MortMorrison brings characters to life in many mediums. From traditional to digital, Morrison has something for everyone to enjoy. His work has been so well received that he has been asked to be a part of at least two charity artbooks (Kingdom Carousel – to help out the St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital and Yum!Jinka- to help out a fellow artist fund a study abroad trip in Japan).

Toonari Post (TP): What artists would you consider working with to do a piece?

MortMorrison (MM): I admit I never considered working together with someone else. Aside from some minor collaborations, I have never shared my work process with anybody. I would only consider a partnership if I could really trust that person and only if our art styles are similar.

TP: If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

MM: I would wish to be a skilled master of CG. I really want to become faster so I can do more work in less time and it won’t be so energy-sapping. That way, I may be able to make a living through my art.

It’s always a huge fun to draw for me or for friends, but I still need 4-6 days for works like these two.

TP: You are taking part in the charity art book project, Kingdom Carousel. Can you tell me more about how you became a part of this project? How did you choose an art piece to be used in the project?

MM: The organizers of Kingdom Carousel asked me to join their project. At first I had no idea, but as I became acquainted with the project I saw it was for a good cause and I gladly accepted.

According to Kingdom Carousel they intended me to do an animal themed picture. After long deliberation I chose once more the dog because I like those kind of characters. I was really anxious to meet the standard of quality of the project. I really did my best and luckily the organizers were happy with the results. I can’t wait till the artbook is published.

TP: You are also taking part in Yum!Jinka’s art book project and various animation projects. Can you tell me more about these projects and the role you play in them?

MM: Poiizu, the founder of Yum!Jinka’s Art Book initiated the project to raise funds for her trip to Japan. I appreciate the concept of reaching out for a goal with work and creativity. Besides,  I was intrigued by the idea of anthropomorphized food.

My first animation project ever ”The incredible Dr Onozaki” was a student project I did in collaboration with a friend of mine. I did the overall coloration and animation, while my friend did the lines and storyboards. It was a hell of a lot of fun.

TP: What are your goals in life?  Do you plan to continue art as a hobby or make it a career?

MM: I will do what appeals the most to me. It’s tough and complicated to turn a hobby into a profession. You never know if it is worthwhile or going to turn out well. I am also interested into 2D animation, 3D modeling and animation in general. I’ll let life surprise me.

TP: Do you feel that your culture has influenced you in some way that makes you different than other artists?

MM: I feel more fascinated and influenced by foreign cultures. They are interesting and I always like to learn more about them. In fact I can’t feel any difference between me and other artists. I feel just like everyone else.

TP: Can you tell me more about your background?  What experiences brought you to be the person you are today?

MM: I have had a lot of good and bad experiences in my life, like everyone else. Of course they brought me to be the person I am today, but none of these events are worth talking about. It was and still is the support of my family and friends that makes me be satisfied with myself and has helped me to be the person I am.

The article Artist Spotlight: MortMorrison Interview, Part 2 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

MortMorrison is an artist of varied skill. His portfolio ranges from CG to pixel art and from traditional pieces to animation. Although Morrison is rather humble and always believes his pieces can be improved, anyone who looks at his art will be amazed at the technique, time,  and imagination that is put into it. The characters he brings to life are a joy to behold and each new artwork is a relief to those waiting to see what he comes up with next.

ToonariPost (TP): How and when did you first start practicing your art (are you traditionally trained or self-taught)?

MortMorrison (MM): I have been drawing and painting ever since I can remember. When I was 9 years old I stumbled upon my first influences, manga and anime series. At this point I was drawing just for fun. I was fascinated and inspired by the new impressions. Not until I was twelve years old did I began to exercise my art skills seriously. I bought some “How to Draw“ books and learned for first time about topics like proportion and perspective. From this point on I was addicted to learning as much as I can.

Nowadays, friends of mine don’t understand why I still buy these “How to Draw“ books, but I think I can still learn something new and if not they’re refreshing my mind and I like to look at them. I just never considered visiting any art classes because I was satisfied the way I was learning already.

TP: What mediums do you use for your art work?  Which is your favorite and why?

MM: I started with traditional methods like colored pencils, watercolor, and acrylics. I analyzed my idols’ works and tested different techniques. After a while I stumbled upon alcohol based markers like copic markers. I also tried airbrushing and colored ink. The result was that my traditional works become a mixture of markers, crayons, watercolor, colored ink, acrylic paint and airbrush. Every time after coloring a piece my room looked like a mess. The markers are still my absolute favorite of the traditional methods. I love how they work and their color range.

I did not bother to paint digitally for a long time – not until 2009. Still insecure, I blindly took my chances with the new tool. Suddenly, I grew an awareness of the differences between traditional and digital drawing and I noticed the advantages of digital art, like being able to redo everything for improvement over and over again. This is, by the way, another reason why my works took around 3 weeks to accomplish. Even today I need at least a week to finish a picture. It is indeed a double-edged sword.

I appreciate both – traditional and CG equally. My traditional work is fast paced and the smell of the materials reminds me in some way of my childhood. CG granted me new possibilities to visualize my thoughts – I consider it a new stage of life. But it also turns drawing into a long and exhausting process.

In 2010 I finally colored the first time a piece with a detailed background

TP: Which piece of your artwork are you most proud of?

MM: It’s hard to be proud or satisfied with my pictures and to overcome the feeling that I could have done more. There is always something I want to improve afterwards. I feel like for the time I spend on the piece it should come out better. I still have to learn to appreciate my work, but I am equally proud of all of my pictures.

TP: When you first started did you ever hit any bumps in your art process? How did you overcome them?

MM: Absolutely. I had and still have, sometimes, motivational issues to overcome. It’s a nasty, but natural part of my working process. When it happens, I lay down the pencil and let time go by. Part of the problem is my attitude, wanting to solve a problem when I see one. Working around it is not an option. If something does not work I will try and try again until it does.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

MM: My inspiration is also my first memory of a manga. My father sat down with Dragonball Volume 22 and I luckily got my hands on it. I read and bought volumes 1 through 4 the very next day and I continued to buy them (only hindered by my pocket money). I was fascinated by the drawings and the story and most of all, the humor. I admire Akira Toriyama for those books and for the impact his art has had on my life as an artist.

After that I turned to the anime Sailor Moon. It was broadcasted on television and I remember drawing lots of Sailor Moon fanarts. To this day, I am inspired by their art. Its amazing. Further, I have to mention artists like Eiichiro Oda (One Piece), Yusuke Murata (Eyeshield 21),Takeshi Obata (Bakuman, Death Note) and Masakazu Katsura (I”s) which are great inspirations for me. I still look at their work with great admiration.

The article Artist Spotlight: MortMorrison Interview, Part 1 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.