FEATURED ARTISTS

Nov 2, 200712 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Nov 2, 2007

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Talent Club's Featured Artist: Skadj</u>

Here is the next featured artist of the talentclub

Alex Ruiz is an Illustrator/Concept Artist working in Hollywood California. His clients include Fox Studios, Gold Circle Films, Spawn, Gentle Giant, and many others. Alex strives to make high concept/quality work his mission as an artist, and encourages others to do so, by example and teaching. His motto is, 'wherever there are tools around to create, use them!!'

Q - Who is Tarrzan and why Tarrzan??
A - well, Tarrzan takes it root from, you guessed it, Tarzan!

Back when I had long hair, all my buddies called me that, especially when the Disney movie came out, as we're all animation geeks! So I just kept on using it as a screen name, and added and extra 'r' for that extra zing!

Q - I see. Now, tell us about your family background

A - Originally from Sonora, Mexico, I moved to Los Angeles at a very young age. And so I have family both there and here, though I haven't been back for a long time. My family is part German as well, which I think explains why we're all tall! There are no other professional artists as well, but I was always encouraged to do art.

Q - Wow! That's cool. Multinational background. And what about your education?
A - I did your basic 1st through 12th grade thing, but never went to college. Although I did apply to an animation college, I was rejected on the grounds that I sucked!! I still have the portfolio I sent in, and it's a shameful reminder to how clueless I was about art, and mainly life drawing. But it drove me to become a good artist, as painful as it was. After that it was sheer determination, plus extensive figure drawing, that put me on the road to being a good artist.

Q - Reminds me of my animation background where my portfolio had similar qualities that you said.
Anyway, what do we don't know about Alex and would need to know?
A - hmmmm, what can I say here that won't embarrass me later on.....well, can't think of anything like that now, but I will say that I'm a musician as well( I've been playing guitar for twenty years now, starting at eleven years of age)....I did the whole band thing, trying to be a rock star and all of that, but it didn't work out that way. I had a strong realization that I wanted to make art for a living, and uh, not play music in front of screaming girls and money being shoved down my pants!!..doh!!, what have I done???!!!!

Q - Well, we do learn from your experience/realization, Alex. Coming to the next question -
Why do you draw? What inspired you and what inspires you?

A - I draw because there is no better way for me to express an idea...but it is also a meditation, especially if one is doing abstract work. Most of my work starts out with no real, clear idea, just chaotic shapes..and in those shapes, you find things...it's kinda like treasure hunting!

I've been drawing since I was able to hold an object and smash it against something else, very caveman-like. Then, at the age of sixteen, I saw Disney's Alladin, and it all changed...I knew I was going to be an animator!
Now it's all about development and concept art for me, but I'm still very fond of animation, especially the classic Disney movies. But these days, it's the likes of Sparth and Andrew Jones that inspire me.

Q - That's really interesting and is kinda experience that a lot of artists go through. I mean, change in the profile from animators to concept artists or character designers. So, it happens to a lot of us. And the idea of 'Treasure hunt' is something really cool. I remember, a lot of artists/instructors in many of their websites/tutorials saying about the development of a concept art or character design coming out of rough work, rough paint color strokes on an empty canvases and so on... So, you have a lot of creature/alien and concept art stuff.
A - I feel those areas have the most room for imagination. And as long as there is some hint of man or animal in an image, then anyone can relate to it no matter how distorted the rest of the image is. As far as concept art, that is the part of the film making/animation/game design business that appeals to me the most. It's the time when anything can be conjured up, as long as it ultimately leads to what the client wants. It's also the time when imagination can be in full force.....it seems that in the beginning of a project, anything goes, so you can be as crazy and imaginative as possible!

Q - And you seem to master both traditional and digital drawing...
A - Well, first things first...to be a good illustrator/concept artist, one MUST know how to draw well! I much prefer to see good drawings colored, than a nicely rendered 'bad drawing'....A simple pencil drawing can sometimes speak volumes more than something that is fully illustrated. As much as I worship photoshop and painter, there's nothing that compares to a truly original, traditional piece of art.

Q - That's quite a good answer. (It applies to me a lot). How did your learning experience start and how did it go about all the way as an concept/creature artist?
A - In the beginning, when studying to be an animator, figure drawing was the absolute most important thing, because once you get the hang of that, animating is much easier. And it proved to be difficult for me, and it should've been darnit!

