Steffen K Showreel2010 from Steffen K.

ShapeShifter from Charlex.

roel funcken _bluent_ from sarge grafX DIGITAL_ART.

BRECON LITTLEFORD REEL 2011 from brecon littleford.

Einwaller Herbst 2010 from Wildruf.

Lights Out from cormaction.

Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty from Darragh O'Connell.

Showreel 08 from KORB.

Editorial Questions:

Kevin: “So could you share us your name and where you live, what do you do?”

My name is Dylan Cole and I am a concept artist, matte painter and art director living in Los Angeles, CA.

“What attracted you to the world of art and design?”

I just love movies and when I was young I saw that a lot of art when into the design and the vfx of films, so I thought it was a perfect for me. I was simultaneously attracted to both matte painting and concept art. I think I really loved the simple romantic notion of one person doing a painting and having it be a shot in the movie.

Seeing the art of Star Wars books had a profound affect on me when I saw the work of Michael Pangrazio, Chris Evans and Harrison Ellenshaw.

Even before I got into the film stuff I was really into comics and dreamed of being a comic book artist. I always wanted to be an artist, just the specifics kept changing.

“Have you ever had moments when you wanted to stop doing what you do?”

Not even a little. I get frustrated, but it makes it that much more rewarding when I solve the problem. When I get frustrated I get motivated to do better, not depressed.

“Why do you like digital mattes and other forms so much?”

I just love to create worlds that don’t exist. I guess it is a form of escapism. Most of the places that I paint for my personal work are places that I wish I could visit.

On the professional side, I really love contributing to these big films that are being enjoyed by millions of people. I am very honored to be part of these films. Some more than others!

“Can you name some artist’s who inspires/inspired you alot throughout your career?”

When I was first starting out it was traditional matte painters like Michael Pangrazio and Chris Evans who I mentioned earlier. On the concept art side, it was of course Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Syd Mead.

As I got into matte painting, I was mainly inspired by nature. I am also a huge fan of the Hudson River School artist like Bierstadt and Church. Their sense of light and composition was very beautiful.

Over the last 6 years or so, I have worked very closely with Robert Stromberg and I have learned a lot from him.

“Any plans for the future?”

Just keep painting on as many cool projects as possible.

I am also working on a few projects of my own that might see the light of day sometime.

“What do you have to say to our lovely Artician readers?, Give us your wisdom!”

Without sounding cliche, just love what you do and give it your all.

You need to dedicate yourself to your work to succeed at it. Having a very patient spouse/significant other helps a lot!

Artician User Questions:

Aven: “When did you start doing Concept Art, and what was it like when you started?”

I started doing concept art professionally in 2001 right after I graduated from UCLA, but it was VERY difficult to break into the industry. I had done just one short stint at Illusion Arts and then Sept. 11 happened. So everyone was out of work and the industry was really slow. I had a few small things, but I didn’t work steadily until June of 2002. But as far as what it was like, the process was pretty much the same, but there were a lot more guys still dong hand drawn concept art. Now that is a rare exception.

Drew: “When you began creating matte paintings, did you ever foresee a career in the field, let alone a career working on fantastic films?”

I certainly dreamed of it and that was my goal! I wanted to work on the big films like the ones I grew up with, so I always had my sights set on the top. I think you need that kind of drive and confidence in order to make it in the industry. I always had the attitude that if some other guy could do it, why not me. I also knew that I was going to practice harder than the other guy.

Edlo: “What % of your general work is painted and how much is photo manipulated ?”

That is different for every painting and it is hard to judge because often it is different layers of photos and paint layered over one another. When matte painting, I always try make sure the final product is as photo based as possible because it just simply looks better. Most of my painting happens in masks in adjustment layers, or in the layer masks of individual elements. I will then usually do a final paint pass over everything to clean up any details and to make sure everything is cohesive. When I am doing concept art, there is a lot more painting.

“Advice to guys Worldwide not US that are trying to make a buck out of matte/digital work?”

Just practice to be as good as you can and then be heavily involved in the online forums for as many websites as you can. If you create a large online presence you can certainly get freelance work anywhere in the world. Or you can get noticed so you can move to work at a good company.

Kman: “The movie industry is quite different from the video game industry. I believe you have done some concept art for video games in the past.

Do you see yourself possibly becoming more involved with such projects in the future as games like Heavy Rain are beginning to blend the lines of cinematography?

What are some of the major differences and challenges involved between the two?”

I love working on video games and hope to do more in the future. I find that there is an enthusiasm there that doesn’t always exist in film.

Also concepts and designs are usually pushed beyond the “safe” designs that are often in film. Also just being a geek myself, I really like a lot of the sci-fi subject matter of games. I find that when I am doing matte paintings for games, they generally don’t want it as photoreal, they want it a bit more stylized. Sometimes this is actually more difficult because everyone knows what photoreal should look like.

But when you are aiming for a style, then that is a little more subjective. I definitely like how games are starting to have more of a filmic cinematography. That is certainly making me want to play more games, though I think my game skills peaked at Super Mario Bros. 3!

Designing for film can be more of a challenge because often there is a more practical element that needs to be considered such as building real sets or props, or dealing with real live actors. With games, everything is being created virtually, so you can do almost whatever you want. Obviously with films like Avatar, anything can happen in a film, but it is not feasible for most movies.

Hannes: “What advice can you give to any young aspiring designers dreaming of a career as concept artists, be it in the movie or gaming industry?”

Just be as persistent as possible. Work hard and be honest with yourself about your ability.

Are you really ready to start your career or do you need more practice? If you are in school, don’t do whatever you have to do to get by on a certain assignment. You are working on your portfolio that will get you work, so give everything your all. Also, don’t compare yourself to your peers.

That is great that you are one of the best in your class, but are you one of the best in the world? Aim for the top. You will be competing against many established artists when you enter the workforce.

Kevin: “Thank you once again for sharing the time and opportunity for us to ask you some questions Dylan, It is highly appreciated!”

Thank you so much for having me.

You can visit Dylan Coles Portfolio by clicking here,

You can also buy DVDs and Books from Dylan Cole click here to check them out!