About the artist..... |
About the artist..... |
Q. Your name is listed as K. S. Heller, what's your first name?
A. Karen or Kirin, I answer to both. Karen is my legal name, I use Kirin professionally.Q. Why do you use initials instead of you full name?
A. I use initials because believe it or not, there is another artist in the midwest named
Karen Stein-Heller.Q. Are you married? Have Kids?
A. Yes, I have been married for 15 years to Jeff, you'll see him working with me quite a
bit. I have two children, Kendall and Brooke, who also work with me and seem to
have more Renaissance costumes than I do!Q. What are you doing here?? (in regards to Renaissance Faires).
A. I was rather surprised to get this question right off the bat at my first Renaissance Faire,
and get this question a lot. Just because my medium is rather modern, my subject
matter is not. I also really love working in a place that feels like family, not some
cold remote office somewhere. Interacting with people, face to face, is like no other
experience, and at a Renaissance faire, is probably the most enjoyable work
environment I have ever been in.Q. How did you get started in art?
A. Probably since I picked up my first crayon. Though I have no formal art education, I
have worked in clay, glass etching, charcoals, oil pencils, watercolors and oil paints for
years. Art in all its forms just sucks me in, I can't seem to escape it like an addiction.Q. Why digital art?
A. Why not? There seems to be some private war I was unaware of until about a year
ago of traditional vs. digital art. As one who uses the medium, in my opinion
digital is simply traditional art done in a modern way. What many do not know, is that
I still work in Oil Paint and Acrylics on canvas, I just prefer digital media. I started
in this field one fateful Christmas, when my father got me a Wacom tablet and
stylus.Q. So the computer makes the art for you?
A. Contrary to popular belief, no computer has a "Make art" button. Simply put, if you
have no artistic talent, a computer or program can't fake that for you. Digital artwork
has its own unique learning curve that is no less difficult than learning how to Oil Paint
traditionally.Q. Are these manipulated Photographs?
A. No. However, I am a reference artist and often work from photographs as a
reference. There is a big difference between the two.Q. How exactly do you create you art?
A. This is an often asked question, and one hard to explain on the spot as it can get
complicated. This may get a little long winded, but I'll do my best to make it
short and sweet and clear cut.
My two main articles of equipment are an HP Pavilion, and a Wacom touch pad and stylus. Programs that I use vary on the piece I am working on, however all are done in Photoshop CS at one stage or another. Other programs I use include Poser 6, Bryce 5, Terragen, Apophesis, Gimp, and Sketchmaster.Q. You use Photoshop, do you use filters?My artwork is done in three distinct ways:
1: Entirely 3-D. These images are complexly done in Poser, using 3-D model figures, which are rendered out. Some of these images can take dozens and dozens (we're talking weeks) of man hours. Anyone who has used this program will tell you, it requires a huge amount of patience and painstaking care to mimic reality. Once rendered, the image goes straight into Photoshop, where things like contrast and levels are corrected. However, even on my entirely rendered work, I am compelled always to paint the hair and the eyes..... 3-D programs just can't seem to capture the life of those.
2: Half and half. These images start out in a 3-D program, only for the human or other main element. Instead of rendering the image in 3-D, they are rendered in sketch only format, giving me the sketch of the figure in great detail and clarity. This is where photo reference comes in, as the image is placed in Photoshop, and using the stylus it is hand painted (digitally) with either air brush, oils or watercolor. The reference photos are kept to the side so I can judge softness, lighting, colors and other details.
3: Fully hand done. On a blank digital canvas in photoshop, using the Wacom I will sketch out a figure, using a photo for reference (though sometimes sketches come out of my head with no reference at all). This sketch is then run through Sketchmaster, which cleans up any fuzzy lines and clarifies the sketch to better work with. The Image, from start to finish is completely done using only the Wacom stylus.
A. Simply put, yes. I would be crazy not to, considering they are in my arsenal. Just as a
traditional painter has their box of tools, so do I. I don't use filters to make an image,
however I do use them to enhance one or fix levels and contrast if required.Q. Do you use specialty brushes?
A. Yes. If I paint something and its really good, I will save that item as a brush to be used
later. One of the true gifts of digital, is the elimination of repetitive processes, so that
creativity takes center stage.Q. Where do you get your models?
A. I have been extremely fortunate at my abundance of models. For 3-D work I don't
use models at all, except occasionally for a pose and its reality to the human form.
