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Spraygraphic Interview with Artist Tobias Tak
By Spraygraphic | April 28, 2008
Spraygraphic Interview with Tobias Tak
SG: Please tell us about yourself?
TT: I first did comics in Holland a while ago, then started a career as a jazz-tap-dancer and jazz vocalist. But now I’m passionately back into drawing comic-strips and I’m creating a series of longer stories (’graphic novels’), starring the same characters.
SG: Where do you currently live and work?
TT: In London. I also spend a lot of time in Amsterdam and some in New York, but then I take my work with me.
SG: What mediums do you work with?
TT: I draw on very good German paper with drawing ink and old-fashioned nips (dip-in drawing pens); for coloring I use watercolor and color pencils.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
TT: For most stories I write a story line first. (Often starting from sketches and drawn ideas). First I discuss the story with actor/writer/composer Marc Forde who also helps with creating some of the dialogue and text editing. After I’ve made some very rough and quick sketches of each scene in little notebooks, I sketch the first page: a very rough and then a finer pencil sketch, followed by the inking. (I do one page at the time.) When the whole story is completed in pen and ink I will start the painting of each image in watercolor. Then I will add a very thin layer of color pencil on top for ’special effects’. For "the House of Pamplemousse" I got help from journalist/writer Paul Gravett - he gave some constructive criticism, (notes and comments). Following his advice I added two whole pages to the story. Sometimes I rework an old story like I’m doing right now with "The Ninth Daily Mirror’. I completed this one in 2005, and then realized the story needed ‘more’. I started adding to the story and now I’m drawing extra ’scenes’ adding up to a total of about 60 more pages: The final story probably will be 125 pages long.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
TT: Well… I start out with a lot of worrying and thinking. Then when that’s finally over I start sketching (sometimes mindlessly) and usually ideas will come and weird little creatures start walking in on my drawing paper. From that new ideas maybe born…
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
TT: Normally from everything I see or read. I watch a lot of movies including early animation from the 1920s and 30s, like Betty Boop . Always found inspiration in Victorian and early 1900’s illustrations like those of Arthur Rackham , Aubrey Beardsley , John R. Neill , John Tenniel , Harry Clarke and Dulac . Also get inspired by going to museums and seeing paintings and drawings there…And I read a lot of fairy tales too!
SG: Can you tell us a little about your recent publication, "The House of Pamplemousse."
TT: "The House of Pamplemousse" hasn’t been published yet, but hopefully will be this year, I’m working on that. My recent publications are short stories like in LeGun 4 , Hotwire 2 , Sean Duffield’s "War" anthology, Blurred Vision 4, Danny Hellman ’s "Typhon".
The House of Pamplemousse is the first of a series of graphic novels with the wizard Gaboon in the main role. He isn’t that good a magician and often bungles the job, but his very glamorous friend Schlenzy often gets him out of the mess he’s in. In the Pamplemousse story Gaboon finds himself trapped in a mysterious House and he can only escape when he solves a riddle. The riddles comes in four seasonal parts, and he has for chances to solve it- he has 4 adventures, one in each season, starting with the Spring-time… In this story I took elements of classic and archetypal fairy-tales, but gave them a surreal and wacky twist. The follow-up story is "The Ninth Daily Mirror", in which Gaboon finds out about a magical land behind all mirrors where little fellows, the so-called mirrorguards, watch over our reflections. Because when your reflection (your second self) gets stolen, you will lose yourself and your soul…
SG: Do you have a favorite character you like to draw?
TT: Gaboon is fun to draw because of the shape of his head, but I also like Schlenzy because she is very glamorous… I also really love drawing little funny side characters or weird guys who have nothing to do with the actual story, but they just wonder about the landscape and sometimes make little comments…
SG: Can you tell us a little about "The Ninth Daily Mirror"
TT: The Ninth Daily Mirror will hopefully be completed this autumn…For the third story in the series I will use one I’ve
drawn before called "Mombah the Witch". Mombah is extremely jealous of Schlenzy and the lifelong enemy of Gaboon…Some of it I did a long time ago and it needs re-doing…The fourth story is only a script, waiting desperately to be drawn!
SG: Where has your work been seen?
TT: In anthologies mainly, like Hotwire 2, Blood Orange 1, 2 and 4, Lorna Miller ’s "Witch" part 3, Tante Leny, LeGun 1,2,3,and 4, Legal Action Comics 2. I also published two stories with Gaboon, Schlenzy and Gaboon’s kooky cousin Klazeena, this book has the title "Upside Down" and is still available…
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
TT: Doing more graphic novels in color.. maybe illustrating an amazing book like Philip Pullman ’s Northern Lights…
SG: What is your favorite color?
TT: Very deep red like the lipstick of Marlene Dietrich in her film "The Garden of Allah" 1936
SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?
TT: I have many favorites, my very favorite is sometimes a different one.. right now, I think it’s Winsor McCay (of Little Nemo)
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
TT: Isabel Allende ’s "Ines of my soul"
SG: Ever do a self portrait? Where is it now?
TT: Yes I did portrait of myself once… it’s somewhere in Holland in an attic full of cobwebs, near the coffin in which I used to sleep.
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
TT: My dream-cloud…Also:forests and beautiful parks.
SG: Any final words of advice?
TT: Well…Follow your dreams… sometimes they may become reality. Stay on a clear path considering your dream and don’t wander off into the little side alleyways where the nasty goblins live…And oh: Be aware of those evil dream-stealers!! They’re everywhere nowadays…
ART: 1. Cover for The 9th Daily Mirror, 2-8 from House of Pamplemousse
Topics: Artist Interviews, International-Art, Pencil Drawings, Toys and Comics |
