Kaminski: My first question is typically the same, but what made you pursue art? And in that vein, what KEEPS you pursuing it?


Neill: Hi, Mathew, and first of all thanks for taking the time to interview me. I'm usually on the other side of the interview chair with my podcast.

Art, for me, has been a lifelong thing and I've always enjoyed it. I used to sit around my parents house and sketch Teenage Ninja Turtles or He-Man in the hopes that one day I could be a "cartoonist", not knowing much about the industry. My career took a sleeping pill around eighteen when i left high school and didn't really know what I wanted to do. I knew I was passionate about games and so wanted to find a career somewhere in that world. I started out in college soon after, studying journalism as I had aspirations to become a game journalist, but soon after the course started my father told me of an engineering job coming up in the railway industry that paid good money and provided a decent education.

Some time passed (well a lot actually) and I was 27; I had been working in the railway for about ten years and mostly enjoyed it, but always did some creative projects on the side. I tried to make music videos for bands I played in. In some of them I was also as drummer or vocalist. I also made album covers with Photoshop and tried my hand at running a few YouTube channels for games. Each of these projects usually fizzled out, or I came across something new and shiny so I wanted to evolve each time. I guess i never felt challenged and standing still always bored me.



Just as Christmas 2010 was about to hit I was having more and more thoughts about leaving my job and pursuing some career outside of it that would make me happy. I actually began watching documentaries about art and making games - mostly Halo 3 and Gears of War and of course my favorite doc which was the Making of God of War 3. I had made up my mind. I then talked to my parents and my partner at the time and decided I was going to hand in my resignation as soon as possible. There was only one problem: I had to find a course with an art college before I could leave.

I managed to get an entry level course at a local college Forth Valley College (Shout out to Julie Parker for having faith in me). The course was very basic and I felt it wasn't 100% what I wanted to do. I worked through the years after that obtaining an NQ in Art then an NC in Art & Design and finally an HND in Visual Communication (the lecturers and staff were amazing! Shout out to Brian, Hannah, Dee, Staci, Steph and Pam).

After i finished my HND I was still hungry for more and didn't feel like I was staying true to my original vision of concept art. I looked into university's that would offer courses kind of related to the industry so i signed up for a B.SC (honors degree) in 3D animation and digital art. This course was good in the sense that it equipped me with some skills I still use today, mostly using 3D software like Maya and Substance Painter. I also learned about Axis Studios in Glasgow and found them online. During my third year, through networking events, I managed to get an internship with the Studio and helped with recruitment and admin tasks for the studio team whilst they were working on several cinematic projects. I recently graduated with honors and found myself in my first job with Red Essence Games working on Mask of Semblance. I contacted Nik about working on the game and after an art test I was offered a role as a junior artist also because of my networking skills I've been put in charge of their PR for the game.

What keeps me going really is always wanting to not let myself or my family down. My parents mean everything to me and they've afforded me so many opportunities and helped me so much along the way all I want to do is make them proud. I also want to have a sense of accomplishment in my work and my life, I would rather honestly be happy than rich and the people and artists around me always make me feel motivated and want to push forward constantly.

Kaminski: Incredible! The commitment to your education most likely shows through in your work ethic. Having multiple degrees myself, I share in the desire to constantly be pushing!

Looking through your work, your definitely portfolio driven! That being said, you touched somewhat on your journey through college and above, but what was your personal experience like? Do you have any advice either way on someone wanting to jump into the field following in your footsteps?

Neill: I definitely kinda covered this in the last question. I had training of sorts on the courses I attended, but at night I was always looking online at certain courses and other things I could do with my time. Especially when I hit university things like Learn Squared and Schoolism were really coming into their own, and of course I always looked at other artist's work on ArtStation and wondered where I was going wrong. I just really looked into things like artists Gumroad's and other tutorials I could get my hand on, plus there is already so much content online for free through YouTube!


