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Interview officially published in Space-Revived ! You may read it here or in my journal
Thanks to for all the questions!

1. Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself.

Hello, everyone! I am a professional, certified artist from Russia, who has worked for the games and cinema industry for more than 10 years. Since 2012, I have been developing my own project called “Spiritus The Universe”, as well as running the “Epic Space” series. Alongside this, I also illustrate sci-fi books and create resources for other artists. In addition, I am a volunteer supporting people on the DeviantArt. Part of my help account for articles and lessons.

2. Why space art?

I always had the drive for the unknown outside of our world. It can be said that I had a love for the cosmos from birth. The direction gives an unlimited scope of imagination and this is one of the main reasons for my choice.

3. What space-related fact or phenomena is most fascinating to you at the moment?

One simple understanding of the fact that space is a colossal, boundless, and infinite space can’t fail to impress. I was always struck by the scale of the universe and things that go beyond the bounds of our understanding. And the more mankind learns about the cosmos, the more inspiration I get. The year 2017 definitely was rich in astronomical events. I was able to observe the eclipse and it was fantastic! It is difficult to single out something concrete. I am inspired by any achievements of NASA.

4. Digital or Traditional?

Definitely, they are both. I’ve been working for a long time as a digital artist, trying numerous techniques and, eventually, came to the conclusion that for the best result, it’s necessary to combine everything (depending on the project). I also found that the best cosmic nebulae are obtained from abstractions made from conventional materials in traditional. The concept of the “TANORRA” planet was made on the basis of sand and water at all.

5. Would you mind telling us what kinds of tools you use, how you use them and your thoughts on them overall?

My main tools are Photoshop, Cinema4D, Zbrush, Maya, and a few more. A full list of the programs used can be found in my profile on Artstation in “About”. I use Wacom Intuos Pro M as a graphic tablet. Apart from these, I also use the materials and resources of my own production: textures, photos from observatories, 3D simulations, brushes, etc.

6. How would you describe your art style, in your own words?

This is a vivid hybrid of semi-realism with realism. In fact, I always strive for the second one, but the desires of customers and the market require me to brighten the picture. Working for “Spiritus The Universe”, I still try to stick to realism in the concepts.

7. Walk us through your process, from concept to finished piece.

It’s generally accepted that everything starts with an idea. But it also happens that I have no ideas and I just take an abstraction (photo, texture, etc.) and start to “mock” it. I’m kidding. I experiment with it until something interesting begins to appear. After that, I bring it to mind, add the final details, and publish it on the web. There’s also the method of a “blind technique” when I draw with my eyes closed. I create concepts of characters and environments from abstractions and images. This is a very popular way to work on “The Spiritus”.

If we talk about the traditional approach, then yes, everything really starts with an idea. At first, you need to imagine the future picture, then make sketches, choose the most ideal, and begin to work through. I’ll give an example of how the “+ REAPER +” scene was created.

1) Since the task was to make the spacecraft concept, I started with modeling in Zbrush. After making the model, I sent it to render in Keyshot. In the same place, I set up the most interesting foreshortening. The idea was that the ship would go out of the shadow zone into the light.

2) I sent the render received to Photoshop and then picked up the basis for the background. I really liked one of the NASA images, and I decided to use it as a basis.

3) After working on the background, I began to add additional objects, details, effects, and light. All planets and meteorites were also modeled in 3D. I usually create planets in Cinema4D. I also can pre-render special effects in programs for creating fractals.

4) The final assembly looks like this:

8. Any upcoming projects you are excited about?

As for the upcoming ones, I don’t know, but I already have the long-term construction “The Spiritus” aforementioned. There is one character in it, the concept of which I’ve been working on for more than 3 years. Also, I have plans to make a whole series of pirate spacecrafts. The project is really huge, and I think it will become my main one for the coming years.

9. What is the hardest part about what you do?

The most difficult is the right combination of techniques and the creation of a harmonious picture. This is especially important in large stages, which can take more than one week. Also, the main thing is to balance the accents and details.

