THE ART OF MAX ULICHNEY
ImagineFX|August 2023
Dominic Carter speaks with the illustrator about his love of Procreate and how he makes his popular MaxPacks brushes
Dominic Carter
THE ART OF MAX ULICHNEY

Max Ulichney has worn many hats. As a recovering graphic designer with a background in CG, he now splits his time between working as a character designer, art director and president of the top-selling Procreate brushes company MaxPacks. We caught up with him to learn more about his work, and hear how artists can get the most out of his custom-built brushes.

Tell us a little about your background as an artist. How did you get started, and what has your career been like so far?

I grew up in a family that valued art and creativity, and I was always drawing my own superheroes and comic strips. My dad in particular is a great artist; he worked in advertising and as a painter when I was young, so I always saw art as a valid career path.

I began interning at my father's advertising agency at 16 years old, where I did a lot of graphic design and illustration. Designing logos really built up my sense of shape language and composition. I also worked as a caricature artist through high school and art school, which developed a lot of my character design muscles. They were both formative jobs and they were the best art gigs I could get in Ohio, but they weren't what I wanted to do with my life.

My real career began after graduating from Columbus College of Art & Design, and I left Ohio to work in visual effects in Los Angeles. A week after landing in LA, I secured a job at sister companies A52 and Elastic, where I ended up staying for 15 years doing visual effects and animation work. While there, I acted as a CG artist, and ultimately as both an art director and director.

Currently I'm working as a character designer for features and TV. I'm also working for myself as the president and brushmancer of MaxPacks.

How has your art developed over the years, and what has been behind those changes?

Esta historia es de la edición August 2023 de ImagineFX.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición August 2023 de ImagineFX.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE IMAGINEFXVer todo
PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK
ImagineFX

PAINT EPIC BATTLES IN TRADITIONAL INK

Warhammer illustrator THOMAS ELLIOTT shows you how to create an epic science fiction fight scene with this step-by-step guide

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 2025
CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS
ImagineFX

CONJURE MAGIC ILLUSTRATIONS

Daria Anako demonstrates her process for creating a whimsical piece of art with some spellbinding touches

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 2025
First Impressions
ImagineFX

First Impressions

We discover the early influences that inspired the artist

time-read
6 minutos  |
January 2025
ZBrush for iPad
ImagineFX

ZBrush for iPad

GAME CHANGER The desktop version of popular 3D sculpting software ZBrush has been redesigned for iPad - and it's brilliant

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
BenQ GW2786TC
ImagineFX

BenQ GW2786TC

GET AN EYEFUL Don't scrimp out on your health with a monitor that's kind on the eyes and good for creative tasks

time-read
1 min  |
January 2025
Huion Kamvas Pro 19
ImagineFX

Huion Kamvas Pro 19

TABLET WARS An attractive pen display does an excellent job of balancing price and performance as it sets out to challenge its rivals in the mobile marketplace

time-read
3 minutos  |
January 2025
DRAGON OFORCEC
ImagineFX

DRAGON OFORCEC

Legendary D&D artist Larry Elmore explains the keys to crafting timeless fantasy art.

time-read
4 minutos  |
January 2025
DUNGEON MASTERS
ImagineFX

DUNGEON MASTERS

ImagineFX marks the milestone 50th anniversary of the launch of Dungeons & Dragons with a look at its rich tradition of illustration

time-read
7 minutos  |
January 2025
Erik Ly
ImagineFX

Erik Ly

Gamer's haven Why the artist enjoys a maximalist aesthetic more than the minimalist approach.

time-read
2 minutos  |
January 2025
2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging
ImagineFX

2D meets 3D: How the workflows are merging

Interdimensional As VFX and animation evolve and tools become more accessible, Tanya Combrinck asks whether the separation between the mediums is reducing

time-read
5 minutos  |
January 2025