Advice really is stuff I've now come to terms with MAKE ART THAT YOU LOVE! Honestly it's as simple as that. I looked at so many portfolios and other artists work and was always like, "If I make cool realistic sci-fi stuff like that I'm bound to get work!" But, every time I tried to be like someone else or copy their work to gain inspiration I wasn't being true to myself. What did I want to do? Where was my art going and how would I get there? These are questions I constantly asked myself during my journey. In the end, I make art that makes me excited and that makes me want to make art. When I tried to impersonate realistic stuff or photo bash I didn't feel whole and it made me not enjoy the process. I didn't want to learn or produce anything due to not enjoying it. Now I'm going back to my roots and trying to pump out daily studies from games like Hearthstone as well as working with Red Essence Games.

Kaminski: I can agree tenfold on the point of making art that you're personally invested in. Every once in awhile, to remind myself, I take on commissions that are out of my passions and I can say that they are typically not the best work that I can do, and so I return invigorated with fury on projects that I'm invested in! Part of this can sometimes bleed over into fan art work and things, but again, on IP's that I personally love. Speaking of which: what is your take on fan art as a whole? Some see it as a means of self-promotion, some see it is selling out, some see it as simple copyright infringement. Do you have any viewpoints one-way or another?


Neill: Fan art is tricky because I know I love it and have definitely made some in my time. In fact there is a Hellboy sketch on my Artstation right now. I think fan art servers its purpose of inspiring artists because, I mean, come on we are all fans right!? That's why we do this stuff! We all sat at the cinema and watched Star Wars then went home and started to sketch Yoda! Or... Maybe that was just me? Seriously though, I really believe it can be a positive force. Where it becomes a grey and shady area is attending cons making prints and selling stuff. I've done it in the past, done sketches for people of a super hero they loved or sold a print, but I actually found I had more traction or sales when I printed out my landscape paintings and sold them. I think each year at a con people see the same kinda stuff over and over so when something unique and new pops up they kinda pounce on it to be different. It's not a black or white situation and every story is different but I definitely think there isn't any harm in it because we are all fans.

Kaminski: I love your refreshing take on the subject of fan art.
Switching gears: from your experience all the way to college and before, it shows that you're so well rounded. It's amazing how you've spread yourself so thin and yet still maintain quality across the board. Do you have any advice on artists trying to pursue multiple disciplines?

I would probably advise that people start with a strong foundation in their core skill (3D or Drawing) then slowly try to move and expand from that base. 

Neill: Multiple disciplines is a tricky one because of course as a modern and up and coming artist you really need to know everything, but it also dilutes your skill set. I would probably advise that people start with a strong foundation in their core skill (3D or Drawing) then slowly try to move and expand from that base. It's tough but of course we all know modern artists need to have a multi tool set approach.

Kaminski: Related to the previous question: what's a typical schedule like for you? How do you manage to keep everything on time and in order?

Neill: In honesty, it can be a bit chaotic now with Red Essence Games taking up most of my time with PR and of course art, but I try to balance my hours between that and of course learning/personal work. I'm currently building my first game in unreal and trying to burn the midnight oil pursuing my Hearthstone challenge, part 2! The best advice I can give is trying to just do a little everyday and eventually it always adds up to an overall success, Rome wasn't built in a day!

Kaminski: I'd love to hear about any non-NDA projects that you might be in the middle of: Do you have any projects you'd like to promote?



Neill: My main focus at the moment is of course Mask of Semblance which was announced at PAX EAST this year with Red Essence Games, we are currently working towards Alpha build and the next version for PAX 2019 you can find more info on www.redessencegames.com or check out our trailers and game play on YouTube by searching Mask of Semblance.

Also, as always, I would love to promote Digital Artcast my online podcast where we speak to industry professionals and have just launched an online teaching episode for Cinema 4D demonstrated by Leon Tukker

Kaminski: Mask of Semblance looks beautiful, and incredibly intricate. I can only assume that there's a ton of cogs bouncing around in tandem to make that project come to life. That being said, It's so incredible that you work in the games industry - it's an industry that I would love to be fully vested in. That being said, what's it like? For someone looking from the outside in - I would love to get insight into the day-to-day of working on the industry.

