Tony DiMauro
Oct 11, 2009
Tell me a little about your medium and process.
I use many types of mediums, to be honest. I start out with some sketches, then create a loose gesture drawing. Then I add some watercolor. I always hated watercolor. This is probably due to the association with barns, small birds, and landscapes. Eventually though, I began to understand the complexity, layering and randomness it can offer, and now use it to establish value and texture.
After that, I clean up the lines, and turn them to contour lines using pencil or a dip pen. When the contour lines are all finished up, I take it to the computer.
By using a digital tablet, I am able to simulate oil painting reasonably well. Sometimes I use this to my advantage and incorporate rendering into my pieces, sometimes I leave it as a contour drawing and add flat color.
Currently, I’m trying to find a way to combine both of these methods of realistic rendering and traditional line and texture in a way that work together.
Do you still sketch before starting anything serious, or dive right in?
Each piece is like a first date. You can’t just go for third base right off the bat, unless of course you’re a rock star. Nothing good ever came from going right to third base, or even worse going for home…the only thing that comes from that is a bad date. In my world, it’s quite literally a bad idea.
Since the first ideas that come to mind are usually the flimsiest, I find that creating lots of thumbnails helps the process along. I have to get the obvious ideas out of my system and move to the deep water where no one else plays. That’s where you get the good shit.
From there, it really depends on how well I can envision the final. I might just go in and see what happens, or I might create a couple different versions. Sometimes I sleep on it. The main idea, though, is to have an idea before the final work begins.
Are you still developing your technique?
Of course. I think that technique is an ongoing evolution. Its like being a shark. If I stopped swimming forward, I wouldn’t be able to breathe, and I would die.
When I was a kid, I used to read art annuals like Spectrum – if you don’t know it, Google before continuing! I was impressed by artists who painted realistically. I couldn’t do it myself, and I thought those guys were the shit because they could. So, by the time I reached college, I was killing myself in the studio all night long, inhaling tons of toxic paint fumes trying to recreate those extremely realistic looks. Finally, as a senior in college, I was knocking them out.
I always had this perception that the public viewed art in very clear terms: the more realistic an image was, the more talented the artist was that created it. By always playing the realism card, I was doing what I thought would impress people the most. I thought it was what people wanted to see, and for a while in college it was. I liked the attention. I liked being put on a pedestal and made to feel like something special. I liked it when people walked into the studio and said “this guy is awesome, how much for that painting?”
Then, a funny thing happened…I realized that painting realistically just because you can really doesn’t mean that much. I realized I was being owned by my own ego, and instead of trying to find a voice, I was just playing to the crowd. Financially speaking, I learned that realism didn’t work the way I thought it did in the editorial illustration world. Not only were other artists making much more exciting work without relying entirely on realism, there were other realism artists that had much stronger concepts.
Then, just like that, my technique evolved. Perhaps out of necessity, perhaps personal reasons, but I found that in order create work good enough to turn heads other than your friends’ and your mom, you have to be honest with yourself and your audience. They can tell right away if you are bullshitting them because the work won’t look right.
Today, I can see that the next step in developing my technique is to find the right balance of style, mood, and personality. The personality part is what people connect to the most, and what was missing from the realistic work I used to do. Its an emotional connection. That’s the part you can’t bullshit and that no one else can duplicate.
Your work would be perfect as spot illustrations. Have you done a lot of that sort of thing?
I really dig quality spot illustrations. I like anything that is intense and full of detail, and I like anything that reads like a gateway into another world, packed full of narrative and message, almost like a tiny little window in a submarine exploring the ocean surface.
I double as an art director for a design agency in New York City, so web design, print, multimedia, and branding are all fair game in terms of work I create on a daily basis. Also, by having a background in the Fine Arts and a freelance career in commercial illustration, it really ends up working out somehow that I create all different types of work all the time, so spot illustrations are definitely part of the bigger picture, and something I have run across from both sides of the table.
Many of the illustrations reflect a certain time period, Victorian, etc – is there one that you’re particularly fascinated with?
Not one in particular. I’d say that I’m most interested in people and cultures with strong personalities.
I also like aesthetically interesting cultures, and collect cheap, interesting looking objects from here and there when I can. Some of my favorite things to gather inspiration from are military accessories, and of those, I am particularly fond of goggles. I’ve loved goggles forever, and collect them when I run across a nice looking pair at a second hand store or military surplus store. I’m not really concerned with actual value, and usually end up buying cheap versions, but I like the way they look, and keep them for aesthetic value.
The Victorian era is a rich resource for mood and personality. Its art, literature, dark entertainment, culture, and fashion are all interesting resources, which not surprisingly, are often referenced in pop culture quite often today.
Is your work more about a great image or a great idea?
That’s a really tough question. I think the easy answer, or at least the answer I would like to give would be to say both.
