Marc Gabbana
website: http://www.marcgabbana.com
images copyright Marc Gabbana and respective copyright holders
10 Questions with Marc Gabbana!
1.... what medium and tools do you use to create art?
I work both traditionally and digitally. My favorite medium is pen and paper as well as gouache & acrylic on illustration board.
There is something immensely satisfying about creating an original physical piece of art.
Even when I paint in Photoshop, I often scan in my pencil and pen sketches as a guide. I also use Sketchup to build simple 3-D models that I can then print and use as underlays for more finished and detailed drawings. This method comes in especially handy when clients request various angles of the same object or set. That is the strength of 3D - the ability to change the focal length of the lens to achieve a wide-angle or more telephoto effect.
2.... can you describe your creative process when making art?
My process is still the same as when I went to art school. Some of the tools have changed, that's all. I sketch constantly and this allows me to generate many ideas very quickly. Shapes in thumbnails develop into more refined forms and allows me to fully resolve any design. Sometimes I add some tone with markers and Prismacolor pencils to achieve additional depth. I rarely begin my ideas in the computer. Once I am happy with my design, then I can begin the next step and add volume with color, shading and texture. I like to keep the drawing and design parts separate from the rendering part.
3.... what helps boost your creativity?
Rest and a quiet mind. I see ideas all around me whether it be a strange reflection or a weird spot on the ground. I like to be able to reinterpret them in my own way. Deadlines are also a wonderful way to motivate myself.
4.... what helps you maintain focus and motivation when creating?
Working on an image is like running a race. There's a beginning and middle and an end. Making it to the end Is paramount of course but the journey is what's enjoyable for me. Knowing that I have a set time to finish a project is often enough motivation to keep my creative fire burning. The fact that an image appears at the end is simply a bonus.
5.... what is the secret to creating a great piece of art?
Passion! That's the key to making great art. The secret is to harness your creative energy and channel it into your own work - then amazing things can happen.
A major purpose of art is to communicate what you as the artist have to say. The more precise your message, the better it will be received. Of course all this needs to be communicated visually and that is where your technical skills come in handy.
6.... do you feel its important to follow your passion in your career?
Yes. Otherwise, why are you doing it?
7.... how and when do you get your best ideas?
Inspiration strikes all the time and I keep all of my sketches in order to refer to them, even months and years later.
I will often take disparate elements from various drawings and combine them to create a powerful composition with fantastic vehicles, creatures and environments, for example.
8.... who are your favorite artists?
The perfect trifecta for me are Ralph McQuarrie, Syd Mead and H. R. Giger.
I have had the immense pleasure to know Ralph and continue to be friend with Syd. I have yet to meet the father of Alien.
9.... do you offer workshops for artists?
Not at the moment, but that could change In the future as I enjoy teaching and passing on my knowledge. I created a couple of educational DVDs through the Gnomon workshop in LA. That info is on my website.
10.... if you could give other artists one piece of advice what would it be?
Aim high with your career choices, be persistent and keep your focus laser accurate.
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