Neill: Working was always a worry for me. I think working for an indie developer really takes some stress off me. When I was interning at Axis Studios in Glasgow I felt the place moved at a thousand  times normal speed and I always felt I was running to catch up. This being said it did teach me some life lessons and ideas of how you should present yourself in any company. Also, it prepped me for what it would be like in a day-to-day AAA studio. Most days at Red Essence Games I chat with my boss (Nik) on what our week's objectives are and work some PR to make sure we are getting exposure or beginning to strike deals with influencers or other people that can help our brand. As our game is 2D and hand animated it's kinda old school Disney where I work on in-betweens and cell animation. Like any job you work long hours and I'm lucky I can have the weekends off!

Kaminski: It's kind of funny, recently I've been hit with a realization about being an artist in or out of the industry. If you're working a day job, be prepared to work your ass off until you can make both jobs become one! In some ways that's something that I've been working towards myself. Speaking of, what goals do you have for the immediate? And long term?

Neill: Finishing Mask of Semblance would be great as I hear so many horror stories (especially from Nik) of working on games that never see the light of day. This wouldn't be completely true as we are an indie developer so we have free reign on what we can and can't show. I would just like to get at least one title under my belt before I take my next leap. Also in the future, maybe within two years, I would like to move into a bigger studio, whether that's with Red Essence Games doing another game or sequel or moving into another development house I've yet to see, but my overall dream would be working for Blizzard Entertainment. I think a lot of people share this dream and I mostly think it appeals to me not only because of the games they make, but the style they produce in their artwork.

Kaminski: Any push you can make, big or small will help push your name further and further out. And lastly: what's the best piece of advice you can give to upcoming artists OR what's the best piece of advice you've received this far as an artist?


Neill: One of the best pieces of advice I was given from an art friend was simple but always overlooked, "BE YOURSELF". Honestly, so many times when I was starting out I tried to imitate someones style or approach to learning or producing art instead of what I wanted to do. I've finally settled on something I feel is my representation in the world and I wanna see my goals and styles moving forward in games, movies, animations and more. Really it's just about being true to yourself and never really looking back. Each step takes you somewhere new and you should always remember that this is YOUR journey and no one else. You set your own expectations and goals and you decide when you cross the finish line.

Kaminski: This question is pretty typical for all the creatives I come across, but what drew you into art in the first place? Was there a pivotal moment where you were like, "Holy crap, art has GOT to happen!"?


TheMandii: This question always hearkens back to my earliest memories of art. In order to keep me from making scrawling, colorful scribble masterpieces on the wall, my mother made it a point from very early on to always keep me stocked with lots of paper and coloring books to curb my urge to throw color onto everything. When you're a small child, teachers always ask what you want to be when you grow up. My answer was always "An artist. Or a rock star. Or both."

That being said, it's such a natural part of myself that I feel like I would be doing my very nature a disservice by not making this a part of my life, even in a part-time capacity. Growing up, my family wanted "more" for me, being a doctor or anything that paid well, really. I studied hard in school and did well enough, always trying to find a way that I could make money with my art so that my parents would still approve of what I was doing even if it wasn't saving lives or making new technologies and making six figures.

Kaminski: With your background of works - mainly delving into the fantastic art realm - what drew you to this genre? Was fantasy something that was always particularly appealing to you?



Stawicki: I think my earliest influence and interest in fantasy would probably go back to when I as kid. I loved superheroes, and still do! The Superfriends on Saturday morning were a weekly event and a must see. Drawing from comics is probably the earliest ‘fantasy art’ that I created. Also Disney movies. Sleeping Beauty is a standout for me because of the wonderful dragon that Maleficent becomes. In fact that scene would later be a huge influence on my painting ‘Dragons Lair’. On to movies like the Wizard of Oz, which was on TV only once a year and was an instant favorite. And then, wait for it … Star Wars! If I didn’t love imaginative stories and characters before, this drove in the last nail. I was hooked.

