The future may be impossible to predict, but thanks to the art of Brian Sum we have a decent idea of what it may look like. That's because the prolific cyberpunk artist, who has worked with the likes of ILM, BioWare and Microsoft, has developed a style that has defined the mech genre.
With hundreds of his illustrations recently released in AFTRMRKT (www.aftrmrktstore.com) - an artbook that has been over seven years in the making - we caught up with Brian to learn more about his work and what putting the compendium together has taught him.
Tell us a little about your background as a concept artist. How did you get started, and what has your career been like so far?
I got my first real experience as a concept artist with BioWare working on Dragon Age: Origins. At the time I was still experimenting and learning the tricks of the trade. It wasn't until I started working on Mass Effect 2 that I found a passion for the sci-fi genre.
Over time I guess I've kind of followed what I enjoy designing and have evolved to becoming an industrial design and hard surface specialist.
Which artists have inspired you the most and why?
I've been inspired by so many artists through the years, but if I had to choose the ones that have had a huge impact on my work, they would be Syd Mead and Moebius. Syd Mead's vision of the future feels awe-inspiring yet grounded, and his work remains timeless even today. I've always been drawn to his technical drawings and his draughtsmanship.
I love Moebius's surreal dreamlike style. His work is playful, and his designs offer an interesting range of varieties. Both are great artists but it's their ideas, whether it be architecture or costume design, that really makes them masters of their crafts.
Outside of other artists, where do you get your inspiration from?
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av ImagineFX.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Jan Wessbecher
Dominic Carter talks to the visual artist about creating his own comic and why sketchbooks are great for creative experiments
Kyounghwan Kim
The Korean character concept artist speaks to Dominic Carter about staying open to ideas and the value of drawing regularly
Slawek Fedorczuk
Dominic Carter talks to the concept artist about what keeps him motivated and the advantages of using physical sketchbooks.
Raquel M. Varela
Raquel is inspired by magic, fantasy and fairy tales. She loves designing female characters from distant worlds. \"My greatest reference is Loish's art, thanks to her I learned to draw the movement and fluidity I like to convey.\"
Estrela Lourenço
Estrela is a children's book author and illustrator. Her work is influenced by her background in character animation and storyboards for clients such as Cartoon Network, and she channels comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes.
Daria Widermanska
Daria, also known as Anako, has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Inspired by Disney and classic anime, she loves creating new characters and often finds that a single sketch can spark a unique story.
Allen Douglas
Allen has been painting professionally since 1994 for the publishing and gaming industries. Inspired by folklore, he distorts the size, relationships and environments of animals, and calls his paintings 'unusual wildlife'.
Thaddeus Robeck
Thaddeus has been drawing from the moment he could hold a pencil, but it was the 2020 lockdowns that gave him the time to focus on honing his skills.
DRAW FASCINATING SYMBOLIC ARTWORK
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First Impressions
The artist talks about his journey into the mythological world