that you can't do it, but you can. You just have to keep doing it. Focus on progress, not perfection.
I am taking this advice as well.
Haha, cool!
I think this is global, but everyone is taught about right and wrong answers when it comes to learning, but art doesn't work that way. You kind of have to unlearn that way of thinking. There is no right way to create art.
Thank you for your time, It was a pleasure talking with you.
Indeed, it was great chatting with you!
All art work used in this post was made by @midlet
I hope you all enjoyed reading this interview with @midlet, till I come your way next time with another talented artist , Keep it locked with the @artzone blog!!!!!!
Much love from artzone curators:
@surfyogi
@artzanolino
@nmalove
@web-gnar
@twirble
@jacobite
@gvand
@gbija