Otherwise, Deviant-art has been my friend, as there are thousands of models, who
offer their photos, free of charge. Digital Paintings such as Fairy Music and Oracle
of Delphi were from these free open source repositories. The only sad part about this,
is that I do not know them personally...... however if I should meet them, they are
more than welcome to free copies of the painting that showcases themselves.My second source for models is Renaissance faires themselves. I often ask those
patrons in extraordinary costumes if they would pose for me, and eagerly snap their
picture for reference. I always gain these persons contact information, so that if I do
paint them they are among the first to see it, and are offered free prints of it, of course.
Considering my love of Renaissance Faires, and their patrons, I find being able to
include them, personally, in the creative process extremely rewarding.Q. Do you send your work out to a print house?
A. No. All of my prints are printed in house, by myself.Q. Are your frames made in the U.S.A.?
A. Yes...... mostly. A framer I am not, my skill is in artwork, therefore I make sure my
prints are housed in excellent frames, particularly made in America. However, once
in a while I will come across an amazing antique frame, but cannot sadly know its
source due to its age. The only frames I have that are not made in America, would
be these. Some frames are with glass, other plexiglass, it depends on what lot I
am purchasing from. Both kinds have their distinct advantages and disadvantages.Q. What paper and inks do you use?
A. I had until around a year ago used Kodak paper, and though excellent I have upgraded
to a higher humidity paper, Luminosity. All paper is Matte finish, as glosses or semi can
stick un-prettily to glass in frame housing and to archival protectors. I only use HP
Vivera high pigment inks, most costly, but worth it.(Sadly, Luminosity has discontinued this paper, the bums! I now use HP Heavyweight professional water resist).
Q. Do you give digital art lessons?
A. Sometimes. I haven't in a while due to time restraints currently, but hope to do so again
in the future.Q. If I see you at a show, will you be giving demonstrations?
A. Yes and no. Having a computer and LCD with me at a Renaissance Faire isn't
exactly fitting in the theme. However, weather and work help permitted, I do give
live demonstrations of Acrylic on Canvas Landscapes. I only do Acrylic
demonstrations, as clean up on site is difficult, and, many in the population are very
sensitive to the fumes from paint thinners and the paints themselves. Also, as many
faires have children as patrons, and I only have two eyes, I feel safer with the
Acrylics as my option in case a child inadvertently gets a hold of any of it. The
downside is that if I am alone with no helper, Acrylics have too fast a drying time for
me to do demonstrations at that time.Q. Can I take a lot of time in your shop?
A. All the time you need. One of my greatest pleasures is pleasing people, and having
patrons enjoy my artwork. I have never, and will never, remove someone in my
booth for just looking. My only suggestion if taking a long time to browse, to be
mindful of others also trying to look as well, such as keeping the entrance clear and
the sales area.
I treat my shop much as a gallery, and am happy to give you the space and time you
would like to have a good look around. I am more than willing to chat, and engage
in idle banter, but am also accommodating if you wish to just browse quietly and
undisturbed.Q. I purchased a print, and there's something wrong with it, will you fix it?
A. Absolutely. I really want patron's happy with their purchases, and am very willing
to correct any problems. I will replace prints with a flaw such as a printing malfunction,
(such as an ink sputter on the paper in an odd section), or other such production
flaws. Careful as I am about my stock, occasionally something slips past me and I am
more than happy to correct it.That said, be aware I will not replace damages due to mishandling of the print, such as
being crushed, torn, or rained on once in your possession. (Though I have been known
once in a while to replace a beloved print due to some freak of nature/other person
when it happens on the day of purchase at the faire... such as getting hit with an errant
water balloon/someone knocking them over/tripped in the mud). I also do not replace
frames. All frames are sold as is, and my prices reflect this. Usually any frame damage
is noted by myself before the public would ever notice it, and the price will be clearly
marked down due to it.Q. I want to take a photo of your art for my own enjoyment.....
A. Then be very prepared to have an angry artist in your hands. Basically a personal photo
of original artwork is a theft of a copy. Do NOT do this. I can't stress this enough. It costs
a lot of money to be at shows, artists do not get in for free to sell. If people photograph and
do not purchase, we can no longer afford to be at that venue. Its that simple.
Q. I purchased a small print, can I scan it and reprint it larger/use on my website/ make
a myspace background with it?
A. No. No. No. I used to be really nice about letting purchasers use my artwork for
small personal use items, however this is no longer the case. I have spent more than two years
tracking down two individuals, one, selling my work as their own, and another making 5,000
free my-space backgrounds and suing them, that I no longer do this.
I hope this answers most questions about me. If you have a question not answered here, do not hesitate to email me at tiari@aol.com!