You've seen the cover for The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery, now meet the artist.
1. Hi Małgorzata, Thanks for agreeing to answer a few questions for our readers. First of all, we'd like to know a little about you. Who are you and how did you end up moving from Poland to Sydney?
I have been living in Sydney for five years now as an international student. I come from a small town in Poland called Czechowice-Dziedzice and since I felt stagnant in my country, I decided to take a leap of faith and recreate myself on the other side of the world. Currently, I am studying IT and I hope to merge the technological part of knowledge with my creative side. I have dabbled into art since childhood and for a couple of years now, I have been gravitating towards using my artistic part for generating income and engaging myself in more and more projects.
2. Can you tell us three interesting facts about yourself?
I am a science fiction aficionado, but oddly enough my artworks gravitate towards horror, fantasy and its derivatives. Although the realm of the fantastic has been captivating me since childhood, that has hardly been the case with the genre of fantasy which I continue to distance myself from in terms of my reading choices or other forms of entertainment.
I love creating concept art for games I would love to watch someone play, but most likely I would never play them myself. While working on an illustration, I like listening to epic music (E.S. Posthumus, Two Steps from Hell, Tomme Profit) as it helps me to picture a scene more vividly and create artworks more efficiently.
3. How do you go about preparing a cover for a book? Do you have a particular process you follow?
My process of designing a book cover frequently follows a particular modus operandi: while illustrating short stories and novellas, the author usually sends me an unpublished text and after reading it, I am allowed to pick the scene that will illustrate that piece of writing in the best compelling manner. In the case of novels or anthologies, I am either presented with an excerpt of a scene that is to be transformed into a cover, or I receive a short instruction on what the cover needs to present. Once the content and style of the cover are delineated, I create a few sketches so that the client could choose the version of the cover they approve of the most. When the design is picked, I work on a fully rendered version of the book cover. Upon its compilation, I consult my work with the client to see if any corrections need to be introduced. When both sides are happy with the result, the cover is used in the publication process and I receive my remuneration.
4. What inspires you? Do you have a routine or special place you go to get the ideas flowing?
I would characterise my inspiration as very fluid and adaptable. When I create a personal work, a character from a favourite I develop an emotional response to may become my muse. On a daily basis, I find Pinterest very helpful in finding captivating photographs of people who will become my study project or the basis of my character design. Sometimes, it is the way a person looks at you, a unique coiffure, or attire attract my attention to such an extent that I feel the need to incorporate them into my artworks; at times, I attempt to paint my muses as they are with little interpretation of my own, just to capture their souls in painting.
5. Who are your favourite artists?
There are a few artists that are close to my heart as I cherish them for their style and their professional approach to concept art. These are Adam Duff, Daniel Bolling Walsh and also mentors from the college I studied at, CG Spectrum: Bernie Kang and Brandon Reimchen.
6. Where can we find you online?
You can find me in a few places. If you are looking for digital art I create, please check my Artstation: malgorzatamika.artstation.com or Instagram: @malgorzata_mikart. If you wish to delve into the written realm, head off to Medium (@malgorzata.mika87) where I post articles revolving around creative self-development and the issues affecting the world of digital art.
Thanks you, Małgorzata.
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