10. What is the best, or most enjoyable, part about making space art?

This’s the absolute freedom of imagination. Since outer space is often represented by abstract forms and there are no superstrict rules in the depiction of nebulae, I feel myself unlimited in ideas. Of course, nobody canceled the laws of physics, but, on the whole, creating beautiful abstractions is quite a fun experience. Sometimes it’s even a part of my “rest”.

11. In what areas are you still trying to improve?

Improved rendering skills of smoke simulations in 3D programs. Due to the constant workload of clients’ projects, I always do not have enough time to thoroughly study this direction. But definitely this is my #1 goal in the future, since I see in it a huge potential.

12. Any tips for new space artists?

I would advise beginners to always start from the base. You can correctly and competently move on only after studying the basics. Despite the fact that the outer space is abstract, the artist still must follow certain rules in order to best convey the idea to the viewer. Well, then you can combine different techniques and try something new.

13. Have you done any tutorials, on site or off?

Yes, you can find a couple of lessons from the “making of” category and a PDF guide to drawing nebulae in my gallery. In the future, I will definitely publish video lessons. A few of them have long been planned and will be implemented as soon as possible.

14. Which of your works are you most proud of?

You know, these will be published in the future. Because of the work, I can’t do my best in every picture I made for myself. And the orders are often limited by the budget. However, there are things that I really like. For example, “+To the Infinity+”, “+ANCIENT GOD+”, “+TANORRA+”, “+EYAO+”, and “Epic Space: Flame”. Probably, I’ll highlight “+To the Infinity+” among them, because I can look at it forever. It is both enigmatic and inspiring.

15. What, in your opinion, is your most underrated piece of artwork?

You know, strangely enough, but “+TANORRA+” and “+EYAO+” are my best concepts on planets, but on DeviantArt, they’ve been received very little attention and I had to leave them on Artstation. Probably, I’ll make new versions in the future, but already taking into account the audience’s preferences for dA. This is just the case when the more vivid art is “sold” more successfully than one done in realism.

16. Which other space artists inspire you?

Oh... Everyone inspires me. It’s hard to single out someone specific, but I’ve always really liked the works of cosmicspark and artists from Mass Effect, especially from ME4.

17. Any last words?

I always repeat it to beginners and I will say it again: drawing is just a skill. All the great artists once did not know how. Much more important is not how qualitatively you know how to render, but what you put in your work. Never run after other artists, go your own way. Do what you like, and skills can always be hone. The level comes only with experience.

Interview for Gallery4design.netThank you so much to :icongallery4design: for all questions! Well, the interview is not published on their site yet but I would like to share it with you guys in anyway!
1. Did you take any drawing or art classes to develop your style?

First of all, I would like to welcome all who read this .
In the distant past, I started as a self-taught person, but one day, when I took part in one very serious competition, I was given to clearly understand that it was necessary to go somewhere to study. Otherwise, I’ll doom myself to a very slow growth. Then, I decided to go to the Realtime School, the school of computer graphics. After going there a few courses, I had switched to online training, gaining knowledge already from foreign instructors. My last class was a course in CGMA. However, I can hardly be called a diligent student : ). I had always given a hard training in the group. I had always sought to realism, but the diploma received had a serious impact the quality of my p Christmas Game! - WINNERS!!! So the winning numbers are... 11, 3 and 45. Congratulations to :iconsilver-onyxx:, :iconzureimen70: and :iconKhalidtawfik:! Prizes will be sent very soon!
Win the premium brushes with tutorials, resources and be featured on my page! All what you need is make a repost of this journal!