I would say that the work I create for myself is usually more about making a great image, and that commissioned work is more about a great idea. I think there is too much of me that likes plain and simple kick ass imagery, and when I get the chance to do work for myself, I always try to “one-up” the last piece somehow visually.
Personally, I believe that clients are looking for a good idea in an illustration, and the execution, my style, is just a means to an end. There are certainly clients who commission work simply because they like the way I draw, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, either.
Do you often notice things about your work, a hidden meaning for example, that you hadn’t before?
I wouldn’t say specific hidden meanings, but there are certainly things I discover about myself in my artwork that I didn’t originally understand when I created it.
It’s spooky to look back and think, ‘holy shit, where did that come from?’ I notice themes of haunting and darkness seem to repeat themselves. As do themes of desolation and destruction. And that’s funny because I’m generally a pretty down to earth guy.
Not unlike most artists, as my life changes and things inspire me, I can see that reflected in the artwork, although usually not until I look at the work down the road, long after it has been created.
When I was in grade school, I played this old-school post-apocalyptic video game called Wasteland all the time. I was obsessed with it, and began to think in terms of real post-apocalyptic survival situations: what I might do in case of a nuclear holocaust. I think that some kind of steampunk meets Mad Max meets Children of Men themes have regularly played out in my head ever since. Aspects of this appear in my work in almost every piece, although never in a completely pure form.
The same goes for kickboxing, which I probably ended up taking up as a result of the above. Not only did learning Muay Thai completely change my life, but it sent shock waves throughout my work. Being able to fight other people full contact, and then joke around about it over a beer afterwards was a big step in changing my attitude from one of frustration to one of confidence. I saw the tone of the artwork evolve to something more violent and action oriented. It was also much more positive and confident than ever before.
Another example would be my Mohawk. It was a liberating experience to get a Mohawk, even if I had to cut it myself. I felt like I was above societal norms somehow. I was in control of my world. These themes of independence definitely made their way into the work.
Do you find that commissions are easier or harder than doing work for yourself?
In the end, that really depends on the assignment. Creating work for myself allows me to do absolutely whatever I want to do, even if it is silly or outlandish. It also allows me to explore very artistic looks I normally wouldn’t have the chance to explore.
On the other hand, having a commission helps provide a framework to be creative in. I don’t have to try to hit a moving target, I know exactly what is expected and what I have to do to get there. It leaves a little more room for better execution, and a little less room to go off on a tangent.
What other artist has had the biggest influence over your specific style?
As most artists would say, there are too many to mention just one… I think the best answer would be that it depends on when you ask that question, it changes all the time.
Overall though, in terms of style I think it would be safe to say: Alphonse Mucha, James Jean, Tomer Hanuka, and Sam Weber. I think a middle-ground of all of these is the holy grail of what I am looking to achieve.
One artist in particular, Jacob Thomas, has been a great inspiration as a mentor for me over the last 4 or 5 years. Jake has really shown me the ropes when it comes to editorial illustration, and has been instrumental in helping me stay true to myself when it comes to style. I’ve found that this type of inspiration is equally if not more important than being inspired by work created by others.
Where have you had the most success selling prints?
I set up at a comic book convention a couple of times, and sold a whole bunch of prints there. I probably could have sold more, but I realized that I was trying to sell illustrations when people really wanted comics! It all worked out though and was a lot of fun.
Have you ever met anyone famous in NY?
No, and that’s fine with me. I can’t say I really care much more about famous people than the average Joe. I think we all try to make our way in the world, some get more exposure than others.
Do you read anything online, on a daily basis, that you find really inspirational?
I have a list of blogs that I read all the time. I have a need to feel like I am ‘in the know’ when it comes to art related stuff, so I am always trying to keep my ear to the ground with that sort of thing.
I also enjoy reading those do-it-yourself computer programming books, although I can’t seem to ever to apply the lessons in a practical way that really works for much but the lesson.
Oh, and I really enjoy reading about marketing theory and how all that stuff works. I have the same problem with the marketing lessons as with the computer programming above, though. If I get them to work, well, then I guess you’ll know…
Other Posts
«Previous Ashleigh Fedo | Jesse Penico Next»
3 Shouts to “Tony DiMauro”
Go Ahead, Speak Up!
-
Recently Written
-
Ads
-
From the Past
Login | RSSsss
Contribute | Advertise
Copyright © 2009 The Artery Magazine. All Rights Reserved
Powered by WordPress
Designed by 12GrainStudio
What a great, frank interview! Definitely a talented artist both visually and verbally!
very interesting… especially the part about developing/ finding a style and process. I really like the work too.
Great interview!
We’ll obviously be seeing a lot more of Tony, he’s a very talented artist.
I love goggles too Tony!!