|
Ablazine (1999)
Black Rites (1998)
Dark Hole (2000)
Steel
Commander (2001)
Cerberus (2002)
Necromaniac (2003)
Interview With ABLAZINE ( Belgium,1999)
You are certainly the best known
Belgian artist involved in the Metal scene. Could you please tell us when you noticed your
drawing talents? Did you attend some courses?
Drawing is something that I have always liked to do very much
ever since childhood. I liked to read a lot of comic books such as Prince Valiant,
Thorgal, De Rode Ridder, Jugurtha, etc… and I was so much into this stuff that I
started drawing myself. But It wasn’t until after I had seen the movie "Conan
The Barbarian" at the movie theatre that I started thinking about drawing an entire
comic book of my own. From that time on I knew what I wanted to create in the future. I
started to practice my drawing skills and a few years later Odoric was born. A story
requires a lot of different techniques, so I learned everything I know by working on my
Odoric-comics. It was, of course, only for my own enjoyment that I worked on those comics.
I never realised in those days that my drawing-talent was actually good enough to attend
an art-school. I am a real perfectionist about my work, so I guess I had set my standards
much too high at that time.
Before being involved in the Metal
scene, you made and realized the first Odoric comic book. What have you done before it? Do
you think that Odoric is an important step in your career?
Before I started drawing on "The Wall Of Doom", the
first published Odoric comic, I did three more Black & White Odoric comics and also a
number of short or unfinished stories. It started with "Het Zwaard Van Kürr"
(1985-1986) and continued with "De Ondergang Der Daciėrs" (1985-1988) and
"De Slavenjagers" (1989-1991). These comics were photocopied only for friends
& family. After "De Slavenjagers" I started on a new story called "De
Ruiters Der Verdoemenis", which never got completed. In 1991 Filip Keunen, a friend
from school, started to write some stories for Odoric, which resulted in a new start for
Odoric in full colour. In 1992 I started working on "The Wall Of Doom", still
just for my own enjoyment. At that time I showed my work only to some close friends or
family. I didn’t have any ambitions towards getting the book published. At one time
Filip had arranged for us to go to a comic book fair where I was supposed to show my work
to people via a portfolio. We made 15 portfolio’s from cardboard and put 10 Black
& White artworks and 3 colour-copies in each portfolio. We never expected to sell even
one of those! But in less than half an hour, all portfolio’s were gone! It was a
weird experience for me, because I never expected anyone to like my paintings. One thing
led to another, so numerous fairs were done until we got an offer by Wonderland Half Vier
Productions to actually publish "The Wall Of Doom". Looking back though,
I’m not sure if the comic book itself has helped me in a career as a comic-book
artist. I actually don’t see my efforts as being a career, I’m just in it
because I like to draw. Even if no one would even look at my art, I would still be
drawing!
Then you started doing
CD-covers… How did it happen? Who asked you to do the first cover, and which one was
it?
It was in 1993 at one of the numerous comic book fairs that I was
present at with the Odoric-artwork that I met Wim Baelus from the small underground label
Midian Creations. He immediately showed an interest in my work, and he noticed the
influence of Heavy Metal Music in my artwork. Wim actually lived at only 5 minutes driving
from my home, but somehow we never met before. He soon asked me to do an artwork for
Ancient Rites’ "The Diabolic Serenades". He was going to release this album
on vinyl and wanted a different cover for it to make it something special. For me this was
a dream come true because I had always liked Heavy Metal music & artwork very much!
When the Ancient Rites album was released, my artwork soon came to the attention of Hervé
from Osmose Productions. He called me about it, and a while later I started on
Marduk’s "Opus Nocturne" and Absu’s "The Sun Of Tiphareth".
Both Wim and Hervé were the first ones to believe in me as a cover-artist for Metal bands
and gave me the opportunity to show what I was capable of, and I am still very grateful
for that!
What are the drawing techniques you
prefer? What do you think of the computer assisted drawings? Is it something you use or
consider to use?
I like to paint with acrylics on cardboard or paper. Actually I
like working with only one or two colours! I hate nice and bright colours, so I always mix
a lot of black with them while painting. I also use Airbrush-techniques in the
cover-artworks, but not a lot of that in the comic book artworks. I don’t think it
would work very well for me to start doing my paintings with the help of a computer. I
still need the contact with paint & paper & brushes etc… It has something to
do with the nobility of the tools you use to create an artwork. For example, a marker or a
ballpoint isn’t a noble tool to create art with. You should use a calligraphic pen, a
Marter Brush, acrylics or gouaches etc…. I would use canvas and oils for sure if it
didn’t take so much time to create something with those materials. I believe that a
computer is a necessary and invaluable tool for creating layouts and texts etc… but
not for creating the artwork itself. It always starts with a painting that has to be
scanned before you can start working with the computer. Of course, you could put something
together from some photographs out of magazines or something, but that’s not
something I’m interested in very much. Nevertheless, I like to experiment with my
paintings on my computer from time to time, just to look at how they would look when the
colours were different or to close in on some details etc…
How much time do you need to realise
such a beautiful cover as "The Sun Of Tiphareth"?
"The Sun Of Tiphareth" was done in two weeks time I
guess. I’m not very sure about that, because it really depends on a lot of things how
much time it takes to do an artwork. Sometimes I work for weeks on an artwork that nobody
notices, and sometimes I do an artwork in only one or two days that is appreciated by
everyone. It just depends on my inspiration, what mood I’m into and if I am
interested in the subject I’m painting.
You have realised very different
pictures. Some are taken – or seem to be taken – from Odoric, like the Old
Man’s Child "Ill Natured Spiritual Invasion", Infernal Beauty or
Absu’s "The Sun Of Tiphareth", while others are dealing with more natural
gloomy elements like "The Third Storm Of Cythraul". Some more artworks are
dealing with necro topics like the Samhain "The Courier" 7" or the last
demo by Necrodochion, and finally the fourth category is another kind of heroic fantasy,
different from Odoric, with the "Smells like team spiritIII", War DanceI",
the Enthroned covers, the Sear Bliss ones… What do you prefer to paint? Which are the
most inspiring topics for you?
I must start by explaining that when I did the first album-cover
artworks, I never realised how much more artworks I would be doing. I had looked at each
album-cover as something that I did in-between two pages of Odoric. At that time I was
totally devoted to Odoric, so I tried to put something of Odoric in each painting. On The
Ancient Rites album, he is standing in the shadows (shadow-warrior!), holding his Sword.
On Marduk’s "Opus Nocturne", one of the women that ride the goats in the
sky (in the left corner, but it was unfortunately cut off the picture on the CD) carries
his Sword with her. The same Sword was on "Prophecies Of Pagan Fire",
Enthroned’s debut album. "The Sun Of Tiphareth" depicts of course Odoric
himself, again with his Sword. The painting for Avatar’s "Memoriam
Draconis" is actually a scene from the scenario for the third Odoric comic book, and
the covers of Infernal Beauty and Old Man’s Child were taken from the first comic
book. Only a small amount of the comic books that were printed in English were sold (less
than 100), so I figured that only few people would recognise these artworks as the covers
of the comic book. Still the Odoric-related artwork is what I prefer to create! However,
it is no longer possible to keep up with that, as bands sometimes seem to think that
Odoric is part of their concept and not a creation of the artist. This is really a big
misunderstanding, as Odoric belongs only to me to and not to some band. They should
realise that when they ask me if they can use something from my comic books. It’s
like when a band borrows illustrations or concepts from books like those of Tolkien …
no band would start claiming that they’re the only ones with the right to use that
stuff.
When I’m doing an artwork that has nothing to do with
Odoric, it is generally a concept from the band or something that I’ve come up with
while listening to the music or reading the lyrics. I work very intensely on each artwork
and become totally devoted to it. I try to find an original look and atmosphere for each
band I’m working for. I want to avoid doing the same thing twice and I also believe
that it is very important that the music, the lyrics and the artwork become a unity. Being
so much into the stuff I’m working on often makes it even difficult for me to move on
to the next assignment after the artwork is finished. The concepts of Absu and Sear Bliss
are my favourites, so I guess that’s why the artworks look so good. The concept of
Sear Bliss has a lot of melancholy in it and the music is totally my style. I met with
them some time ago when they were touring, and it was an event that I will always
remember. Absu’s concept is a world of myths and magick and epic stories that I just
love to dwell in! The concepts for their covers are just perfect for me to draw, although
proscriptor leaves me very little to add of my own (with the exception of using Odoric for
"The Sun Of Tiphareth" of course). As a result of trying to give each band its
own kind of artwork, I guess you could find those different categories in my work like you
described.
Sometimes people ask you a very
particular cover and they have a precised idea of the way it must look, sometimes you are
totally free. What do you prefer? Which is the cover you would you did the most freely and
which is the one you did with the less artistic freedom?
I prefer to work freely, which doesn’t mean that I
won’t let myself get influenced by the music, lyrics or concept. I don’t really
like it a lot when a band send me a sketch that I just have to do a better version of. I
sometimes have ideas for those bands that would work out much better than what they come
up with themselves. However, I always respect the visions of a band about their own
concept so I generally try to make their sketch look as good as I possibly can. Some
covers that I put a lot of my own ideas in were those of Nocturnal Breed’s debut CD,
Enthroned’s "Prophecies Of Pagan Fire", Thyrfing’s debut CD, The
Darkening’s "Awake", Morbid’s "December Moon" and
Evoke’s "Dreaming The Reality" (not counting the Odoric-related covers of
course!).
What are the necessary elements which
make a cover a good one? Which are your best and worst covers?
I believe that a cover should not be too crowded. The best covers
are those with a simple but striking concept that doesn’t drown in too many details.
It is also very important that the colours are right. My best covers to me are those of
Absu and Sear Bliss and the one of Morbid’s "December Moon" (limited
edition release on vinyl by Reaper Records). My worst cover was maybe the one I did for
Entropy in 1994. It contained good elements but had some anatomical mistakes in it as
well. There were also some covers that were printed terribly like those of Caducity’s
"Whirler Of Fate", Amsvartner or even the Displeased Compilation CD. I
don’t know what happened at the printing plant with these paintings, but something
must’ve gone terribly wrong! If only you could see the original artwork!!
Are you influenced in any way by the
music of the band when you draw a cover for them? What are your influences? By the way,
which are the comic books you find interesting?
