Today’s interview is about Nevan Doyle, a talented artist from USA who prides himself on his diversity and ability to work with a client to making their visions a reality. Let us get to know him more and find out how and why did he start in digital arts. Enjoy!

How did you get started with digital arts? And why did you choose it?

About 3 years ago, I came across Ted Craig’s Halloween portrait series and I really liked it, and it made me want to make my own. I downloaded Gimp, took some pictures of my sister and I, and started to make my own edits. I had a rough start just like everyone, but I was inspired by making something that’s impossible in reality…that makes people confused and excited.

Do you sketch first or work on a computer? Why or why not?

It depends on when I get an idea. If I get one in the middle of the night, I’ll do a really rough sketch just to keep it, but I usually just go straight to the computer.

Once you came up with the initial concept, how did things progress from there?

Again, it depends. I either go out and take photos, or go through old photos I’ve already taken. I bring it into Photoshop, and then just go from there. I don’t really have a method. Typically I start with the background of the image, then go forward.

What’s the story behind your Eyes project?

Something about eyes is just fascinating to me– they’re like magic. It’s an interesting subject to work with because we don’t often see them close up and in detail. The “Eyes Project” wasn’t really planned. I just made one, and then another, and after a while I began noticing how many edits I made with eyes as the subject, so I grouped them together.

How long did it take for you to create your Shiny People project and what tool did you use?

There were many edits that I did over about two months, and they each took anywhere from an hour to a few hours, plus rendering time of a few hours. It can take a day or two before it’s all complete. I used Blender for the 3D modeling and rendering, and I combined that with a 360 Panorama app to capture the environment. That’s how I made the reflections realistic.

What was the most challenging part about your Orbs artwork? And how did you deal with it?

It was hardest when I just started, to figure out how it would even be possible. I started out in Photoshop using the polar coordinates distort filter, and then adding lens flare, but I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. That’s when I discovered Blender- the free 3D software. So learning the 3D program from scratch was a huge undertaking, and it was the hardest part. I overcame it by a lot of trial and error, and watching tutorials. The same as learning any program, except this one was very difficult. I almost gave up many times, but I’m really glad I didn’t.

Who were your early photographic influences? How did they inspire you?

My biggest inspiration is Storm Thorgerson, the creator of a lot of album covers. When I was starting out, Ted Craig, like I mentioned before. I really like Douglas Hale, who’s a digital collage artist. Also, I’m inspired by Salvador Dali, although he wasn’t photography. I love the way that these guys represent metaphors and concept visually. Their work catches your eye, and as you continue to look, you notice the details, and what they’re communicating.

What is the project or job that have you had the most fun and the least fun working on? Why?

The most fun was the album art I made for The Adaptive because he was so great to work with and it was more like a collaboration rather than a client-designer relationship. My least favorite was someone who contacted me when I was first starting out, before I knew what I was doing or how to communicate well. I did a lot of work for him, and he wanted a lot of revisions, and in the end he didn’t pay me and he didn’t use my work. Since then I’ve learned quite a bit, and I can communicate with clients better.

Do you have any digital arts philosophy of your own? If so, can you tell us what it is and why?

There are I few ideas that I work by: I try not to fall back on old ideas if I’ve hit a creative dry spell. Another one is that there’s a difference between being inspired by someone and copying their work. Also, when I do work for someone, I give it everything because they’ve chosen me specifically and paid me to represent them.

Lastly, what is digital arts really about? How did it change your life?

It’s about bring what’s in my head into reality. It’s a coping mechanism, a creative outlet, and a way of expressing myself. I feel that it gives me purpose, besides just getting paid. It’s changed my perspective of the world. I’ve grown an appreciation for everything in nature, and I now see the artistic potential and beauty in everything I see.

More about Nevan Doyle

Nevan Doyle is a freelance designer primarily in the music industry, and a graphic design student at Oregon State University. You can find more of his works on his Behance profile or website.