The rules:
1. To join just create a journal entry, tell about this game and give the link on it.
2. Leave a comment with the link on your journal. I'll give you the membership number.
3. If you want to increase your chances of victory then make repost of this game on Facebook, twitter, tumblr or Google+ and leave the links on it in the comments. For each repost I will give you an additional membership number.
*One member can receive only 5 membership numbers.
*Winners will be chosen by random number generator.
Prizes Where to begin? Where to go? [EN]Great! You chose art and decided to become an artist. Do you feel that you don’t know which area to go to? In 2D, 3D, etc.? And maybe, you can grab everything at once? But what about the mentors? How and where to learn it? And, most importantly, how long? Let’s do it in order!
This article was inspired by one personal message. Thanks to its author!
Art without borders
First, you have to get acquainted with different directions and, if possible, to probe each of them. Look at the time lapses of artists, high-speed video with modeling, how special effects are created, etc. You must have a clear understanding of what you are drawn to. You need to decide on the goal and what you want to become.
For example, many draw in 2D simply because it gives them a joy. Someone else at the same time manages to make a lot of money on his hobby. This is the case when the “useful is combined with the pleasant”.
One can write a lot on the definition and goal Why is it important to learn the basics?    When I was a beginner in drawing, I terribly hated everything connected with the basics. Especially the anatomy of people. It seemed to me boring and uninteresting, I wanted to paint only what I liked, even if it was above my level of mastership. Today I will talk about HOW important basics are for the beginner artist.
    Very often, we can see on the Internet, as the beginners are literally bombarded with criticism from complete strangers. Those are not always professionals and often do not even have an idea how to work. Such people may infect with anything. They may drive the beginners into depression, cause aggression, and offend the beginner whose pride does not allow him to admit his own mistakes. However! There were only separate cases. In contrast to them, I have met alternative situation, when the critics were very polite, courteous, friendly, and the beginner artists understood their level and had a fantastic patience. There is a th The cure from envy    Perhaps this feeling is familiar to us all. The Internet is full of places where people literally sprinkle poison. The phrase: “a neighbor grass is always greener” appeared for a reason. People often do not try to understand the success of others, believing that they got it “accidentally” or “very easy”. In their understanding, others do not deserve to live better than they do. It is the reason for envy.
    I've seen many examples when the beginners, who grew up in a real professional could lose some of their friends. Friends began to envy him terribly, despise them, tell nasty things about them behind their back. Of course, those “friends” did not seek to develop their skills and were stuck in the category of trolls. Such people never think what the price for success was.
    In order to achieve something, I had to invest in myself constantly, spend all the money on my stud How to become popular. Part I    Beginner freelancers and simple artists in general, often ask me about how to achieve popularity. Popularity helps people to become famous, earn good money and creatively realize themselves. It's for the main part. But do not confuse “popularity” and “earnings”. You may be a popular artist but have absolutely no income.
    Consider simple, free and low-budget methods of promotion on the example of Deviantart. Some of them can be adapted for other social networks. Here are 4 recipes I tested:
    Recipe 1 - Guaranteed
    1-A. Make a “viral” fanart of the most popular universes (Star Wars, Pokemon, Game of Thrones, etc.). The term “viral” is taken from advertising. Its task is to cause a strong reaction from the viewer. It can contain either a funny story, either story that will surprise the audience. For example, on Devianta How to become a popular. Part II [EN]What is popularity? This is in demand. It’s fame. When thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people know about you. And even more.
Popularity is when you are physically unable to respond to the tons of messages that come to you every minute.
Popularity is when thousands of people crave your attention, and you don’t have time to listen to each one catastrophically.
We can enumerate to infinity.
In a word, it’s a pain in the rear. No, it’s not all. There are pros and cons, but we’ll talk a little about the other.
“Rose-colored glasses”

The newbies, desperately eager to become a new sakimichan by any means, sometimes come across. They may not be able to draw, but they’ll dream of earning 100 thousand bucks, doing nothing. Such people will necessarily test all the “cheating” methods, some of which are set out in my articles. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is very naive. Sooner or later, How much costs artist's work? How to set prices?The most popular question asked by beginners in freelancing, is “how much to charge for my work?” If you haven't found an answer, then sit back!
Suppose you are doing well with the level of performance and your artwork is of interest to the public. How do you determine the prices on your artworks? Everything is very simple:
1. Count how much money you spend on living in a month. That is, how much you pay taxes, how much do you spend on food, medicine, clothes, and etc. The resulting figure is the minimum amount for your survival.
2. Add to it as much as you want to earn extra. But be realistic. A million dollars per month may only be a goal. You can’t earn that much at once. And hardly there are customers who can answer your appetites. Exceptions happen very rarely.
3. Let's say you need to earn $2,000 per month for a comfortable life. This means that you need to do 4 orders for $500 or 20 orders for $100. It all depends on the quality of pe

Join to official page "Spiritus The Universe "!