I guess I already answered to the first part of the question in
the previous questions so I’ll just skip to the next part. I have of course a big
collection of comic books, so naming them all would be impossible, but the ones that have
influenced me the most when I was growing up are Prince Valiant, Thorgal, De Koene Ridder,
Jugurtha, Storm, The Rise And Fall Of The Trigan Empire, De Rode Ridder, Alex ,…
Later on I started to develop an interest in American comics and started to collect all
Conan-comics, X-Men, Wolverine, Akira, Aliens, etc… Nowadays I seem to have passed
that stage, as I find the new generation of American comics to be unreadable! The art has
become a bit too manga-influenced and the stories are too quick while the colours are much
too flashy (and generated entirely on computers). Maybe the new generation loves it, I
don’t! So I have now moved on to books on historical subjects, including
archeological subjects or ancient myths and legends, etc… to get my inspiration from.
Which are the other artists you like
/ who influenced you? Concerning Metal covers, what do you think of the works of Petagno
and Necrolord?
I like most big artists such as Frank Frazetta, John Bolton,
Boris Vallejo, Simon Bisley, Harold Foster, Rosinski, John Howe, Alex Ross, John Buscema,
Alan Lee, Don Lawrence, etc… However, I wasn’t really influenced by one of them
in particular. The biggest influence on my work has ever been the "Conan The
Barbarian" movie! I totally worship that movie! I collect as much of it as I can get
my hands on, because everything about it is great. If you haven’t seen that movie,
you should watch it as soon as you can because it is loaded with Metal stuff. Actually, at
some scenes it is just pure Black Metal stuff! So, watching this movie on the big screen
at age 11, it had a very big impact on me. I knew immediately that this was what I wanted
to create in the future, so here I am! As an artist, I know how much work it takes and how
difficult it is to come up with something new each time, so I really admire Petagno and
Necrolord for what they are doing. Petagno is great! Did you know that he even worked on
the first Alien movie! I also like Necrolord’s work a lot because he has his own
style that is very recognizable (which is not easily accomplished). He also understands
very well that bands often need a returning theme in their concept or covers, and I’m
sure he helped a lot of bands with finding a concept or symbol of their own.
Do you need to like the music of the
band to draw a cover for them? Do you happen to refuse doing an artwork?
It certainly helps me a lot in finding inspiration when I like
the music of the band I’m working for. So far I’ve been lucky about that, as I
like all the bands I did covers for. When some really bad stuff comes along;, maybe
I’ll refuse it, I don’t know. But that has not happened yet.
Besides CD’s, 7"s and
demos, you also did the cover for some fanzines like the first Oskorei and some logos like
the Odoric one, the Oskorei one or the Kettenhund one (if I am right?) Do you like to try
other things?
Yes, I definitely like to try other ways of getting my art
published. Doing only CD-covers becomes a bit boring, and frustrating because the format
of a CD-cover is almost always a square. I like doing logos, but only if I have a good
idea for it. There are already so many logos around! I only want to do one if it is
something that is original. To be honest, I’ve really been avoiding assignments for
logos. I have also often thought about doing covers for books or illustrations for
roleplaying games like Stormbringer (Elric), Pendragon (King Arthur), Warhammer 40.000,
etc… However, I am going to try to work more on Odoric in the future, I really want
to get back to drawing his saga now!
What experimentations would you like
to try?
I would like to try and work out some different techniques. I
still want to do some artworks that are based on shadows and lighting. What I want to
achieve is a realistic style (not too much fantasy, more historical with some fantastic
elements) that is very detailed, yet vague. I don’t like artworks where all the
details are worked out very nicely. There’s nothing to discover in such an artwork. I
want an artwork to contain some mystery. In order to achieve that, some parts should be
left vague so that people will start imagining to see something that isn’t there.
Creating that kind of artwork is definitely something I’ll be experimenting on in the
future.
What are your future releases and
your future plans? When is scheduled the next Odoric? Thank you very much for this
interview. Could you please close off with your own words?
Please look at my discography to see which covers are going to be
released in the future. As for Odoric, I still haven’t finished the second book
(I’m only at page 22 and everything’s still just in black&white), so it will
still take a long while before it gets published. I also haven’t seen the publisher
for a long time, so I’m not sure how things have evolved with his company. Anyway, I
hope people won’t forget about Odoric, and that they will have patience. The story of
the next book takes place right before and after the epilogue of the first book and is a
tale that explains more about Odoric as a person. There will be an immense amount of
battles, atrocities, mysteries, etc… in this story! The next two books are also
written, so I hope I’ll be able to work some more on Odoric in the future in order to
get his saga going a bit faster. As for my final words, I would like to thank you very
much for having this interview with me, Denis. I think it is very admirable that Ablazine
is paying some attention to the people that create CD-cover artworks. Finally I would like
to hail all individuals that keep the ancient flames burning. The past creates the
future!!! |
Interview with BlACK RITES Magazine ( Spain,1998)
1. Well, Kris Verwimp is a
name very important within the underground Black/Death scene. Could you tell us what
covers you have painted during the last years?
I painted covers
for Absu, Marduk, Enthroned, Ancient Rites, Sear Bliss, Avatar, ... etc...
2. Let’s talk
about your work. The most of your drawings are based on Epic imagery, influenced by comics
like Conan and others. Could you tell us what are your main influences?
Well, you’re sure right about the influence
of Conan The Barbarian on my artwork! When I went to see the first Conan The Barbarian
movie at age 11 at the movie theatre, I was blown away by the realism of this world of
epic barbarism. It was pure Black Metal-stuff; the most dramatic and bombastic soundtrack
I had ever heard- a pure masterpiece by Basil Poledouris- unbelievable buildings like the
Mountain Of Power and The Tower Of The Serpent, etc. I can go on about this movie forever.
So, more than being influenced by any other artists or by music, I have been influenced by
my wish to come close to the atmosphere of the Conan The Barbarian movie in my artwork. Of
course, some of my favourite artists are Frank Frazetta, Ken Kelly, William Stout, Boris,
Ron Cobb, etc… However, I never tried to copy their drawing-styles. When I’m
actually doing a CD-cover for a band, I like to listen to their music a lot while drawing
or painting, so I guess that’s an influence too, and an important one because in most
cases it makes a work more original.
3. Your paintings are full of knights,
battlefields, medieval castles, swords… Do you also draw other kinds of paintings, or
are you only dedicated to dark and ancient themes?
I’m mostly dedicated to the darker side of fantasy-art. On
very rare occasions I try to do something a bit different. However, what I never draw are
scenes from the present time like cars or buildings or even modern clothes. I don’t
like the modern age to be honest. There’s no real cultures anymore like in ancient
times. There’s the same kind of buildings and the same kind of clothing, etc…
everywhere in the world. It’s all beginning to look too much the same. So I want to
escape from that world with my drawings. I’ve always had this longing for the dark
and ancient side, so it’s my hart and soul that’s in my artwork.
4. Your first professional
work for a band was the LP-cover of Ancient Rites’ "The diabolic
Serenades". What do you remember of that work? Was it difficult to draw the cover for
Ancient Rites, or did they give you the basic idea for the cover?
The guys from Ancient Rites had seen an old
painting on wood in a museum. They had already handled everything concerning the
copyrights to use that artwork but it turned out that the work couldn’t be used after
all because it was damaged too much. I have never seen this artwork, but I guess it was
the same idea that I was asked to paint. Actually it was the owner of Midian Creations,
Wim Baelus, who asked me to do this cover for the Vinyl-release of "The Diabolic
serenades" that he was planning. I’m still very grateful that he believed in me
and gave me a chance to do cover-artwork for bands. I don’t really remember myself
working on this cover though. It seems right now as if the painting just appeared on my
drawing-table from out of the darkness. The Ancient Rites LP-cover turned out to been
extremely important for me afterwards. It earned me some interest from other labels, in
fact it was Hervé from Osmose who was the first one who called me to ask if I would want
to do some artwork for him. The first cover was Marduk’s "Opus Nocturne".
The second one was Absu’s "The Sun Of Tiphareth". So thanks to the artwork
I did for Ancient Rites, all these things came to happen for me.
5.
Your covers for bands like Marduk, Absu or Avatar are really very good. Don’t you
think that it is possible these bands sell a great number of copies due to your great
covers?
I’m not sure about that. Personally I pay a
lot of attention to the artwork when I buy a CD, however I’m an artist myself so
that’s only natural I guess. Most people however don’t really decide by the
cover which CD they want to buy because the music is the most important thing of course.
But maybe if you don’t have enough money and you have to choose between two CD’s
of which you know the music is very good, you’ll decide to buy the one with the
nicest cover and lay-out. When it comes to printing T-shirts or other merchandise, the
artwork becomes a whole lot more important. T-shirts are sold because of the artwork only
( if it’s not just the band’s logo ), so in that case maybe a greater number are
sold when I do the artwork, like for the Marduk "Christ Raping Black Metal"
T-shirt.
6. What are your
favourite Kris Verwimp’s cover artworks?
I’m not often satisfied with my own artwork,
because I’m my own biggest critic I guess, but afterwards I like most my artwork for
Absu "The Sun Of Tipharet", Morbid "December Moon" (Vinyl release by
Reaper Records), Avatar "Memorium Draconis", Sear bliss "Phantoms" and
Absu "The Third Storm Of Cythrąul", in that order.
7.
What are your pore appreciated cover-artists? And the best album-covers of all-time?
The best album covers of all time for me are the
covers of Bathory’s "Blood Fire Death" and "Hammerheart". I
Appreciate Ken Kelly (Manowar, Kiss, etc…), Frank Frazetta (Molly Hatchet), Michael
Whelan (Cirith Ungol, etc…), Rodney Matthews (Magnum, Diamond Head, etc…),
Andreas Marschall ( Running Wild, etc…), Kristian Whalin ( Dissection, etc…),
Dan Seagrave (Malevolent Creation etc…), Wes Benscoter ( Slayer etc…) and some
others that I can’t think of right now.
8. Do you know any
Spanish artists?
Of course. There are a lot of great
fantasy-artists in Spain like Luis Royo, Vincente Segrelles, Esteban Maroto, Victor De La
Fuente, Alfredo Alcala, etc…!
9. Did you learn to
draw studying at an art-school, or did you learn through practice?
I Never went to an art school to learn drawing. Sometimes I
wished I had, but I guess when you teach yourself how to draw, it’s more exciting to
discover new techniques and to try things out. It may even be better not to have been
influenced by someone else who tells you how to use certain drawing-techniques etc…
in creating a style of your own. Drawing doesn’t come without practice of course! I
have always been busy drawing or painting almost every day of the week since childhood.
Needless to say that one has to be very dedicated to keep this up.
10. What kind
of drawing-techniques and instruments do you use in your works?
I use almost all techniques there are I guess. My
CD-cover artworks are mostly a combination of painting in acrylics, oils (sometimes), and
airbrush. But when I’m a working on Odoric it’s generally gouache and acrylics
mixed with only a little airbrush. In fact, I find it hard to talk about how I work,
because I just use everything I can get my hands on to create the artwork that I have in
mind. It’s always the endresult that counts for me, not how I got there.
