|
Q1.
Christa: Can you tell us a bit about yourself: Who you are and what you do in your daily life?
Gina: I am Gina Pitkanen aka Ravnheart. I am 38 and from the US but I have been living in Finland for the last 4 years. I married Janne Pitkanen aka ToxicAngel and moved here. We have also formed a company together called Inferi Art, this is a portfolio of our professional work. Since coming here I have found a inner peace and my work advanced to a higher level. Most people think that my nick name stands for having a black heart, this is not what my nick name stands for. I am part Cherokee Indian and really love ravens. So my nick name stands for having the heart of a Raven :)
Q2.
Christa: Which software packages and/or traditional tools do you use for your artwork?
Gina: I used to work mainly with charcoal traditional materials then I started working with pastels on suede doing portraits. I moved to doing digital art several years ago and now use Photoshop for all my 2D work and Poser for my 3D work.
Q3.
Christa: Do you remember the first time you knew you wanted to be an artist?
Gina: Since I could hold a pen I was always doodling. The first time I knew I wanted to be an artist I was in 3rd grade. I will never forget it, I was sitting in class and it hit me that all I wanted to be was an artist. I even drew pictures for the class to use to color on :)
Q4.
Christa: Did you attend a formal art school?
Gina: No, I never did attend a formal art school, though I did have some fantastic teachers that saw I was a little more advanced and worked with me on the side to advance my skills. My last High School teacher I had (Mrs. Mckelevy) was fantastic in helping me really advance with portraits. Q5.
Christa: Can you tell us a bit of the way you work on your art?
Gina: Actually I am in the process of writing a tutorial on painting portraits and this includes photo realistic painting. When I start on a painting, I first sketch out the image and then, using a mid tone color, paint in the whole area. I then paint in the general shadows on the image. After getting the general shadows I add in the highlights. This gives a good base for the image. I then start adding the details for the shadows and then the highlights. I do this for the face first then the clothing, finally moving to the hair. The last thing I do is the background on the image.
Q6.
Christa: Do you have a favorite piece of your own artwork and if so why?
Gina: Hmm, that's a hard one. I think I am like most artists, very critical of my own art. Usually after finishing it I see all the flaws in it. There are several images that have special meanings for me. The Nightwish portraits (Highest Hopes inner Booklet) which was my first work of a CD. For the Sake of Revenge (Sonata Arctica) CD cover and even went gold. Arctic Beauty because it was published in Exotique 2. Though each image I paint has some sort of special meaning to me. So really each one is special in its own way.
|
|
|
Marco - Nightwish |
Artic beauty |
Q7.
Christa: Who or what would you describe as having the most influences on your work/ style?
Gina: First I would have to say my husband Janne Pitkanen aka ToxicAngel :) He has been a huge influence and a wonderful teacher. Others would be Lee Bogle, Maija, Vallejo, Luis Royo, and many others. Great art is always enjoyable to view.
Q8.
Christa: Is there a painting or illustration out there in the world you wish you had painted/ created?
Gina: Hehhe oh yeah, any fantastic image I see :)
Q9.
Christa: What is your goal as an artist?
Gina: To be more well known for my artwork :)
Q10.
Christa: How important is your online portfolio for you as an artist?
Gina: My website has been amazing to bring my art to so many people around the world. Thanks to Janne (ToxicAngel) who created my beautiful website, I have a place to share my art and photos. Over the years I have been doing digital art I have noticed more and more visitors to my site. Thanks to this I have been approached by various clients and fans about my work. I am now also doing photo shoots for Bands here in Finland since showing my photos online.
Q11.
Christa: When browsing you online gallery I noticed that you paint mainly human characters and animals. Is there a special reason for this?
Gina: I think that is because I paint what I really enjoy. I have always loved drawing faces and especially the eyes. To see an eye come to life by painting it is always very enjoyable. I am also a huge animal lover and I am very soft hearted.
Q12.
Christa: The colors in your art work always look very rich and warm. Can you tell us some more about the way you choose the colors?
Gina: I have always been attracted to deep rich colors. I try and pick colors that I find eye catching and that I enjoy myself.
Q13.
Christa: Your skin and hair are also always looking perfect. Do you use a special technique or custom brushes to paint skin and hair?
Gina: Actually I use the default brushes in Photoshop and use a wacom tablet. I had lots of practice painting skin when I used pastels which I think helped a lot, also ToxicAngel taught me so much when painting hair.
|
|
Albus Dumbledore |
Severus Snape |
14.
Christa: On your website you also show your 3D art and photography. Do you prefer to use on above another sometimes and if so why?
Gina: It really depends on my mood at the time :) Though of all of them I prefer 2D art, there is so much more enjoyment in painting 2D images.
Q15.
Christa: Can you name a career highlight?
Gina: My first cover for a CD and DVD for Sonata Arctica. That was a really exciting moment for me :)
Q16.
Christa: Can you tell us where you are currently working on?
Gina: Right now I am working on a tutorial on how I paint my portraits which includes photo realism. A few months ago myself and my husband finished a huge project for Nightwish, for the CD Poet and the Pendulum.
 |
Nightwish |
Q17.
Christa: Do have tips for beginning digital artists?
Gina: Practice, practice, practice :) Don't be afraid to try new things.
Q18.
Christa: Besides 2Dvalley.com, which other graphic sites do you visit regularly?
Gina: I also spend A lot of time at Renderosity.
Q19.
Christa: Is their something you can't work without?
Gina: Oh yeah! I must have Dr Pepper, music or audio books, and my best tool ever, my Intuos 2 A4 tablet :)
 |
|
Inferi |
Snake eyes |
Q20.
Christa: What do you do when you are not working or creating something?
Gina: Well it really depends on the mood I'm in, though one of my favorite pastimes is video games :P
Christa: Thanks for your time and the interview Gina!
 Click here to visit Gina's gallery album
Click here to visit Gina's website
Click here for interviews with other artists
|
