Alex Ruiz

Creative freedom The digital artist shares his influences, tools and processes for creating expressive psychedelic masterpieces

Art can be an immensely personal thing but, at the same time, a way of communicating and expressing concepts to others, hopefully sparking an emotional response in them. Alex Ruiz does this with his use of Corel Painter, through his blending of the traditional and instantly recognisable with ambient washes of texture, pattern and colour.

These themes and techniques permeate his art, showcasing not just his mastery of the tools but his inspirations from all parts of his life. He takes these inspirations and uses them with the tools Painter offers to illustrate the stories and concepts he sees in his mind.

"My art expresses ineffable realities, creates connections on new planes, and voices beauty from all parts of life," says Alex. For Alex, art is about expression and his freedom to create and communicate his ideas and thoughts. "The joy of experiencing freedom and exploration. Picking up a tool and moving it on a surface and the joy that comes from that. Just having a tool and getting it out there. It's an inherently intimate experience. Hearing that people's lives are changing because of my work inspires me. Creating beauty and sharing it's cyclical".

The interplay between creation, viewers' reactions and the way that informs new art is a key part of the experience for Alex.

EXPRESSING REALITIES