11. Do you use computer
programs – like for example Corel Photopaint or Adobe Photoshop – to meliorate
your drawings and create special effects? What do you think about this kind of
drawing-work?
I’ve never used computer effects on my
artwork. Only the Odoric-comic has some minor computer-adjustments in some drawings, but
they aren’t there by my choice. In fact I’ve never really liked it that some
people feel the need to change stuff in my artworks by computer. I hate it when I’ve
been working on a painting for weeks, thinking about every detail, choosing and mixing the
colors, etc.. and then some guy sits in front of his computer and decides in a few
instants to change some stuff because he likes to make some use of his computer programs
or because he wants to leave his mark on it. I don’t really like them messing around
with my work because often the printed result is really very bad compared with my original
painting. All of these problems have made me decide that I should learn to use these
programs myself so I will be able to do the layouts of my comic book myself in the future.
In fact, I work with computers every day in my daily job so I don’t hate computers or
something. It’s just that when it comes to artwork, computers still make it look
artificial and soft I think.
12. Do
you need to hear the music of the band and read their lyrics in order to draw a cover?
It’s preferable that I am able to do that in
order to create something original for a band. When I paint, I always listen to music all
the time. Most of the times I get totally into the lyrics and music. Often when an artwork
is finished and I need to move on to the next artwork, I find it difficult to just quit
with the previous job and start with a totally different kind of artwork.
13.
When do you paint? During the day or night?
I’ve always preferred to draw when it’s
dark. I always stay up much too late for my own health to work on drawings and stuff. It
just works better for me, I find a lot more inspiration when everything is dark and most
people are sleeping.
14.
Let’s talk about Odoric. The first issue was edited in 1993. Can you tell us about
this comic?
Back in 1985 I created Odoarik, my own comic-book
character, because I wanted to write and draw epic stories, legends and sagas. I just
needed an outlet for my imagination I guess. Later on I changed the name to Odoric, just
because of problems with people who couldn’t pronounce the other name. However,
whenever Odoric is adressed to in my most recent stories, I use Odoarik again, although on
the cover the name will remain Odoric. I felt that the character worked well, so I did 3
black/white Odoric-comics, copied only for my friends and family. Later on, in 1993 I
started to work in full-colour on a new Odoric-saga, written by me together with Filip
Keunen, whom I got to know during my studies. This new saga would tell the tale of the
beginning of the end for Odoric and his Black Serpent Sword. While we were working on the
comic we visited a lot of comic-book fairs where we would sit at a table just to show the
work and to meet with people that maybe were interested in it. That way we came in contact
with Wonderland Half Vier Productions. Finally in 1996, "The Wall Of Doom", the
first professionally printed Odoric-comic was published.
15. I
heard that your comic-book Odoric had not acception in Belgium due to its violence and
texts. Can you tell us about it?
The first Odoric-story is actually more kind of
an introduction to the world of Odoric. There are no real main characters for the reader
to identify himself with, and if this does happen, the character is killed off (like with
the legate). There are also very few dialogues in the story. This was done intentionally.
I didn’t want too much talking between characters. I believe that too much talk
damages the atmosphere. But maybe it’s the influence of the Conan The Barbarian movie
again, where there’s not much talking either. The main character is only introduced
at the end of the story in stead of at the beginning. Actually the real adventure with
Odoric as a main character only exists in the form of the epilogue. So, the reader of this
story is actually left with only the war and the battles and some other stuff that always
seems to happen or has happened somewhere beyond the pages of the book and that leaves the
reader with a bit too many mysteries maybe. All these facts have contributed to the fact
that the violence that I used has been overrated. There are other comics that show much
more violence, but I guess the book as a whole amplifies the violence in some way. Some
people in the world of Belgian comic-books don’t understand what I wanted to achieve
with this book, so they don’t like it. But I guess if I can manage to get the whole
saga published one day, the first book would be much more appreciated because people would
know for example who the person at the beginning is, why he is burning the books that
contain Odoric’s saga, what the armour he is wearing is all about, and not to forget,
why the end is near!
16.
What is your opinion about censorship? Do you think it is necessary?
I don’t think censorship is necessary. I
think people should be free to create in art or writing whatever they want. However, for a
book to be appealing or to mean something, it also has to be well-written. Showing guts
and gore alone doesn’t work and doesn’t hold the attention of a person for
longer than just a little while.
17.
Have you ever been ripped-off by any band or label?
Yes, there are some bands and labels that still
owe me money or that haven’t even sent me the CD I did the artwork for. I really hate
it when this happens, because I always work in good trust with people. I have this
idealistic view that in Metal there’s still some kind of barbarian code of honour.
However, sometimes even in Metal everything is just about profit and it seems that no one
is to be trusted. It’s really frustrating when I see a CD that I did the artwork for
in a store, while I didn’t even receive it from the record company myself.
18.
Let’s talk about your musical tastes. What are your favourite bands and Metal-styles?
The first band that I bought a record from was
Iron Maiden. I liked the music so much that I started listening to ever more Metal bands
like Manowar, Agent Steel, Queensr˙che, Dio, Mercyful Fate, Bathory,… and also a lot
of Thrash Metal bands. Nowadays I like to listen to Black Metal bands like Summoning,
Forlorn, Twin Obscenity, Vintersorg, Mythotin, Arckanum, Pazuzu, Falkenbach, Thyrfing,
Odium, Suidakra, …maybe bands that lean more to what some would call Viking Metal. I
still also listen to Metal bands like Rhapsody, Labyrinth, Jag Panzer, Iced Earth, and so
on… but for some reason I don’t play their CD’s as often as my Black Metal
CD’s. I sometimes also listen to Death Metal, but only when I’m in the mood for
it.
19.
What are your future plans?
I would just like to get my second Odoric
comic-book finished and published while doing some more CD-covers for bands that I like.
This is becoming ever more important for me to keep me motivated and to find the necessary
inspiration. Later on I would also like to try doing some book-covers, but at the moment I
wouldn’t have time for that.
20.
Will Filip Keunen write the texts for the next issues of Odoric?
Yes, he will do so again. He has already written
the next chapters. I also often come up with some ideas for the story while drawing…
I then tell them to Filip and he adds his own ideas and puts everything together. He
always manages to make my ideas better and give them more depth.
21. OK, that’s all.
Thanks for your answers. Could you give an advice for thos kids who want to begin drawing
Metal-stuff ??
The best advice I can possibly give is to practice as
hell. Try to draw something every day and don’t avoid difficult subjects such as
people, horses, etc… But also very important is to try finding your own way of
drawing, so people will recognise your work. If you do all this and if you are good, show
your work to as many people as you can and you’ll start getting assignments for sure!
Interview with Dark Hole ‘zine (Lithuania,2000)
- How are you? Are you ready to talk
a bit?
I’m doing fine, thank you. Let’s start the questions!
- Well, my questions will touch the
past, present and even the future. I hope it won’t be a problem?
No problem…
- So, let’s start from your
genealogical family tree – are/were there any artists in your family besides you?
The only other person in my family who has drawing talents is my mother. In her youth
she desperately wanted to be able to do paintings and drawings, so she started buying some
books on how to learn drawing. She got hooked on those books and started doing some great
drawings! At this time she hasn’t drawn anything in 10 years though.
Have you ever thought why you
became so close to the art, not music etc.?
I guess the art was something I was into much earlier than music. I only started
buying music at age 13. At that time I was already doing lots of drawings. I still have
those drawings… they are all very inspired by movies and comic books. The reason why
I started to buy Metal albums was simply the fact that I liked the cover-art a great deal.
The covers on Metal albums are a lot more interesting compared to covers of other
music-styles. It turned out I liked the music very much as well…After that I got into
Metal very quickly but never felt the need to start making music myself. I’ve always
wanted to focus mainly on art because I figured I’d better become a great painter
instead of a bad musician.
Maybe, when you were very young
you had been impressed by any masterpiece, or maybe you just liked the paint, it’s
toxic smell?
There’s very little toxic smell coming from watercolours I’m afraid…
so that probably wasn’t the reason… No, I don’t think I started drawing
because I was impressed by any other artworks. Let’s just say that it is in my nature
to draw… Along the way there were movies (like "Conan The Barbarian") and
comic books that have inspired me of course, but they weren’t the main reason why I
started drawing.
Could you remember your first
touch with pencil/brush in paper? Were you proud of yourself then?
Unfortunately I don’t remember… but I do remember I was never proud of my
achievements. I always wanted to do better… I was never satisfied!
Have you ever thought that
you’d become the famous underground artist when you were in the early days of your
life?
Never did I even for one moment believe that I would one day become a real CD-cover
artist or comic-book artist! It even wasn’t my ambition! I still can’t believe
how far I’ve come. I always figured that my art wouldn’t be good enough, so I
practised a lot but mainly just because I liked drawing.
By the way, it would be stupid to
think that you started to draw covers as soon as you were 10 y. old. It’s true that
you started with comics, isn’t it?
As I mentioned before, my early drawings were all inspired by movies or other comic
books. I felt the need to create my own stories and the only way to do that was by drawing
comic books. At first I did a lot of Science Fiction stuff, based mainly on Battlestar
Galactica and some SF movies like Blade Runner or Mad Max.
So, uncover all the truth about
the events in 1985.
In 1985 I decided it was time to create an entire comic book, a 48-page grand epic
story! I didn’t have a script though, I just made things up while I was drawing. That
way it was very inspiring and interesting. I didn’t know how the book would end until
I got to draw the ending! I did do a lot of searching to find a fitting name to go with my
main character. It didn’t take long to find some names in a book where there was a
chapter that was called "The Barbarian Kings – Three against Rome, Alaric,
Atilla and Theodoric". I wanted to use the names Theodoric and Odoaker combined into
"Odoarik". But later on I decided to simply name my hero "Odoric".
After I had figured out the name, I started to design the world of Odoric… very
inspired by the movie "Conan The Barbarian". This means that there will be some
fantasy in the stories, but not much. Mainly my stories seem historical. So after I had
created Odoric and his world, I started drawing the first comic book " Het Zwaard Van
Kürr" ( "The Sword Of Kürr"). When it was completed in 1986, I started
the second story "The Decline Of The Dacians" and after that a third story
colled "The Slavehunters". The third book was completed in 1991. All these
comics were in black & white. I only started painting in colors in 1992. The first
Odoric comic in color was "The Wall Of Doom". I started on it in 1992 and it
finally got published in 1996 by Wonderland Half Vier Productions.
What did you feel when you were
drawing all these comics?