Kaminski: Oh, how interesting! I've been openly influenced by RPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons and ShadowRun. I've even went so far as to make a very bold proclamation about how much Baldur's Gate attributed to my love of portraiture. When we all start out I think that we draw what we know first - so I would assume that's what got your first steps into this crazy art world.

When you first started out, what would you say gave you that ultimate 'moment of clarity'? What made you go from simple hobbyist to full-blown professional?

Stawicki: I think I knew in high school that I was going to go for career in art. I didn’t know at that point exactly what that meant. I knew I could draw pretty well and liked to draw realistically. I liked the art on some the album covers that had fantasy oriented subjects. Specifically, the covers done by Ken Kelly for Kiss were great as well as the covers by Derek Riggs for Iron Maiden. There were others but these stand out to me as a ‘ I would love to do this’ kind of moment. At that point I still really wasn’t aware of the professional market, just that someone drew or painted these.

Then, when I was in college a friend gave a Boris Vallejo calendar. I was just blown away by it and the more I looked into Boris I realized there was a real market for this type of work.

Kaminski: It seems like your style was already somewhat pre-established, what with your influences revolving around realistic fantasy and sci-fi fare. And with your influences, I think you stand up on your own right with them!

Switching gears: your media fluidity (what with the current 'Media Wars' that seem to plague art schools as of late - Traditional artists vs. Digital artists) seem to be something of particular note. If you had to choose on in particular to mark out as your favorite, which would it be, and why?


Stawicki: I guess I would have to say that in a perfect world, everything would be an oil painting. However, for me the painting process is a pretty slow one. This not only made it tougher for me to make a living, because you are being paid by the job, but it also meant doing less art. I love painting but the simple fact is, going digital speeds everything up.

I started working with Photoshop and Painter in ’97. I had been painting in oil exclusively for the first six or seven years, so when I started working digitally my goal was to make it look like an oil painting. The aesthetic I was after didn’t change. I was able to do more work and in the process learn more simply because I was able to produce more. Now I use both. The digital allows me to take jobs that I may not be able to paint within the clients timeline. I also do almost all my preliminary work digitally now because of it’s boundless flexibility.

Kaminski: It's actually pretty amazing how much our approach to digital art parallels, because my reasons are almost exactly the same. With the one addendum being the space limitation. I haven't been able to approach much by way of oil painting because of the space required for a larger oil painting to dry. Not only that, but it's impossible to let a painting dry when you have the small toe-beans of cats lurking around.

I would assume that your ability to switch between medias helped a great deal when choosing which clients to shop for. When you were initially digging your heels into the ground in you career, what kinds of approaches did you use to gain a following or clientele?


Stawicki: Ok, let me see if I can make a long story, short.

When I was in my senior year of college, I did an internship with Western/Historical painter Ken Laager who was doing mostly book cover work at the time. After a successful internship and graduating, I assisted Ken on and off for the next year all the while working on sample book cover paintings of my own. It was under his tutelage that I really started to refine my painting technique and my book cover portfolio. In time, Ken introduced me to his artist rep Sal Barracca, who took me on. Sal really knew the market and had a great reputation, especially as a fantasy book cover rep. He also had an interest in helping to develop new talent, which was/is unheard of from an artist rep. He was representing or had rep-ed several artists that I admired. In no particular order, Daniel Horne, who had also been an understudy of Ken’s at one point, Keith Parkinson, who had just left the agency to head out on his own and Tim Jacobus, who for many years did all the Goosebumps art, are all of note. In addition to myself, he took on several other young artists around the same time (’92-ish). Among them some young guy named Donato, who blew us all away! (I wonder what happened to that guy) Slowly, I started doing book cover work. I would say Sal was a big help in securing and guiding some of my earliest professional work.