...anatomy can be an intimidating thing to study, as simple as the figure may look sometimes. So that's what I did, right out of high school....I entered a small animation training program in which most emphasis was put on the figure...and so, in nine months from when I drew my first nude model, I had landed a job on the Simpsons as a character animator...based only on my portfolio which was all life drawing, no cartoons or caricatures whatsoever...just humans and animals.
And so nowadays, I still study the figure constantly....whether what you believe about it's existence, it's hands down the most incredible functioning structure we have around! Hey, I'm passionate about it

Q - Anatomy is the key, whether animal or human. True. Now, what were your mistakes in your learning or evolution as an artist and your mistakes in the same?
A - Well, as far as mistakes, I make none!...just kidding

..I make lot's, and one of them is the mistake of assumption. When we look at other artists, we just assume they are able do do things that we cannot. That is a HUGE mistake, because it's very misleading. Sure, some people may have had more time in perfecting their craft, but that's the key thing to look at....TIME. The more you spend on your craft, the better you'll become. Add passion to that, and perhaps you can double your efficiency.....Throw in determination and whole-hearted willingness, and you will go far my friends!

Q - Thats very nice, dude. Any tips and techniques to all of us here (I mean all of your fellow artists here)??
A - If I had one word to describe a place to get the best techniques and tips for the art industry, this is it: Gnomon. This is a visual effects school in Hollywood, but it's their dvd's that I feel have changed the face of education. I have learned so much from them and am eager to start making my own podcasts to show people how I do my stuff. Because the best way to learn is to watch someone do their thing, and if that someone is a pro, then you've scored! To learn just one new technique can change the way you do art for the rest of your life.
But overall, there are no secrets to becoming a good artist....it's 90% determination and 10% talent! Don't agree, look at South Park!

I love that show, but not at all for its art. So many people out there are making things happen, getting things done. And not all of it is good, but these people have determination. Whereas the best illustrator that ever lived could be in a basement somewhere, making amazing art, but never getting it out in the world. Sad, but true. So use your minds to the fullest, as Michelangelo says: 'An man paints with his brains not with his hands.'

Q - Well said! That's truly amazing. It is to look around, think smart and work hard with better ideas. Shameless self promotion, now. What do you like and dislike about Talent club?
A - I love how you guys are sticking up for the new talent. I really do think it sucks when the ones are looked over just because the numbers aren't there, or pageviews or whatever. Good art is good art, and needs to get out there to be seen, and that's exactly what you guys do, so thank you!!!

No dislikes here!

Q -

Thank you! Thank you! Larger picture, What do you like and dislike about DA?
A - I love how it really feels like a living community, not like some other sites, where it's just a bunch of pretty pictures but feels dead....And it's much easier to connect with others, which helps artists really grow.

Q - Lessons from your life to share with us. And any message to our readers.
A - Keep doing your passion daily, because overall, there is never enough time to get done what we have in our minds. So get to it now, today, don't put it off!! I truly wish I had started with digital painting so long ago, but I wasn't around people who were doing it...you guys don't have that excuse!!!

So many of you guys are so young, and that's the best time to shape your minds and become the best artists you can be.

Q - Comes from experience. True! And who is your best friend here? (anywhere in DA, provide the link) and your favourite work(s) here? (anywhere in DA, provide the link)
A - I really don't have a best friend here that I communicate with more than others, but I gotta say, I really appreciate the consistency of comments from many of the same artists. It's weird to have friends you've never met in person!
here are some of my favorites:artbytheo.deviantart.com/,
artgerm.deviantart.com/,
bluefley.deviantart.com/,
keun-chul.deviantart.com/,
preilly.deviantart.com/,
zhuzhu.deviantart.com/.
All of these artists have such great skill, and it's a pleasure viewing their work. Of course there's so many more great artists here, but I don't think there is enough room to show them all!!

My best to all my fellow artists, as we are all in the same boat together, so we might as well make it look damn fine and pretty!

Thank you very much, Alex. That's so nice of you to take time and to share your thoughts, experiences and knowledge. I hope all our readers enjoyed your interview.
Our best wishes for your career and family.
Cheers,
Talentclub.

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