ExitMothership
Illustrator, 2D artist
Posted in artist, illustrator, windows
Who are you, and what do you do?
My name is Julian Seifert and I'm a German freelance illustrator and 2D artist. I'm better known as ExitMothership, though, which is somewhat of a "brand" name for me.
My domains are visual novel backgrounds and environment-heavy illustrations, and I also work on a graphic novel project where I let my imagination run wild.
I take a lot of inspiration from Final Fantasy and PS1-era JRPGs which have a certain kind of magic to them that isn't in media anymore. Being able to paint exactly how I imagine it is a personal goal for me that I strive to achieve someday.
What hardware do you use?
I work on a custom-built PC that I needed to be able to handle big graphic data and PSDs. It's a dual screen setup with a HP Pavillion 27cw as the main screen and a HP 24es for references, background music and totally not Netflix.
My artworks are painted on a Wacom Bamboo Create CTH670 tablet that I've had for years now, and which is still running strong. I feel like I don't need any other tablet except for a Cintiq.
Apart from that I use a simple 10€ wireless mouse and the G430 headset from Logitech, and a pretty no-name brand keyboard. They do what they have to do without the fancy stuff.
And what software?
For business I use Skype and Discord.
Artwise there's a lot of variety, mainly I use Photoshop CC for painting and SketchUp to set up scenes with difficult perspectives and structures. In case I create my own reference for light and color I use Sculptris, Blender and DAZ Studio. PureRef is highly recommended to set up a speadsheet of references. It was recommended to me by a client and I've been using it ever since.
For me it is important to know the possibilties for optimizing your work and get to the best desireable result. I had a strong stance against using 3D in my images, for example, until a befriended artist told me that, and I'm quoting him here, "The technical process shouldn't hinder the creative." That was somewhat of an eye opener for me and now I embrace every little software program that can help me with my art.
What would be your dream setup?
Living on a pacific island and having access to a holoroom would be awesome.
More realistically, I think a Cintique could boost my abilities. And I would like to have a studio where I can be surrounded by everything that's ever inspired me, and just get lost in the process of always creating.