It felt great to create an entire world! It was totally the world I wanted to live
in brought to life. In 1992 a friend of mine from school, Filip Keunen, started writing
together with me to create the story for "The Wall Of Doom. Filip was fascinated by
my work and just gave it a try to write some stuff for me. He got more and more into the
world of Odoric and began to understand what I liked and what I didn’t like in a
story. When "The Wall Of Doom" was finally published, it was a great feeling
because the book represents a certain period of my life and it is the result of many hours
of hard work!
Did you copy them from the comics
available, or did you create your own? Has any comic artist influenced you?
I always wanted to create a different world from that of other comic books. So I
tried very hard to come up with different ideas. Maybe I was influenced by some comic book
artists like Hal Foster and John Buscema, but it was the movie "Conan The
Barbarian" that influenced me the most!
I may say with confidence that you
were really strong when you were looking for sponsors to release your first full colour
Odoric comic. How did you get that idea?
It was an idea of Filip to start going to comic book fairs in order to show my
drawings to anyone who might be interested. At first I didn’t like doing this at all!
I figured no one would be interested in my artwork. But to my surprise there were a lot of
people who really liked my stuff! So we met some interesting people and we went to various
other fairs in Belgium and Holland and that’s how we got an offer from Wonderland to
publish ‘ The Wall Of Doom". That book was nearly finished at the time we got
the offer. When I started working on it, it was mainly just for fun and I never
would’ve believed it would one day be published. So it just all happened…
And at all, have you collaborated
with any other guy?
Apart from Filip there was also the guy who scanned my pages of "The Wall Of
Doom", but he did a very bad job! He did some terrible things to the colours…
you would understand if you could only see my original artworks.
Ah, you wrote me that you have not
attended any art school, you’ve created all stuff at home. Have you visited
exhibitions at least? Were you interested in classical art?
I have only visited a few museums in Belgium over the years. I never went to an
exhibition. I have always been very interested in classical arts but I really dislike the
modern arts!
Were you, like the young Leonardo
Da Vinci, sitting in the garden for a long time trying to understand the structure of the
earthworm, or any other bug?
No, I guess not! I am a day-dreamer though… I can easily live in my own
imagination. But I don’t care much about bugs or earthworms.
I would pick another subject I guess. When you are drawing a comic book, there will be
things in the story that you have never drawn before. So you have to sit down and try to
imagine how to draw these subjects. I remember myself looking at horses a lot in order to
figure out how to draw them because I needed to draw them in my comic.
Let’s return to your past
again. Your first drawing was the cover ordered by some type for Ancient Rites? Were you nervous
then? Didn’t you want to cancel that order?
No, I never thought of cancelling that order! I was very eager to get it done in
fact, and couldn’t wait to see the album when it was printed. I was a bit nervous
because I liked Ancient Rites very much, but they were very unknown back then, so there
was no pressure on me to create a masterpiece or anything. I just wanted to do the very
best I could because I liked the music and the people who created it.
Was there used one of the Odoric
motives? And much more of them in future orders?
Odoric was in the shadows on the back of the Ancient Rites cover! Later on I used
Odoric for Absu’s "The Sun Of Tiphareth". The Sword of Odoric was used on
Marduk’s "Opus Nocture" ( unfortunately it is on a part that is not visible
on the CD) and Enthroned’s "Prophecies Of Pagan Fire". I also used Odoric
for Liar’s "Falls Of Torment" and the cover of "The Wall Of Doom"
was used for Old Man’s Child and Infernal Beauty-covers. Odoric probably won’t
be used in future orders because I don’t want him to be the "gimmick" of a
band ( like Eddie of Iron Maiden ). I don’t want bands to think they own Odoric just
because he is on their cover.
Have you aroused somebody’s
envy, let’s say of your friends? Have you got a lot of good and/or bad critics? How
did it influence you?
I don’t think I aroused envy among my friends. My friends are all people who
know me a very long time. They know how much work I put into my drawings and they know how
much of my free time I sacrifice to create all those CD-covers. So they don’t envy
me. Maybe some people who know me only from my work envy me… they see all this work I
release and don’t understand what it takes to create it. I did get some bad reviews
of Odoric in some magazines about comic books. It was mainly about too much violence…
Also, I am very aware of the fact that my drawings aren’t perfect. There are still a
lot of mistakes (anatomy and stuff…) but it doesn’t bother me any longer because
it’s just the way I draw! It’s my own style, you see. And I’m still
improving my skills, so what you see is my learning process. There’s nothing bad
about criticism, it just makes you stronger. The more criticism I get, the harder I work
to improve my skills!!
Don’t you mind continuing
your abilities at the local art school?
I’ve thought about going to the local art school a while ago, but when I
showed my work to one of the teachers, he told me they couldn’t learn me anything
anymore. He even asked if he could use some of my paintings as examples in class! It was a
bit disappointing, because I believe there’s still a lot for me to learn about
drawing…
Were there any orders from your
friends and the family to paint some landscapes etc.?
Yes, I did some stuff like that. I did a painting of someone’s house, I did
some landscapes for a girlfriend who was studying landscape-architecture, I painted some
portraits of dogs…
Have you felt yourself a strange,
different person in comparison to others? How was your emotional attitude changing?
Well, it seems like most people don’t have the same amount of imagination as I
have… I remember I was the only one in school who listened to Heavy Metal and who
liked the Sci-fi or historical stuff. The others all seemed to be interested only in
sports and cars. So, when I was young I didn’t have a lot of good friends… in
fact there weren’t any friends that I could talk to about subjects that really
interested me. So I never talked much… I was the quiet solitary one… I guess
others may have thought of me as strange because of that, and that bothered me. Later in
my life, I discovered that I wasn’t the only person who was interested in subjects
like horror, Sci-fi, fantasy and such. But still, most of them aren’t capable of
imagining things and putting them on paper. So I guess I have a special talent…
I’m very grateful about it now and don’t want to let it go to waste!
Were there any people telling you
that you were a bit knocked down or strange?
When I show my work to people, most of them can’t believe I created those
paintings. They don’t seem to understand how I could’ve done it… because
they know me as a quiet person. They don’t have any idea of what is going on inside
me. You know, I’m imagining things all the time… when I’m driving in my car
for example, I’m constantly imaging horrible car-accidents and stuff… If I tell
that to people, I guess they would say it isn’t normal…
One day you’ve decided not to
use Odoric motives as covers anymore. The last one was for Old Man’s Child. Why?
When I started doing CD-covers, I didn’t realise I was going to do so many
covers… At first I wanted to do only covers about Odoric. But it was an idealistic
view and it soon became clear to me that I could not go on using Odoric because certain
bands wanted to make Odoric part of their concept. I didn’t like that idea because
Odoric was created by myself and not by some band. So I stopped using Odoric for now.
Was it a well considered step?
Yes, I thought very much about it. The only reason for me to create another
CD-cover about Odoric would be when a band produces an entire album based on Odoric (like
a soundtrack of the comic, if you understand…) . In fact, a band from Belgium, The
Darkening, was going to create a CD based on the second comic book of Odoric. The CD
and Comic would be released together. Unfortunately, The Darkening have split up some time
ago… so it won’t happen!
How old are you now? Do you agree
that the age is a more important factor and makes a really big influence on creativity?
Can you explain that influence?
I recently turned 30. I believe that drawing comes easier when you get older. I
guess it has something to do with experience… when you are young it seems to be more
difficult to draw shapes and objects from reality. I hope you understand what I mean,
it’s not easy to explain.
Creativity is something else! When you are young, you are more creative and you get the
best ideas… however you lack the experience to create what you had envisioned. This
leads to frustration … you need to get more experienced and a better drawer. However,
when you are older, your creativity isn’t the same as it used to be. You also develop
a taste for different kinds of art and ways of drawing. You will try to do some totally
different stuff just because you are becoming a bit bored by doing the same stuff all
over… so it leads to a different kind of creativity I guess.
As we’re talking about the
influences, I have visited Ermitage in Sankt Petersburg (Russia) last summer – this
amazing place left me indelible impression and influenced my distant works… so, I
want to ask you about the event which left you the same feeling?
I know what you mean. Personally, I really enjoy being around old ruins or
castles… those places inspire me deeply! I can almost see the ghosts of the people
who lived there. I my life I have been to many such places. A place that I like a lot is
the ruins of the abbey of Villers in Belgium. Recently I visited Tara in Ireland… a
place of high inspiration as well!
And at all, is drawing your
every-day job?
No, it is not! I work at an accountant’s office… I make balance sheets,
invoices, that kind of stuff. It seems rather boring maybe … but I like the people I
work with and it enables me to pay the bills each month.
I would like to make drawing a daily job, but then I would have to earn a lot
more… this would mean raising my prices… I guess underground bands wouldn’t
be able to pay me any longer. So it would mean I would have to look for bigger record
companies with more money to work for… you see, it wouldn’t be that easy …
You offered me to sketch every
day, but I’m not sure that you do so, sorry. That would be too much! What are the
things you like besides drawing? Movies, love, books, etc…
I’m not saying there haven’t been some days that I didn’t draw, but
normally I really draw every day! It’s not too much for me; it’s like second
nature… I don’t even think about it.
Besides drawing I read lots of books on historical subjects such as ancient Egypt,
Ireland, Mesopotamia, … I used to read a lot of comic books as well, but lately I
haven’t read much of them. Also movies are a great source of inspiration for me. In
fact I would’ve wanted to be a director!! My favourite movie is "Conan The
Barbarian" ( I hope you’ve seen it? ). I also loved "Excalibur" and
"The Last Of The Mohicans" or ‘The 13th Warrior". There are still some
Russian movies I would like to see ( like "Ilja Muromez" ) but unfortunately you
can’t get them in Europe.
If you’re watching horror
movies then you must agree with me, that they offer really nice ideas!
Yes, they do! However, I have always been much more attracted to the epic
stories… you know, historical sagas and stuff.
Do you need any special mood for
creating another brilliant masterpiece?
It’s a very important part of the creative process in fact! Sometimes I just
don’t get into the right mood to do a certain cover. I just work on other stuff until
I’m ready. Each time I do a CD-cover, I want to get into the music and lyrics of the
band… only when I’m completely into it, I’ll be able to start working on
the cover. When the artwork is done, it’s sometimes difficult to stop working on
it… I need some time again to get out of the mood before I start on the next cover.
In the meantime I just do sketches, anything that comes into mind…
Are you depressive, sad, gloomy
and disappointed of your life? Have you ever thought about suicide? All the artists are
very sensitive!
