Having created art for a large range of mediums, from book publications to AAA video games, Amir Zand is a highly experienced illustrator/concept artist with heaps of knowledge to share. Here he answers our questions.
Tell us a little about your background as an artist. How did you get started and what has your career been like so far?
It's a classic story: for as long as I can remember I have been either drawing or playing video games. Eventually I got introduced to the digital medium when I was 16 years old, and by 17 I took a deeper dive into it. I was always passionate and inspired to draw so was always at the computer, creating stuff.
For me, art is not just a career to pursue, it's a way of living and a way to move forward with my life. At some point it also became a profession on the side, although I always thought how cool it would be to create for video games since I was an avid gamer myself. Things progressed step by step over the years, and my professional journey started when I was 18, when I started to work in a small local animation studio. Then I became a freelance illustrator, creating book covers and illustrations plus some graphic design side jobs. After years I transitioned to a concept artist/ designer. I still find time to create my personal work from day to day - it's just something that's never paused even with my heavy workload.
Where do you draw your inspirations from?
"Inspiration for me can come from anywhere, it's like a state of mind that can always translate senses into ideas and inspiration, from my observations to the sounds I hear, surfaces I touch and smells - they all work together. Streets, cities, dreams, talking with people, memories, emotions, films, other artworks, music and anything that is around me through the day can ultimately lead to an idea.
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