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Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Your current job :
Recently I cooperated with Digic Pictures who involved me to create some designs for Assasin’s Creed.
In which city are you located?
I am doing my things from Budapest. At least now.
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
Metamorph.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Not much. I work on a Wacom cintiq which I pretty like to work with. About the softwares, I am a photoshop guy. I use it from the very beginning, since I just tried to get use to how to draw on computer. The aforementioned combination almost satisfies all my needs. Oh! PureRef. This is an extremely useful app for me. You can easily arrange your reference pictures for a project by this app.
What does your office space look like?
I work from home as a freelancer so I can say my workplace is cosy. I am not a minimalist, but especially not a gatherer. I try to keep my environment simple as it can be. All that matters are in the mind anyway.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
When I am in the thinking phase i rather don’t listen to anything. I just focus and try to get closer to the core of the inner picture as I can.
Other time the choice isn’t conscious. I mean in case I need to design ornaments or some kind of authentic costume or environment, building and so on I don’t try to find let’s say oriental music. I choose the music which is on the same wave, intensity just like my mind. And the spectrum is wide. From the classical music over the death metal to the minimal techno you can find everything on it, not to mention jazz.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
Well, our first master told us once at the beginning of the university:
“You know, you can graduate here like you worked as a horse and you can show a batch of work at the end. From the other hand you can do this with two pieces of work per years. There is no one to egg you to draw or do anything here. It is all up to you. You do it for yourself. This is the reason why this university could be the hardest or even the easiest college ever.”
So thanks to him we were forced to build up our own schedule. If you really understand the fact you do it for yourself I bet you will optimize you time.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
For me it was important to realize in which state of work i am in. For example if you are in the phase of “now i need to find out something” after you collected you reference pictures, I recommend you to go out for a walk or for run or whatever. But don’t sit in front of your computer if you can. You will sit there enough after you get your idea and need to realize it.
Other time when you just need to push month by month I can only suggest you to try to find out how can you reach other state of mind/ state of conscious. It really depends on the person. Usually going for a run or drinking a glass of good red dry wine is enough. Sometimes not. Haha!
You’re better than your colleagues to :
I don’t have colleagues.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
The best advice…was to take brakes. Even if you are so in it. Hard to keep but must have.
What is your best tip for saving time ?
I usually work with digital devices. What i have really learned about the distinction between digital and traditional tools is the level of concentration. By time in the digital world you can easily get comfortable with having the possibility of infinite changes. I am not saying this is bad. But you can lost a plenty of time if your mind is not sharp as it would be.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
You know i am just an everyday normal guy. Unfortunately me and my bride are living separately at the moment so basically i live most of my life like a 16 years old kid: Watching Dragon Ball while having breakfast, do some sport, start to draw. I am a nerd but not in the way of playing non-stop on any devices. I rather read books or spend some time on my side projects or met my friends after work.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
Yes. it is funny but i almost always take one of my action figures when i go somewhere to spend few days there. When i was in college i had a G.I.Joe in my pocket all the time. Those little figures gave me some sort of sense of security. Nowadays i feel myself more comfortable so i don’t need to have one in my pocket all the time. They are waiting me at home patiently.
artstation.com/artist/elekesaron