I can be very depressed and sad… although I won’t show it to the outside
world. I’m also very melancholic… I long for other times… a different
world. I’ve been disappointed by many things in my life… It makes you harder
every time. I have never thought of suicide though. I think suicide is the ultimate way of
giving up. When you kill yourself, you don’t prove anything. Life just goes on
without you, nobody cares! I believe it’s better to stand and fight until the
end… even if it is very, very hard!
Have you ever looked for any
deeper feelings through the alcohol or drugs?
I love to have some beers, but never has it helped me to look for deeper feelings
or inspiration for my drawings. I never used drugs, so I don’t know what it would do
to me…
It happens sometimes, that you sit
and think that all life sucks, just fuckin’ monotony and infinite pain. Do you know
that feeling? How could you suggest overcoming it?
I know the feeling, believe me! To overcome it is not easy… it requires
discipline. I think it is up to yourself to figure out a way that works out for you.
Sometimes it seems like all is lost… there’s no more hope. And yet, each day
maybe something will happen that changes it all. Personally I have escaped into my comic
book dream-world many times… I have also released a lot of anger and frustration
through my paintings. Drawing and painting have helped me many times to express my
feelings. And when a painting is done, the energy of the feeling is converted into a new
creation. The power of creating something out of nothing that you feel afterwards, is a
very strong feeling! It takes away all other feelings…
I’ll move away from
philosophy… I would like to know what stuff you are working with, I mean paints,
materials, etc.?
There’s a lot of materials I work with! I use all I can get my hands on in
order to create what I have in mind. I use acrylics, watercolours, gouache, pencils,
etc… You know, I really hate going to the art-store to buy materials, so I work as
long as possible with the means at my disposal. I don’t have a lot of drawing
materials really… I think you would be very disappointed if you could see where I do
my drawings. I do own Airbrush-equipment, but it’s just the basic stuff… and
airbrush-pistol and an air-compressor, that’s all! You know, my early cover paintings
were all done in my tiny bedroom on my small desk, with very bad lighting.
What is closest to your heart?
I guess that would be my parents, my sister, Odoric and my artworks…
Let’s say, I’ve ordered
a cover for a CD, and how would you start creating it? And how does your final job look
like, I mean size and paints you have used?
I would first ask you to send me some of your music, lyrics, concepts and stuff.
With that information I can start designing a fitting cover for your band. I would first
do some sketches, which I would send to you. When you see a sketch that you like, you let
me know and I start on the final drawing. My sizes differ a lot… in most cases the
original is the size of an LP-cover. Paints are usually acrylics + watercolours when
I’m doing CD-covers.
And which way I’ll get it,
just photos, CD-R or the painting itself? By the post?
I would send you some professional slides or photographs to use for scanning. I
never post my original paintings! I also never sell my originals… I only sell rights
to use my drawing.
What do the prices depend on? How
much do you ask for CD, MC, EP, Magazine covers?
My prices depend on lots of things… If you are an underground band and I like
the music you’re playing, I won’t charge as much as I would a record label. When
I’m working for a record company, it depends on how many artworks are needed, how
difficult it is to create them, how long I’ve worked on them , etc… each case is
different. That’s why it’s so hard to name a specific price.
Was there anybody who had
offered to pay in other ways?
Yes, some bands want to pay me with CD’s because they have to pay for the
release themselves. That’s always been OK by me!
How do you spend your money?
I buy books, video’s, CD’s, magazines, arts materials (only if necessary
of course… ). That’s all I need!
Haven’t you ever tried
creating with computer? Is it possible to change the classical art with computer generated
art?
Yes, I’ve tried. But it didn’t work out the way I wanted. Maybe I
don’t have a good program… anyway, I don’t think computers are able to
replace classic arts at this time. But I’m sure next generations will work on
computers more and more… maybe in the future it will be possible to create the same
effects as in a real painting… Yet, I doubt it would give you the same feeling.
Are you into PC at all? E.g. maybe
you’re becoming a person, which can’t miss any new technologies or the conflicts
between Microsoft and USA government? Are you a virtual vampire?
I’m at the computer the entire day for my job, so in the evenings I try not to
work on my PC too long in fact. However, now with all the information on the internet and
the e-mails, it’s very tempting… Sometimes I do spend my entire evening surfing
and mailing. However, I don’t waste my time playing games or anything. When I work on
my PC, it’s always creative. About computer-politics; I don’t give much thought
about that. I’m just glad that computers really work nowadays… they have
improved a lot compared to the early stuff that I worked with when I was younger,
that’s all that counts!
Plus the web is one big museum and
you don’t need to go to other countries. Have you tried that?
Yes, I’m always busy doing research on the internet or looking at
artwork-sites and stuff in order to enhance my own skills.
Don’t forget it’s a
great medium to exhibit your works!
I know, that’s the reason why I recently created my own website: It’s
mostly about my comic books, but there is also a large gallery of CD-cover artworks to
discover! Plus a lot of information about Odoric, my early artworks and other stuff that
I’m doing.
In other hands, we don’t need
any virtual reality to exhibit the works, have you taken part in an exhibition of
paintings?
I did a very small exhibition once, not too long ago, at a record fair in Genk,
Belgium. I’m not too fond of doing exhibitions though… I don’t really like
to get too much attention. I rather stay at home with my stuff.
I’m sure your works are not
just connected with horror?
No, you’re right; I want them to be Epic, Melancholic, Bombastic, Fantastic
and Legendary as well.
Do you often work through the
nights?
Yes; I must say that I stay up way too long every day Most days I go to bed at 3.30
h. in the morning. I get up at 7.00, so that leaves me 3.30 hours of rest each night…
it can’t be good for my health, keeping that pace…
How is your health? Maybe you had
some problems in the past?
So far I haven’t had too many problems in the past. Although I don’t
sleep much, as I told you, I’m not feeling tired or sick. In fact, I’ve always
been a bad sleeper… I used to lie awake in bed for many hours. But now I just
don’t go to sleep unless I’m really tired. I guess some more exercise in the
open air could be good for me, but I just don’t have time and it doesn’t really
interest me ( the sports and all… ).
As this is a musical magazine, I
think I need to ask more questions related to music. Just mention your favourite bands.
I love many different kinds of music! It’s very difficult to name all the
bands that I like, but here’s a try; some of my favourite bands are ( in no specific
order ) Bathory, Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Iron Maiden, Opera IX, Agent Steel,
Queensr˙che, Vintersorg, Manowar,Fates Warning, Bal Sagoth, Absu, Crimson Glory,
Darkwoods My Betrothed, Mortiis, Skyclad, Ulver, Graveland, Enslaved, Menhir, Pazuzu, Sear
Bliss, Forefather, Hel, … and I love to listen to soundtracks while I’m
drawing!! ( The soundtrack of "The 13th Warrior" is a killer!!)
Which of your drawn covers seem
the best to you?
I think my best covers are "The Sun Of Tiphareth" of Absu,
"Phantoms" and "The Pagan Winter/In The Shadow Of Another World" of
Sear Bliss, "December Moon" of Morbid and also "The Third Storm of
Cytraul" of Absu. I remember I wasn’t satisfied with either of these paintings
when I created them, but afterwards they seemed to start living a life of their own as
more and more people told me they were my best paintings.
What covers you’re working on
at the moment?
Right now I’m working on the new Absu-artwork. I’m also getting started
on the next Cirith-Gorgor cover and also a new Vital Remains cover. I recently finished
some artworks for Hypnosia and Necromicon as well. I also did some artworks for a
re-release of the first Horna albums.
How can people contact you to
order a drawing?
By writing to my address or by e-mail: kris.verwimp@tiscali.be.
- To conclude, what do you think of my
drawings that I promised you?
I like them! I think the one with the two trees could easily be used as a CD-cover.
It’s a very good design. The one with the Menhirs is also a good concept, though it
could use some more depth I believe…but maybe it’s just because your photograph
is a bit dark? I’m also not sure that it is really necessary to paint on canvas. I
used to think myself that it was needed to paint on canvas in order to create a true
painting. But when I looked at old paintings it turned out that a lot of them were not
painted on canvas at all. I found that on canvas, it is more difficult to get the details
right. I like your use of colours a lot… dark and moody … not too many bright or
different colours.
- Can I recommend myself as an underground
artist?
Well, it’s my honest opinion that you are a talented artist. I’m sure you
would be able to create some great CD-covers! You sure have an eye for a good design…
so why not try it?
- Oh, it was great to talk with you
again… have a nice day!
Thank you very much for your interest in my work and my person, Dainius. Good luck
with Dark Hole ‘zine and your artworks!!! Keep the faith! Stay Metal… Hail and
Kill!!!
Interview with Steel Commander ( Germany 2001 )
How did you get the first time in touch with HEAVY METAL??
I guess when I was in a record store for the first time ( I can’t remember
exactly…) I was always attracted to the interesting cover artworks! It was love at
first sight… I was very much into comic books like Prince Valiant or Conan The
Barbarian, so imagine how I felt when I saw a Manowar cover ! I bought some records with
nice covers and I even liked the music as much as the artwork… and I never stopped
listening to it!
How has it all started with your career?? Did you study art??
Well, I have never studied art at an art school or anything… I learned everything
myself and I am still developing new techniques and styles. I really like exploring
materials and different drawing techniques. Drawing is something that I’ve been doing
all my life, so I guess my career started at a very young age. There are actually two
parts to my artistic career ; the part where I was drawing lots of comic books and other
designs in secrecy ; and the part where I became "known" to many people through
doing lots of CD-covers. But you’re probably referring to the CD-cover career of
course. In fact, I never believed that I would become a CD- cover artist, so I had been
working on a career as a comic book artist. That changed when I met someone who wanted me
to do a cover for an LP at a record fair in Belgium. After I had done this artwork (
Ancient Rites " The Diabolic Serenades" ) I received a call from Osmose
Productions to do a cover for Marduk. That’s where things got really started…
Do you have a regular job, or do you earn enough money with
painting Coverartworks??
At the moment I still have a regular job. I do earn some money with the covers of
course, but most of it goes to materials and books and stuff… in order to make myself
a better artist.
Can you feel free to create anything you want, or do you get some strict orders from
the Bands or Labels??
It all depends on the labels or bands themselves. Sometimes they really have no idea of
how the cover should look, so then I’m free to do my own stuff. But in some cases
everything is very detailed, like with the Absu covers. Those instructions cover many
pages, including examples and stuff... which is really cool in fact. I like it either
way… it’s nice to be able to do my own designs, but it’s also a challenge
to try and create an image I wouldn’t have thought of myself.
From where do you get your inspiration when you´ve got to paint
a Cover??