New — Description

Interview officially published in Space-Revived ! You may read it here or in my journal
Thanks to for all the questions!

1. Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself.

Hello, everyone! I am a professional, certified artist from Russia, who has worked for the games and cinema industry for more than 10 years. Since 2012, I have been developing my own project called “Spiritus The Universe”, as well as running the “Epic Space” series. Alongside this, I also illustrate sci-fi books and create resources for other artists. In addition, I am a volunteer supporting people on the DeviantArt. Part of my help account for articles and lessons.

2. Why space art?

I always had the drive for the unknown outside of our world. It can be said that I had a love for the cosmos from birth. The direction gives an unlimited scope of imagination and this is one of the main reasons for my choice.

3. What space-related fact or phenomena is most fascinating to you at the moment?

One simple understanding of the fact that space is a colossal, boundless, and infinite space can’t fail to impress. I was always struck by the scale of the universe and things that go beyond the bounds of our understanding. And the more mankind learns about the cosmos, the more inspiration I get. The year 2017 definitely was rich in astronomical events. I was able to observe the eclipse and it was fantastic! It is difficult to single out something concrete. I am inspired by any achievements of NASA.

4. Digital or Traditional?

Definitely, they are both. I’ve been working for a long time as a digital artist, trying numerous techniques and, eventually, came to the conclusion that for the best result, it’s necessary to combine everything (depending on the project). I also found that the best cosmic nebulae are obtained from abstractions made from conventional materials in traditional. The concept of the “TANORRA” planet was made on the basis of sand and water at all.

5. Would you mind telling us what kinds of tools you use, how you use them and your thoughts on them overall?

My main tools are Photoshop, Cinema4D, Zbrush, Maya, and a few more. A full list of the programs used can be found in my profile on Artstation in “About”. I use Wacom Intuos Pro M as a graphic tablet. Apart from these, I also use the materials and resources of my own production: textures, photos from observatories, 3D simulations, brushes, etc.

6. How would you describe your art style, in your own words?

This is a vivid hybrid of semi-realism with realism. In fact, I always strive for the second one, but the desires of customers and the market require me to brighten the picture. Working for “Spiritus The Universe”, I still try to stick to realism in the concepts.

7. Walk us through your process, from concept to finished piece.

It’s generally accepted that everything starts with an idea. But it also happens that I have no ideas and I just take an abstraction (photo, texture, etc.) and start to “mock” it. I’m kidding. I experiment with it until something interesting begins to appear. After that, I bring it to mind, add the final details, and publish it on the web. There’s also the method of a “blind technique” when I draw with my eyes closed. I create concepts of characters and environments from abstractions and images. This is a very popular way to work on “The Spiritus”.

If we talk about the traditional approach, then yes, everything really starts with an idea. At first, you need to imagine the future picture, then make sketches, choose the most ideal, and begin to work through. I’ll give an example of how the “+ REAPER +” scene was created.

1) Since the task was to make the spacecraft concept, I started with modeling in Zbrush. After making the model, I sent it to render in Keyshot. In the same place, I set up the most interesting foreshortening. The idea was that the ship would go out of the shadow zone into the light.

2) I sent the render received to Photoshop and then picked up the basis for the background. I really liked one of the NASA images, and I decided to use it as a basis.

3) After working on the background, I began to add additional objects, details, effects, and light. All planets and meteorites were also modeled in 3D. I usually create planets in Cinema4D. I also can pre-render special effects in programs for creating fractals.

4) The final assembly looks like this:

8. Any upcoming projects you are excited about?

As for the upcoming ones, I don’t know, but I already have the long-term construction “The Spiritus” aforementioned. There is one character in it, the concept of which I’ve been working on for more than 3 years. Also, I have plans to make a whole series of pirate spacecrafts. The project is really huge, and I think it will become my main one for the coming years.

9. What is the hardest part about what you do?

The most difficult is the right combination of techniques and the creation of a harmonious picture. This is especially important in large stages, which can take more than one week. Also, the main thing is to balance the accents and details.