Kaminski: Good god man! That's quite the roster to be along side of! You were definitely in better company than most anyone I know of in terms of breaking your teeth in the industry. I'd assume that being around that talent not only pushed you above and beyond, but most likely pushed you to challenge them consistently. Another interesting thing to note here is that most of them were primarily illustrators for book covers and game covers (again, all in the fantasy and sci-fi genre). It's no wonder that you pushed into the same direction!

I'm sure you're always under some sort of non-disclosure agreement (NDA), but that being said, do you have any personal projects or recently released projects that you'd like to talk about or promote?



Stawicki: I usually seem to have a book cover or two floating around most of the time, as well as contributing to worlds of Monte Cook Games on a regular basis. In the last few years I have doing more and more private commission work. I do have a few bigger Stawicki projects on the horizon, but what I can say now is that I will be releasing my 2018 Fantasy Calendar soon on Kickstarter!

Follow me on Facebook for the latest on those projects.

Kaminski: I'm sure you consistently work on a TON of projects in tandem - client-based or otherwise. In that vein, do you have any advice on juggling personal work on top of commissioned work, or even just a multitude of projects at the same time?

Stawicki: There is definitely a certain amount of multi-tasking you have to get used to in this business. It is crucial that you be on time if you are going to illustrate. What is important to remember is that your art is not the final product. There are other people and schedules that are all depending on each other to get the job done…and done on time! Someone told me once that, the best painting in the world isn’t worth much if it’s not there when the client needs it. So to that end, I would say try and judge your time fairly. I would suggest even trying to build in a ‘little time cushion’, in case things take longer than you think… and they almost always do.

As far as, doing ‘personal work’ goes, what I would say is, personal work for me usually fills some kind of void that illustration can’t or won’t fill. In my early career I did personal pieces to showcase things that I wanted to do, but maybe wasn’t getting the chance to in the projects I was getting. This was because my portfolio did not include it. In illustration, most of the time, you need to show a client that you are skilled at a certain subject before they will hire you. A client is going to hire you for the work you are showing or doing well. So if there is something else you want do try your hand at, sometimes even a different approach with the same genre, you will need to do samples of it… remember a picture is worth a thousand words!

Personal work for me now is not as related to illustration. I try to take more chances with composition and I am more aware of things like brush work and technique. As I mentioned before, more and more of my work every year seems to be private commissions. In those cases the painting is the final product and will be hanging on someone’s wall, hopeful to be looked at and enjoyed up close and personal for years to come.

In short, I think doing personal work is important. It can be draining to always work on someone else’s project or ideas. I think everyone has things they want to get out. At this point, I try to work in one major personal piece a year. Notice I said ‘Try’. I also do smaller little studies and sketches, usually in acrylic, at the end or beginning of the day. They’re all not pretty, but they ARE fun!

Kaminski: 'A picture is worth a thousand words'... well played, sir, well played.

I've done quite a few projects myself that I would consider as my 'one-day' kind of projects, the bad thing is that I tend to use up my creative energy on them from time-to-time instead of focusing on the important commission or personal piece. Projects such as #junicorn, #robo-june, or even #inktober were ones that I did recently that really pushed above and beyond quickly. It seems that the more frequently you work, the more you find yourself with more ideas to work on even more! It's stupidly cyclical, but that's my take on it.

I'd say, because of this potential cyclical treatment, everyone seems to get burned out from time-to-time. When you feel uninspired, what are some methods you have to rekindle that art spark?


Stawicki: When my eyes roll back in my head and I just can’t take it anymore, I simply have to stop and do something else. I like wood working and tinkering on my house. I have also been playing guitar for many years and find that it is a great way for me to clear my head from the art scramble in my head.

Kaminski: Video games are my typical go-to. That and watching movies, of course. I'm an entertainment industry junky, what can I say.

What goals do you have for yourself in the immediate? What about the long-term?