I get my inspiration from the lyrics, but most of all from listening to the music! I
really like to listen to Metal, so for me that’s the most important way of getting my
ideas. I also like to look at ancient arts. I really love the different cultures of the
past and I want to learn as much as possible from Celts, Vikings, Romans, Greeks,
Persians, etc… I also find much inspiration in movies. One movie has been very
important ; Conan The Barbarian by John Milius. It still inspires me endlessly!!
Do you read Fantasy Books??
Yes! I’ve read lots of Conan novels, by Robert E. Howard, Lin Carter, etc… I
also like to read Michael Moorcock’s Elric, Corum and Hawkmoon novels. And then
there’s of course Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.P. Lovecraft, and the incredible Dune saga
by Frank Herbert ( I’m a big fan of the original movie by David Lynch! ).
To be honest though, I own lots and lots more fantasy comics than books… It’s
because of the drawings of course… I’m almost every weekend searching at old
book stores and fairs to find some special books or comics! So I really have a large
collection by now…
For which Bands have you already done the Coverartwork??
Some of the more known bands are probably Absu, Marduk, Immortal, Enslaved, Sear Bliss,
Skullview, Thyrfing, Hypnosia, Bewitched, Old Man’s Child, Arch Enemy, Melechesh,
…
Should I really name them all? It would probably be more interesting to take a look at
my website. There’s a list on it with most of the bands I’ve worked for.
Do you only paint Heavy Metal Covers, or also something else??
I’m also developing a comic book saga ( Odoric ) and I’m also an illustrator
for Roleplaying games ( Corum/Elric , Hawkmoon, Pendragon, Arkaal ). Occasionally I even
do book-covers as well.
How much money does it cost to get a Cover painted by you??
That depends on the kind of artwork you want me to draw of course… is it a
difficult subject? Will it take much work ( lots of details? )? Is it an interesting
concept to me? What kind of band am I working for? All these questions and many more come
into my mind before naming a price… so there’s no fixed price actually. But for
a normal CD cover for a regular band, I guess it would be +- 350 Euro.
Can you please tell me your Alltime Top 10 Metal Records??
You have no idea how difficult this is to me! A lot of records are really special to me
for various reasons, but it’s nearly impossible to rank them in a list of ten.
I used to be a big Iron Maiden fan in the eighties…also listening a lot to bands
like Queensr˙che, Crimson Glory, Agent Steel, Judas Priest, Manowar, Mercyful Fate,
etc… So there are some records from that period which I would call alltime
favourites, however nowadays I also listen to a lot of different stuff of course. The past
few weeks I’ve been listening to the new Therion "Secret Of The Runes" (
which I think is their best album! ), Borknagar "Empiricism", Ensiferum, Bathory
"Destroyer Of Worlds", Elvenking, etc…
Should I tell you that I also like soundtracks? The alltime number one soundtrack is
"Conan The Barbarian" by Basil Poledouris ! ( now that was easy! )
Do you know anything about the Metal scene in Belgium??
Yes, there are some really great bands in Belgium. Unfortunately, only few of them are
known to the rest of the world… Some of the bands that I’m in contact with
personally are Ancient Rites, After All, Patriarch, Double Diamond, Cantar, Oblivion,
Infernal Legion, Signs Of Darkness, Witchsmeller Pursuivant, Prejudice, Dagorlad,
Axamenta, etc… There are many concerts in Belgium, so there’s really a lot going
on in the Metal Scene over here… It’s very much alive right now. You can visit
more than one concert each weekend!
Please give a short comment to the following people:
-Andreas Marschall
He did a lot of great stuff for lots of really great bands! I admire his work … I
don’t underestimate the amount of time and passion that went into his paintings! He
keeps coming up with new ideas even though he has done so much already…
-Michael Whelan
Now, that’s one of the Gods of fantasy art!! He outranks all others in this list
in my opinion! There are three Gods … the other two are Frank Frazetta and Boris
Vallejo ! Michael Whelan’s covers for Elric are truly astonishing! His
"Stormbringer" artwork is one of my alltime favourite covers ( the one that was
used for the first Cirith Ungol… )!
-Ken Kelly
He’s another great artist, doing mostly fantasy book-covers. His best works are
the Manowar covers in my opinion! Those are really terrific! I have often wondered if he
has been a student of Frank Frazetta… his work reminds me a lot of the Frazetta
stuff.
-Derek Riggs
He’s one of the artists who probably influenced me as a teenager to start
drawing… I mean, who hasn’t tried to draw an Eddy from those magnificent Iron
Maiden covers? His artworks are always so detailed … I would love to see some new
paintings from him. But it seems that he has given up on painting. His latest works were
all computer-generated … which is OK, but not spectacular.
-Eric Larnoy
Another legendary album cover artist… Is he still alive ? I wonder… He did
very good and also very strange covers for many bands on the Black Dragon label. I really
liked his Liege Lord cover ( I even hinted at that cover in my own Odoric comic book! )
and also his artworks for CJSS and Candlemass ( the nice borders on the back of the album
and the inner illustrations ) and also the strange Heir Apparent cover.
Do you believe in any religion??
I do way too much thinking of my own to believe in any of the world’s religions.
In a way, all religions are just nice fantasy concepts… there isn’t a lot of
difference. It’s just that a religion is taken much more seriously because so many
people believe in it for many generations. The problem with religion is also the fact that
there can be fanatics… people who think that everything should be done exactly the
way it was written. Smart leaders have used religion as a means to enrich themselves or to
wage wars…. Exactly the opposite of what religion should stand for. So I say No
Thanks; I’m a non-believer !
If there’s anything to believe in after all, I guess it’s life itself and
it’s place in the universe… The powers to create or destroy… stuff like
that fascinates me a lot. But I won’t join any down to earth religion because of this
!
Are you actually working at an Artwork for a Band??
At the moment I’m working on various artworks… I’m doing illustrations
for the Arkaal roleplaying game ( which will soon be released by Second Sight Books in
Germany! Watch out for that, if you like Warhammer games and are looking for something
fresh! ) I’m also developing a logo for a band called "Lords Of Sheol", and
then there’s a cover for Diabolical that I’m working on…
Thanks for answering all of my questions, finally your last words
please!!!
I thank you for the interview and for your interest in my artworks, Steel Commander !
Also thanks to the people who pay some attention to the CD-covers as well as to the music!
A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into those… but it was all worth it!
Keep the Ancient Flames burning!!!
Interview with Cerberus 'Zine ( Finland 2002 )
To begin with, how do you find the fact that
during the last couple of years you’ve become one of the most employed artist in the
metal underground? Is that something that you’ve now adopted as a serious job?What do
you currently have under process?
It is of course great to be able to do so much work and see it published on covers,
in magazines, on T-shirts, etc. .It is something every artist dreams of I think. But I
have to say that I never expected to get asked this much to do cover-artworks. I 've
always been working mostly on creating my own comic book. I worked on my Odoric comic book
in anonimity since 1984. I only showed my work to a few friends back then. Doing Heavy
Metal album covers had always been one of my dreams, but I never imagined myself really
becoming a cover artist. I intended to do a CD cover every now and then, while spending
most of my time on developing the comic book. In reality, it turned out the other way
around. I still consider myself a comic book artist though. Currently I'm doing some
CD-covers once again ( there's a new Skullview cover in development, but also covers for
Shadowbreed, Sathanas, Lord, … ). Yet I'm also working very hard on the second
chapter of my Odoric Comic…
For a lay person who most propably isn’t that well-informed about these things,
could you please tell a little about the overall creation process of the making of art for
album covers, your methods of working, use of techinique, etc?
When I start on a cover, the first thing I need is Inspiration ! Inspiration is found
especially in lyrics, concepts and the musical style of the band I'm working for. So the
first thing i do is to gather as much information as possible about the project. When I'm
totally into the right mood and when I fully understand the concept, I start doing rough
designs and sketches. Next I send all my ideas by e-mail to the band so they can tell me
what they like and what they don't like. When I have a final design, I paint the cover in
detail using acrylics and oils. My older work was all done using acrylics and
watercolours, but nowadays I tend to paint with oils over an acrylic underpainting. I also
use the airbrush technique for certain backgrounds, though I prefer painting with brushes.
It's really difficult to explain my techniques in detail, because I use different
techniques all the time. I always want to find a unique style for each band that I work
for. So I do a lot of experimentations because I don't like to limit myself to using only
one technique. I could go on for hours about drawing techniques and all…
How did you come in touch with Sear Bliss and thus ended up to make the cover for
their debut album "Phantoms" in ’96? You have designed each of the five
album covers of the band, are there any other such long-standing collaborators you’re
still working with?
I came in touch with Sear Bliss through their label ( Mascot / Two moons records ). So
I wasn't really in direct contact with the band at that time. They sent me a tape and a
rejected cover design for "Phantoms" , which they wanted me to do my own version
of. The lyrics weren't available to me when I painted the cover. It wasn't until later
when I had read the lyrics in the CD booklet that I was amazed about how well it all
fitted together. I'm still very satisfied with how that cover worked out, and also the
band and the label were very pleased with it. So as a result I was asked again and again
to do covers for Sear Bliss. When Sear Bliss was in search for a new label ( after their
label quit ), I still hadn't been in contact with the band and didn't even have an address
or anything. So I started looking on the internet and eventually got in contact with
Andras, who still wanted to work with me. I don't usually go out looking for work, but
Sear Bliss is special to me for various personal reasons. I am truly proud of my
collaboration with them. Other bands that I've done covers for on a regular basis are
Absu, Marduk, Suidakra, Thyrfing and Skullview.
Speaking of Sear Bliss, it’s said that you base your works on their music,
lyrics and moods that are transmitted through them. Is this a common procedure of yours?
What elements of Sear Bliss you find particularly good and inspiring in regard to your
part as an illustrator who should be able to visualize the band’s music?
Each band is different of course, and some bands are easier for me to get into because
of common interests and such. Being able to visualise the lyrics or the concepts is easier
when there are many elements to draw inspiration from. When I start working on a cover I
gather as much information as possible, but sometimes it also comes down to intuition and
understanding of what a band is looking for in the artwork. This is the most difficult
stage I think… It's often much more difficult to come up with a good design than
actually painting the cover. With Sear Bliss it has been a combination of both intuition,
understanding and strange coincidences. I really like the atmosphere that is created with
their music and the lyrics are very well written and they really carry a message. I think
there is no other band like them. With their covers I was able to create some returning
elements and a specific style in composition. There is the White Witch, there are the
female figures in the rocks and the trees, there is the eagle, the universe and the
cave… All these are symbols that stand for different elements that can be found in
the lyrics. I found it very inspiring to create new combinations of these symbols to
visualise different ideas. For example, according to me the theme of "Phantoms"
is about the strength of the human soul in combination with the spirit of nature. So when
you look at the artwork; you'll see an eagle flying towards the sky as a focal point. This
represents the human soul, releasing itself from its plain existence and soaring to a
higher level. The eagle is in fact the soul of the person who's listening to the music.