10. What is the best, or most enjoyable, part about making space art?

This’s the absolute freedom of imagination. Since outer space is often represented by abstract forms and there are no superstrict rules in the depiction of nebulae, I feel myself unlimited in ideas. Of course, nobody canceled the laws of physics, but, on the whole, creating beautiful abstractions is quite a fun experience. Sometimes it’s even a part of my “rest”.

11. In what areas are you still trying to improve?

Improved rendering skills of smoke simulations in 3D programs. Due to the constant workload of clients’ projects, I always do not have enough time to thoroughly study this direction. But definitely this is my #1 goal in the future, since I see in it a huge potential.

12. Any tips for new space artists?

I would advise beginners to always start from the base. You can correctly and competently move on only after studying the basics. Despite the fact that the outer space is abstract, the artist still must follow certain rules in order to best convey the idea to the viewer. Well, then you can combine different techniques and try something new.

13. Have you done any tutorials, on site or off?

Yes, you can find a couple of lessons from the “making of” category and a PDF guide to drawing nebulae in my gallery. In the future, I will definitely publish video lessons. A few of them have long been planned and will be implemented as soon as possible.

14. Which of your works are you most proud of?

You know, these will be published in the future. Because of the work, I can’t do my best in every picture I made for myself. And the orders are often limited by the budget. However, there are things that I really like. For example, “+To the Infinity+”, “+ANCIENT GOD+”, “+TANORRA+”, “+EYAO+”, and “Epic Space: Flame”. Probably, I’ll highlight “+To the Infinity+” among them, because I can look at it forever. It is both enigmatic and inspiring.

15. What, in your opinion, is your most underrated piece of artwork?

You know, strangely enough, but “+TANORRA+” and “+EYAO+” are my best concepts on planets, but on DeviantArt, they’ve been received very little attention and I had to leave them on Artstation. Probably, I’ll make new versions in the future, but already taking into account the audience’s preferences for dA. This is just the case when the more vivid art is “sold” more successfully than one done in realism.

16. Which other space artists inspire you?

Oh... Everyone inspires me. It’s hard to single out someone specific, but I’ve always really liked the works of cosmicspark and artists from Mass Effect, especially from ME4.

17. Any last words?

I always repeat it to beginners and I will say it again: drawing is just a skill. All the great artists once did not know how. Much more important is not how qualitatively you know how to render, but what you put in your work. Never run after other artists, go your own way. Do what you like, and skills can always be hone. The level comes only with experience.

Interview for Gallery4design.netThank you so much to :icongallery4design: for all questions! Well, the interview is not published on their site yet but I would like to share it with you guys in anyway!
1. Did you take any drawing or art classes to develop your style?

First of all, I would like to welcome all who read this .
In the distant past, I started as a self-taught person, but one day, when I took part in one very serious competition, I was given to clearly understand that it was necessary to go somewhere to study. Otherwise, I’ll doom myself to a very slow growth. Then, I decided to go to the Realtime School, the school of computer graphics. After going there a few courses, I had switched to online training, gaining knowledge already from foreign instructors. My last class was a course in CGMA. However, I can hardly be called a diligent student : ). I had always given a hard training in the group. I had always sought to realism, but the diploma received had a serious impact the quality of my p Christmas Game! - WINNERS!!! So the winning numbers are... 11, 3 and 45. Congratulations to :iconsilver-onyxx:, :iconzureimen70: and :iconKhalidtawfik:! Prizes will be sent very soon!
Win the premium brushes with tutorials, resources and be featured on my page! All what you need is make a repost of this journal!

