Veerle's blog

When I got an e-mail from Luke where he introduced himself and his work I was very excited since I didn't know about him yet. So it's time to go down-under for some colorful work featuring big eyed girls.

My name is Luke Feldman, I am an Australian illustrator/animator/sound producer and creator of SKAFFS. My work is best known for the fluid conformed and super sexy skaffs chicks and vibrant colour palette. My work has been exhibited worldwide and showcased in various international magazines such as Desk Top Magazine (Australia), Contagious Magazine (UK), PlayTimes Magazine (Singapore), Staf Magazine (Spain), Juxtapoz (USA), just to name a few.

Luke's work is unique and slick. What I find striking is that he immediately succeeds in grabbing my full attention with his beautiful curvaceous use of lines. You can't deny he has a great sense of color and design. The girls he draw are innocent looking creatures. They are often drawn against a more darker unwelcoming background, a bit like the scary world outside.

You've got a very recognizable style and I wonder if it took long until you've found that direction. Can you tell us a little on how you eventually got there and what made you opt for the shape of the face and big eyes etc?

The Skaffs collection of illustrations and animations is an evolving piece of work. I started sketching when I was a kid and have continued to do so, experimenting with different mediums, to find my own style. My art is based on basic shapes ie the circle, the triangle, the oval. These shapes allow for perfect symmetry. It allows me to achieve a sense of flow with each of the characters and finished art.

Artist aren't always good in promoting themselves. What's your secret in getting your work out there and was it difficult at first to get where you are now?

It certainly hasn’t been easy getting where I am and I definitely have a long way to go before I consider myself having “made it”. Hard work has definitely paid off and has allowed me to have gone freelance in the past couple of years. Having a recognizable style and being able to work to different platforms (illustration, animation (2d&3d), Flash interactives/website design and sound production) has certainly helped in the promotion of my work.

Do you see your Mac or PC as the necessary evil or as invaluable tool?

My Mac is definitely the invaluable tool. I take my trusty G4 Powerbook everywhere.

Do you first sketch your illustrations on paper? Can you reveal a bit of your usual technical process? Which applications do you mainly use?

All my finished illustrations are sketched onto paper first. I carry a sketchbook by my side at all times. You never know when an idea will pop into your head. I then take my sketch and scan it into the computer. I predominantly use Illustrator and Photoshop to complete a piece. For my animations, I use Flash, Maya, InDesign, Premier and AfterFX. For sound production, I use Reason, Soundtrack and Adobe Audition.

What do you do to recharge your creative batteries?

My head is filled with new bizarre and wonderful characters and I feel like I don’t have enough hours in the day to get them all down. I try to make sure I alternate between illustration, animation and sound projects to keep the creative thoughts flowing. Occasionally I rollerblade, skateboard and practice Taekwondo. Oh, and I also like to travel.

More examples at Luke's SKAFFS website.