And there are many other interpretations possible of course, which makes the artwork all
the more interesting and meaningful.
In general, are your album covers always custom-made? Do you treat each and
every band as an individual, carefully keeping an eye on the band’s concept and views
when making the art? Is your work tied solely to heavy metal music?
It's true that I always try to make something special for each band that I'm working
for. I want people to be able to know what band they are dealing with, just by looking at
the artwork. It requires a lot of experimentations, but I've learned a great deal from
this way of working. It's not the easy way, but very rewarding. The reason why I've done
mainly artworks for Heavy Metal bands is just because I'm very much into it myself and I
also believe that there is no other musical style that makes so much use of painted
artworks. Most musical styles just use photographs or computer imagery, but in Metal there
is still room for the people who work with paints and brushes ( which to me is the most
honorable way … ). Paintings are timeless I think, while photographs and computer
images quickly look outdated…
So Metal is definitely my style !
The album covers of Sear Bliss follow a certain storyline. Is your work then any more
challenging than usually, since the permanence should be maintained through the cover art?
Do you have to follow any regulations given by the band or are you free to use your own
view and visions when working for Sear Bliss?
As the fourth album "Forsaken Symphony" isn’t released when writing
this, could you reveal a thing or two about the main features of its cover (the main
theme, colours, etc)?
You're right about the recurring symbolism in the Sear Bliss artworks. There is a
certain storyline attached to them. "Phantoms" was the beginning. You can see
the White Witch giving freedom to the eagle, which could be symbolic for the release of
the first Sear Bliss album and the start of something great. The second cover " The
Pagan Winter / In The Shadow Of Another World" was in general a visual representation
of the song "In the shadow… " The cover of "The Haunting" showed
the eagle from the first cover flying down into the earth in stead of up towards the
skies. In a way, this represented the journey inwards that took place through the lyrics.
It also happened to be the last CD that was done for Two Moons, and after it's release the
band lost some members and they needed a few years to get everything together again. So
for the fourth cover "Grand Destiny", I wanted to work on the theme of rebirth.
I went back to the first cover and used the White Witch again who releases the eagle from
it's cave into the universe. Even the female figures in the cave walls returned and seemed
to want to escape. Wich brings me to the latest cover of course… With the cover of
"Forsaken Symphony" I wanted to use a more aggressive image than before to
illustrate the energy of the new songs. I used the White Witch again, who is being burned
at the stake ( it's a rather dark image compared to the previous artworks ). However, she
isn't really burning as she even commands the flames ( you can see small figures in the
fire surrounding her ). Also, in the skies there are lots of eagles now, symbolising the
many souls that aid the Witch in her fight. I think this cover represents the struggle of
the band to overcome every obstacle and their ultimate victory. It's seems strange
perhaps, but all these ideas just came naturally to me and seemed to fall in place every
time. There was never any great pressure from the band on me, so I was in fact free to do
what I wanted, which I think has been great for me ! Of course it is a challenge to
develop the story, but it is also very exciting and it makes everything a lot more
interesting.
When thinking the final piece of art, is it more to be seen as a result of your
personal imagination and aptitude than lyrical/musical stimulus given by Sear Bliss?
Are Sear Bliss very demanding as a client? Have you ever got to do any changes or
additions before they’ve accepted the cover?
The main concept for the new cover was an idea from Andras in fact. He thought of the
image of the White Witch burning at the stake with the many eagles in the skies. I really
liked his idea a lot, so I tried to visualise it the best way possible. I painted it a bit
more roughly to make it look more aggressive and energetic.
Sear Bliss have been really great to work for I think. They trust me to do the best I
can because they know that I really respect their music. They mean much more to me than
just another job…
I once had to redesign the cover for "The Haunting" because the concept had
changed, but I liked the second concept a lot more so I didn't have a problem with it and
I think that they made the right decision.
The band sounds like they’re very satisfied with the works you’ve painted for
them. From an artist’s point of view, how do you like those five pieces yourself?
Most probably you have a little more critical eye towards them?
So far the records Sear Bliss have been released only in a cd-format. Do you find that
at all disturbing? The LP-format definitely gives a better display for the cover art…
Whenever a new artwork is finished, I never know for sure if anyone will like it. So
I'm everytime very anxious when it comes down to the band's opinion. With Sear Bliss I
truly hope that the band has been satisfied with my work. Personally I'm very critical
about my own work. I'm a perfectionist; I'm never satsified with my stuff. It's often
really frustrating and keeps me awake at night. In retrospect, I think my covers for Sear
Bliss all came out very well. I still think "Phantoms" is one of my best works,
even if it's one of my first designs. I worked very hard on that one… I didn't like
the cover of "The Haunting" very much at first, but now I think it was perfect
for that album.
You're right about the LP cover being a lot more appealing. I think I'm very lucky that
still so much of my artworks have been used for LP's, even if none of them were Sear Bliss
covers. Maybe in the future someone decides to release those albums on Vinyl… let us
hope so.
In general, do you have a strict control over the final release where your art is
featured? Do you put any restrictions for the labels or persons in charge of the final
lay-out for the use of your art? Do you insist for a proof-print before the actual
printing process? Have there ever occured any serious fuck-ups?
In the world of undergound the copy-right laws aren’t that strictly obeyed ,just
see those many many Giger rip-offs for example. Do you pay high importance for this
matter?
When I do a cover for a CD, the band usually have my permission to use the design as a
T-shirt print, etc… It's the normal procedure in Metal to make shirts out of covers,
so it's all part of it and I don't mind. All I ask for is that they send me a copy of the
shirt or anything else they release featuring my artwork. I don't put any restrictions on
the labels or bands who use my work. When they've payed for it, they are free to use it.
Most of the times, they don't change anything but there have been a few surprises. I don't
ask for proof-prints because I just don't have time for that and it makes everything a lot
more complicated. There have been some fuck-ups and that's always a bad thing because it
makes my work look bad of course, but the printing process is really impossible for me to
control. Concerning copyrights; I am a member of a special organisation called Sofam.
Whenever someone uses my work without my permission, I report it to them and they make a
case out of it. This hasn't happened yet with CD-covers, but I'm almost sure that there
are many bootleg shirts around and other stuff featuring my art. But it's not easy to
track down the ones behind that. It's nearly impossible to have control over everything
that's being released...
Does the modern technology and its digital fancies have any role when you’re
carrying through your work? Or do you like to stick with more traditional ways of working?
The computer is a great tool to do layouts and stuff, but I don't like artworks that
haven been entirely created on the computer. I've been doing some experiments, yet I
prefer to do it the traditional way, using brushes, paints, pencils,… I only use the
computer to make scans that I can send through e-mail or to make layouts. I also have a
website that requires regular updates and I'm in touch with a lot of people through
e-mail. So the computer is a part of it, but not of the painting process.
You used some special means when making the paint for the creation of
"Tara" album cover of Absu. Was it just a special arrangement for Absu or do you
often like to try it out with alike experiments? Are you planning to do anything like that
with the future works of Sear Bliss?
I had already planned a trip to Ireland when I received a letter from Absu. Tara was
one of the places I wanted to visit in Ireland, so when I read that Absu were doing a
concept album about this place, I immediately got an idea. It's one of those strange
coincidences that occur sometimes. When I was on the Hills of Tara, I collected some soil
from the place where the high kings were seated. I also collected soil from the place
where the Stone Of Destiny stands and from other parts of the site. Later, when I got back
home, I mixed the soil with water and acrylics in order to be able to paint with it. So
using that mixture, I painted all the borders and artworks for the Tara CD. So there's
really a physical connection between the cover art and the actual Tara itself. I think
there is no greater tribute. The more I think of it, the more strange it all gets you
know...
Whenever I get the opportunity to do something special for a band, I want to go for it
of course. It all depends on the concepts of the bands and my own interests. I want to
experiment as much as possible, so maybe there will be something special for Sear Bliss as
well in the future.
As you’ve carved out a reputation for yourself, you must receive dozens of
inquiries from people interested in your art, right? Are you still eager to offer your
services for someone in need of Verwimp-illustrations? Are you still running high of
creative powers?
Even after doing so much stuff, I think I'm still running high on inspiration and I'm
sure that my best works are yet to come. I'm still learning a lot every day, so I hope
I'll be able to become better and better. There is so much that I still want to
paint… my only enemy is time. Time is the one thing that's holding me back… I
lose lots of sleep in order to get everything done. I'm still eager to offer my services
though. Whenever I feel that I can do a great artwork, I want to go for it. It often
depends on the band and their concepts of course. I cannot take on every assignment
anymore… there's just not enough time.
In conclusion I’ll ask you a question that you must have heard more than once.
What are some of your own favourite album covers (excluding your own works) and artists
that you hold in high esteem?
You may add here also your greetings to the readers of Cerberus if you like…
I like the work of lots of artists, really… There’s John Bolton, Ken Kelly,
Frank Frazetta, John Buscema, Alfredo Alcala, H.R. Giger, William Blake, Boris Vallejo...
The list goes on and on. I love fantasy art very much. Some of my favourite album covers
are those of Bathory's "Hammerheart" and "Blood Fire Death", which are
in fact old paintings. I truly adore that stuff. I also like the covers of Cirith Ungol a
lot. They were orignally created by Michael Whelan for the Elric novels… I can still
discover new things in those paintings. I also appreciate the early Manowar cover art a
lot. I think their latest covers aren't as good, but the old ones are really cool ! So In
fact, I'm a real fan of fantasy art and I own lots of books and stuff…
To end with, I would like to thank Cerebus 'zine for this interview and I want to hail
every individual who has taken the time to pay some attention to my artworks. There’s
a lot more to it than meets the eye…
Contact: Cerberus ’zine, A. Saaranen, Hakakatu 8 A 5, 90140 Oulu, Finland
cerberuszine@hotmail.com
Interview with Necromaniac ( Germany 2003 )
Kris welcome in the ugly pages of Necromaniac! Hope you found some time to concentrate
on this interview? Many people know your great works but nobody has an idea about the
Person behind the art. Kris, please feel so free and introduce yourself. What is your age,
where are you living in Belgium, are you married, kids etc...