The rules:
1. To join just create a journal entry, tell about this game and give the link on it.
2. Leave a comment with the link on your journal. I'll give you the membership number.
3. If you want to increase your chances of victory then make repost of this game on Facebook, twitter, tumblr or Google+ and leave the links on it in the comments. For each repost I will give you an additional membership number.
*One member can receive only 5 membership numbers.
*Winners will be chosen by random number generator.
Prizes Where to begin? Where to go? [EN]Great! You chose art and decided to become an artist. Do you feel that you don’t know which area to go to? In 2D, 3D, etc.? And maybe, you can grab everything at once? But what about the mentors? How and where to learn it? And, most importantly, how long? Let’s do it in order!
This article was inspired by one personal message. Thanks to its author!
Art without borders
First, you have to get acquainted with different directions and, if possible, to probe each of them. Look at the time lapses of artists, high-speed video with modeling, how special effects are created, etc. You must have a clear understanding of what you are drawn to. You need to decide on the goal and what you want to become.
For example, many draw in 2D simply because it gives them a joy. Someone else at the same time manages to make a lot of money on his hobby. This is the case when the “useful is combined with the pleasant”.
One can write a lot on the definition and goal Why is it important to learn the basics?    When I was a beginner in drawing, I terribly hated everything connected with the basics. Especially the anatomy of people. It seemed to me boring and uninteresting, I wanted to paint only what I liked, even if it was above my level of mastership. Today I will talk about HOW important basics are for the beginner artist.
    Very often, we can see on the Internet, as the beginners are literally bombarded with criticism from complete strangers. Those are not always professionals and often do not even have an idea how to work. Such people may infect with anything. They may drive the beginners into depression, cause aggression, and offend the beginner whose pride does not allow him to admit his own mistakes. However! There were only separate cases. In contrast to them, I have met alternative situation, when the critics were very polite, courteous, friendly, and the beginner artists understood their level and had a fantastic patience. There is a th The cure from envy    Perhaps this feeling is familiar to us all. The Internet is full of places where people literally sprinkle poison. The phrase: “a neighbor grass is always greener” appeared for a reason. People often do not try to understand the success of others, believing that they got it “accidentally” or “very easy”. In their understanding, others do not deserve to live better than they do. It is the reason for envy.
    I've seen many examples when the beginners, who grew up in a real professional could lose some of their friends. Friends began to envy him terribly, despise them, tell nasty things about them behind their back. Of course, those “friends” did not seek to develop their skills and were stuck in the category of trolls. Such people never think what the price for success was.
    In order to achieve something, I had to invest in myself constantly, spend all the money on my stud How to become popular. Part I    Beginner freelancers and simple artists in general, often ask me about how to achieve popularity. Popularity helps people to become famous, earn good money and creatively realize themselves. It's for the main part. But do not confuse “popularity” and “earnings”. You may be a popular artist but have absolutely no income.
    Consider simple, free and low-budget methods of promotion on the example of Deviantart. Some of them can be adapted for other social networks. Here are 4 recipes I tested:
    Recipe 1 - Guaranteed
    1-A. Make a “viral” fanart of the most popular universes (Star Wars, Pokemon, Game of Thrones, etc.). The term “viral” is taken from advertising. Its task is to cause a strong reaction from the viewer. It can contain either a funny story, either story that will surprise the audience. For example, on Devianta How to become a popular. Part II [EN]What is popularity? This is in demand. It’s fame. When thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people know about you. And even more.
Popularity is when you are physically unable to respond to the tons of messages that come to you every minute.
Popularity is when thousands of people crave your attention, and you don’t have time to listen to each one catastrophically.
We can enumerate to infinity.
In a word, it’s a pain in the rear. No, it’s not all. There are pros and cons, but we’ll talk a little about the other.
“Rose-colored glasses”

The newbies, desperately eager to become a new sakimichan by any means, sometimes come across. They may not be able to draw, but they’ll dream of earning 100 thousand bucks, doing nothing. Such people will necessarily test all the “cheating” methods, some of which are set out in my articles. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is very naive. Sooner or later, How much costs artist's work? How to set prices?The most popular question asked by beginners in freelancing, is “how much to charge for my work?” If you haven't found an answer, then sit back!
Suppose you are doing well with the level of performance and your artwork is of interest to the public. How do you determine the prices on your artworks? Everything is very simple:
1. Count how much money you spend on living in a month. That is, how much you pay taxes, how much do you spend on food, medicine, clothes, and etc. The resulting figure is the minimum amount for your survival.
2. Add to it as much as you want to earn extra. But be realistic. A million dollars per month may only be a goal. You can’t earn that much at once. And hardly there are customers who can answer your appetites. Exceptions happen very rarely.
3. Let's say you need to earn $2,000 per month for a comfortable life. This means that you need to do 4 orders for $500 or 20 orders for $100. It all depends on the quality of pe

Join to official page "Spiritus The Universe "!