EvokeOne - v5

Matt Dobson: {1} Ok, let's get this started. You have been with evoke since our 5th exhibition, what's it like to be featured after all this time?

Tony Rivera: It's pretty amazing, I'm really thankful for all the help I've had, and wouldn't be where I'm at if it wasn't for this community. Evoke has really helped me grow, it's members have provided me with great critique, and have in turn given me the desire to push my creative boundaries.

Matt Dobson: {2} What makes Tony Rivera tick? What inspires you to make these great artworks?

Tony Rivera: Well for one, lots of free time, haha. My inspirations seem to be the things I enjoy most at the moment in my life, be it video games, movies, or architecture. (I love architecture, mostly modern/futuristic.) I love the feeling I get when I make something I'm satisfied with. I think it strikes a spiritual note within me possibly. When I create, it feels good to look at what I made, and smile, and think "whoa, that came from me.." Maybe I feel like this world I live in isn't cool enough, or that my reality is fairly boring. I like to think I'm creating alternate realities, and sharing my day-dreams in the form of static imagery. Another driving factor is the hope that someday someone will want to pay me to do what I do. It's just a very time-consuming hobby for now. Mostly though, I just enjoy making art and sharing it with others.

Matt Dobson: {3} Tell us a bit about you. What's an average day for you like? What are the things you really enjoy doing? What sets you apart from the crowd?

Tony Rivera: I just moved actually, and my schedule is total chaos. Some days I'll just spend the entire day in front of the computer, doing art or talking online, and some days I'll be busy with life issues. (Being a neat freak with my room, job hunting, randomly going to musical shows with my housemates.) My IDEAL average day would be working a 9-5 job, getting home afterwards and enjoying my hobbies, and going out to explore my new surroundings on the weekends.

As far as what I like to do, digital art is a given, and I also like to play guitar. I've probably been playing about 13 years.. Music is also a field of art that I like to create in. I also enjoy the night life, whether it's going to a show with the housemates, or just a walk on the streets, it's pretty to see all the neon signs and street lights at night. (Probably because I wasn't raised in a city.)

I think I'm mostly just your average guy really. Except that I like crazy music, am not that big of a sports fan, don't like coffee or beer, and I am creative.

Matt Dobson: {4} How did you become interested in digital art in the first place?

Tony Rivera: Ah, this is a question to which I'm sure many designers have the same answer. It all started a few years back. When I started using the internet a bit more, I found a gaming forum. Yep, it all started at a forum. I had never even heard of digital art, but when I joined the forum, I noticed most of the members had these'signatures', which were all very colorful and cool looking. So I decided I wanted one too, and would make one for myself. I started with small 'signatures' at the forum, and eventually stumbled onto deviantART, and then onto the 3D abstract scene. I saw people making cool things, and I wanted to make cool things as well.

So here I am, 7 years later, making cool things! But I have to say, seeing the larger images with 3D abstract for the first time is what really got me addicted to the art scene.

Matt Dobson: {5} During those 7 years you had a fairly lengthy hiatus. What made you stop? and what brought you back?

Tony Rivera: I actually had a couple I think. What made me stop was my weakness and inability to cope with demand, and lack of satisfaction with my works. Exposure was a much bigger deal to me back then. I felt the 'need' to create something to keep others interested, and then my lack of creativity and dissatisfaction would just consume me until I decided to stop trying. That combo is quite a killer, and in the end I think taking a break was mostly due to not being satisfied with what I would make, and feeling like I wasn't good enough. I just wasn't impressed with what I made back then. I came back because I got a little more free time in my life I think, and started looking at what everyone was making as of late. I was really impressed at how much everyone else had improved on the digital art scene, and I got the urge to participate again, and push harder to create better.

Matt Dobson: {6} What advice would you give to someone who is in a creative rut like that?

Tony Rivera: It's like the "time heals all wounds" theory. Time will build your spirits, and when you're feeling in a particularly creative mood, get back in the game and give it your best! Wait it out, and just do other things you enjoy, because life is short. Maybe somewhere along the way something will inspire you. When you get your artistic desire back, keep trying things.

You'll eventually find a method of creating art that works easily for you. Some call it style. It's harder for some than others, but I think what matters most is that you enjoy making art. If you're not enjoying yourself, don't force it. Go ahead and take a break, someday you'll be back, and maybe better than ever.

If your creativity is strained because this is your profession, the best advice I could give is to find things that don't sap so much of your creativity. An example would be taking something in real life, and re-interpreting it with your own style.

For me that would be looking at a picture of a building, and re-creating it in 3D, while putting my own spin on it. Creativity is a little more precious and harder to come by than skill, and is linked with one's enthusiasm for making art in my opinion. Translating real-life things into art, that process requires only skill, and doesn't eat up so much of your creativity.

I think the best way to go about making art and staying satisfied, is to have an image in your head, a solid concept to rely on, a goal in mind, and work towards it until you can't anymore.