Well, I turn 33 this year (I was born in 1970). I'm living in a town called Zammel in
Belgium… it's a very small town but there's a very large antique bookstore that I
visit very often. The street where I live has a very interesting history dating back to
the year 600. It had been the place where an Irish princess lived in exile for many years
until her father found her and beheaded her because she refused to marry him. There's also
lots of nice places nearby so I'm quite happy living there. I'm still single, so no wife
or kids ( I hope some nice girls are reading this… hehe ! ). I just haven't had the
time I guess…
Kris you got a serious job? I am sure! What are you doing? I can not image that you
live from your art? I think it´s a real good pocket money but not more
Yes, you're right. I do have a daytime job. It's quite boring compared to painting
actually, but it gets the bills paid. It also allows me to concentrate less on earning
enough money with my arts. There's no pressure to paint. I think true art can never be
about making money. It doesn't motivate me. I'm afraid that if I would try to live from my
art, It would be very difficult to earn enough each month. There's no security… and I
would be forced to do a lot of stuff that I don't like to do. In the end I think it would
take away my inspiration.
By which work i disturbed you currently?
At the moment I'm working on a CD cover for a Belgian Heavy Metal band called
"Cryme". At the same time I'm also developing a T-shirt design for Marduk and
another CD cover for a Dutch band called "Mentation". I'm also still working on
my new comic book …
You started your career with a comic book called "Odoric" is that true? How
many Issues you published? And can you tell me with a few words the story of the books?
Actually the Odoric story is very difficult to explain in just a few words. It's become
a true saga over the years, ever since I created the character back in the early 80's. You
could call it a world on its own… The main character is Odoric of course, who is kind
of a mysterious warrior who wields an ancient sword with great power. He is up against
changing his destiny ( of which he has seen visions ). But no matter how many battles he
fights, it seems that everything and everyone around him will get destroyed. His ultimate
fate is very dramatic and epic… I created three Black and white Odoric comic books
which were never published and one full colour comic book called "The Wall Of
Doom", which was released by "Wonderland Half Vier Productions" in 1996.
Ever since 1996 I've been working on the next Odoric story "The Heart Of The
Serpent"! There's even a soundtrack project in the works for this album, so it's
possible that it will be released as a CD as well…
Also you did a few Covers for "second sight Books" from Berlin and for the Elf
Fantasy Mag. What can you tell me about these projects?
I did those projects mainly because it was a new challenge for me. I'm an avid
collector of fantasy and sf books, so it was nice to finally do some covers myself. For
Second Sight Books I did the covers for "Die Alten Feuer Von Midgard" by Andrea
Haugen ( known for her band Hagalaz Runedance ) and "Rabengeschrei",a book about
the raven in mythology. Both books are really interesting I think ! Elf Fantasy Magazine
is a magazine from Holland that has grown very much the past few years ( probably because
of the large interest in the genre with the Lord Of The Rings movies ). I did one special
cover for them and they also used my first Thyrfing cover for an issue dedicated to Viking
mythology. Really an interesting magazine in fact. You can buy it at every newsstand in
Holland !
How did you came in contact with the metalscene? I heard the Ancient Rites Cover was your
first work for a metalband? Is that true?
Yes, that's right ! My first metal cover was the cover for the release of "The
Diabolic serenades" on Vinyl ! The owner of the record company ("Midian
Creations") , Wim Baelus , met me at a comic book/record fair where I was present to
find a publisher for Odoric. He liked my work and asked me if I could do something for
him. I was immediately interested of course… I did the best cover I could at that
time !
How did you came in contact with Osmose? I think for this label you released the most of
your works? You did Artworks for Absu, Marduk, Angel Corpse (Shirt design), Thornspawn
ect.
I am sure it´s sometimes difficult to realise the ideas or impressions the bands got?
I got in contact with Osmose almost immediately after the release of the Ancient Rites
LP. They liked my work very much and wanted me to do some covers for them. So not much
later I started working on covers for Marduk and Absu… It was really a great time
because it was all new and I had lots of ideas ! At times it really isn't easy to find out
what kind of cover a band is looking for. Often they don't really know themselves what
kind of artwork they want… I always make some rough sketches first so they can tell
me if I'm on the right track or not.
What do you prefer, to get a straight idea from a band or to create total free a pic?
In most cases I prefer to do my own interpretation. Most of the times I use the lyrics
or album title to inspire me, so I always make sure that the cover relates to the musical
concept. A cover should come to life when you play the music ! But it's not always easy to
find a good composition. In a lot of cases the band wants me to put certain elements on
the cover, which don't always make for a great artwork. You know, in many bands each
member needs to see his own idea on the cover, so you quickly end up with many different
elements that don't always fit together very well. But somehow I always seem to get it
done…
One of my favourite works from you is the Morbid "December Moon" LP. The
motive is perfect, the atmosphere, the colours all is perfect! I know it´s difficult to
say, but which pic do you think is the best you ever made?
Of all my covers, Morbid's "December Moon" cover is actually the only one
that I've had framed. It has a strange feeling to it I think... It was one of my early
works and the album is extremely hard to find. Also, when I had finished the cover I
visited a friend who had just bought an old house. When I entered I immediately saw an old
picture hanging from the wall that looked very much like the cover that I had just
painted. It was really very weird because I had never seen it before and it seemed as if I
had been inspired by that picture.
I'm not really sure which of my covers is the best one … like you said it is very
difficult to know that about your own work. Most people seem to love the Absu covers a lot
( "The Sun Of Tiphareth" in particular ). Also the Sear Bliss covers turned out
nice I guess. But personally I'm never satisfied… I remember that I didn't like the
"Sun Of Tiphareth" artwork at all when I had just finished it. At the time I
thought it could've been better… So I think that my best work is yet to come !
Lets talk about your techniques. Are you work with acrylics? Your Pics don´t look like
made in oil. What kind of paper you use?
Actually I use different kinds of paper for various effects… it's sometimes
difficult to make a choice. I still haven't found the "right" paper. It's like a
never ending quest… My drawing techniques are slightly different for each cover as
well. I always try to incorporate something new in every cover. Usually I use acrylics
because it dries faster than oils, but from time to time I use oils as well. I almost
never work on canvas though. Some people think that you need to paint on canvas when you
are working with oils. Personally I don't like canvas… just watch the old paintings,
you'll notice that most of them are not painted on canvas but on wood.
Most of the times I use Winsor & Newton materials… I also use Magicolor
airbrush paints ( for large backgrounds or certain effects ), lots of brushes ( I never
throw any away because even an old brush can provide a certain effect ), a rotring pen
that I modified myself, etc…. I mainly use all that I can get my hands on.
What is the original size of one of your pics? The Absu " Sun of..." ? Cover for
example?
The Absu original is the same size as the Vinyl cover… So if you have the LP, you
are looking at the true size. I usually work on small sizes because most of my artworks
will be used only for CD covers. I've learned that lots of details fade away if the size
is too big. But when I know for sure that the painting will be used for an LP cover or a
Picture Disc, I try to work on a larger size than usual. Absu's "Third
Storm…" was painted on a large size and so were the Tara artworks. Also the new
Manegarm cover was painted on a very large size. The Morbid cover was painted on LP-size
because at the time I thought it was going to be a CD…
Are you also doing layouts for CD´s? I think not? But can you image to do that? I
think sometimes the guys which did the layout destroy a lot and sometimes the are too
stupid to check the right colours ( like your pic for the displeased Sampler)
Yes, I know exactly what you mean ! Sometimes a bad layout can really mess up the
atmosphere of a cover. It happens a lot ! It's also quite frustrating when they change the
colours. What's the point in mixing paints when the colours turn out different anyway?
That's why I started doing layouts as well. I don't have enough time to do it for every
cover though… I recently did the entire layout for Dagorlad "The End Of The Dark
Ages". It's a digipak, so it was quite a challenge for me. I also did the layouts for
the latest Deviser CD.
Are you also working with photoshop or in general with computers? I ask cause the
Bandpics you did for Immortal look like mixed between drawing and finishing with Computer.
Actually I didn't even have a computer at the time when I did those bandpics. I wanted
to create a transparent effect, so I painted over masking film to create the dirty
surface. I painted the pics by using photocopies of photographs. Then I attached the
masking film to the painted bandpics ! It took me a while to accept the computer, but now
that I have one, I really use it a lot! I often scan my sketches and put them together on
the screen. That way I can see if something will look good or not. On the computer it's
easy to make some changes, while it would take me hours in the traditional way. However, I
don't think the computer is the right tool to create the actual artwork as well. I think a
real painting still looks better than something created on a computer.
99% of your works are in the medieval, fantasy, occult kind. Did you ever do a splatter
artwork? Is it in your vein to draw something like that? I think it´s very difficult to
draw a typical splatter cover cause you have to draw anatomical total correct. If not the
art looks shitty! Do you agree?
I've never really been very interested in splatter images … I think there's a
limited number of compositions to do with it. I do like zombies and that kind of stuff,
but I'm not really into the sick stuff… I am much more interested in covers with an
epic quality. If you look at my covers, you'll notice that there's always a story in it. I
never do a painting that has nothing to tell… that's why I also don't like decorative
art. But you're right that most of the splatter artworks don't look good because of bad
anatomy…
By the way, i know that you are into old Metal Bands and Viking Metal stuff. Do you like
brutal Death Metal like Suffocation, Devourment, Disgorge or Bestial Black like Blasphemy,
Impiety or stuff like that? What are your current faves?
To be honest, I've never been very much into Death Metal. I listened to bands like
Fates Warning or Heir Apparent when Death Metal thrived. I can appreciate some bands
though. I think there are a lot of really good musicians in that genre. I liked bands such
as Pestilence, Cynic, Morbid Angel, Nile,… What they have in common are the great
artworks and the concepts. Especially Nile has a great concept I think. But I just don't
listen to it that often.
Lately I've been listening a lot to soundtracks and various bands into Viking or Pagan
metal. The soundtrack of "The 13th Warrior" is really great I think! I also
bought the new Moonsorrow CD recently, which is really good. Some other bands that I've
been listening to lately are Blood Covered, Hel, Mortifer ( the Belgian Horror Metal
band!), Blut Aus Nord, Lord Wind, Bathory, …
I know it´s boring to judge about other artists but can you tell me which Artist (special
for Death and Black Metal) you prefer? Benscoter, Seagrave, Petagno, Jon Zig .....you got
a favorite one?
I appreciate Dan Seagrave a lot for his early works, which were really magnificent. I
also like some of Wes Benscoter's artworks very much. Petagno has done some great covers.
But I think my favourite artist in Metal right now is J.P. Fournier from France. He did
the great Immortal "At the Heart Of Winter" cover. He's also the only other
artist that I'm in contact with. He's really a great guy to be in touch with.
OK Kris i hope it was not too boring for you and i wish you all the best for the future!
Thanx
Thanks to you as well, Thomas ! Good luck with your own work and your magazine ! Don't
forget to take a look at my site every now and then !
Hails,
Kris.
|
