Nik Ainley is a UK based illustrator who produces both personal and commissioned work. He taught himself Photoshop in his spare time while gaining a degree in physics at the Imperial College in London. He enjoyed Photoshop so much he decided to move full time into design and illustration. Nik is constantly trying to further his expertise in digital media, and won't stop until he has mastered all the tools he needs to fully realise his ideas. He was listed as one of the "Top 10 up-and-coming creative talents of 2006" by Computer Arts magazine, and later as "the Computer Arts artist of the moment." Nik was gracious enough to take time from his busy schedule for Architecture Caribbean to interview him. Hope you enjoy!
Architecture Caribbean: What about graphic arts excites you? Nik Ainley (Shinybinary): I think it is really something fundamental, something I feel in my bones. When I'm creating a picture, I can get obsessed, and spend hours working without realizing how much time has passed. When a picture is really working, you can just feel it, and the hardest thing to do know when to stop.
AC: Who are your favorite graphic artists and what do you admire about their work? NA: I love so much work I see, that it would be unfair to pick out anyone in particular. Generally everything I like is digital in some respect. From full 3D work, to digital painting, I really like computer generated work.
Lush
Nik Ainley (Shinybinary)
AC: It was difficult to pick 5 favorite pieces. I loved them all, but I had to choose. Can you tell us a bit about the following pieces? Lush? NA: This was for an annual project called Desktopography, which releases
nature themed computer wallpapers. I had the idea of blending a figure
in with a landscape, as though they were gigantic and within a few hours
had a basic version of the final image, which is pretty fast for me. I
then wanted to add some more 'painted' details, and decided that it was
a great opportunity to collaborate with a friend of mine, Jerico
Santander, who is an expert at that sort of thing. I handed the image to
him and he did even more than I had hoped. We bounced it back and forth
between us for a while before reaching the final picture.
Fluid
Nik Ainley (Shinybinary)
AC: Fluid NA: I was asked to do a tutorial for Digital Arts magazine on photo blending techniques. Literally the first thing that came to mind was to blend photos of water to make a person. It's actually quite a simple picture because of the space limit I had for writing the tutorial. Unfortunately, I chose an image of a man from a set of photos that were actually incredibly popular, and have since seen unbelievable numbers of pictures based on similar photos. If I did it again I would chose a different photo I think, I prefer my work to be more unique.
The Unbearable lightness of being
Nik Ainley (Shinybinary)
AC: The unbearable lightness of being NA:
I spend a lot of time just collecting images, including lots of very old scans from old texts and illustrations. I got hold of some old medical illustrations and blended many of them together to create this, adding other elements in to give it a more modern look. I really want to create some more pictures like this at some point.
Alienation
Nik Ainley (Shinybinary)
AC: Alienation NA:This was a very quick picture to make actually. I found a great photo of a woman wearing a gas mask type device. I had the title and feel of the picture before I started, and this photo fitted perfectly. From there it was just an exercise in adding texture and atmosphere.
Stranger
Nik Ainley (Shinybinary)
AC: Stranger NA:
Although I haven't done for a while, I used to do gruesome photomanipulations for the fun of it. It indulged my childish side, and is actually a great exercise in photo blending. This is the last one I did, and is definitely the best technically although quite a lot more restrained than the previous ones.
AC: If you could offer only one bit of advice to an up and comer, what would it be? NA: Enjoy what you do, and you will become better without trying. If you have to force it, it might not be the right thing for you.
AC: What do you think about Architecture Caribbean’s goal to highlight Visual Arts and Architecture in the Caribbean and other parts of the world? NA: I think anyone promoting and highlighting visual arts is a great thing. I have to say I have very little knowledge of architecture myself, but I do love great looking buildings, so that is great too.
Architecture Caribbean would like to thank Nik for taking the time to chat with us. We look forward to staying in touch and staying abreast of his new projects. Thanks again Nik!
