First of all I want to thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions I, and some friends, have. We all know your amazing painting and concept artworks. We're inspired and fascinated at the same time... wondering how a single person can create stuff like that. We all know the artist through your works but we don't know with what you earn your money. I know you're working as an art director. Who are you working for and what is the job of an art director? How does a usual Gary Tonge work day look?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
LOL! Ok, that's a big question to start with!

Indeed, I do work as an Art Director in the Computer Entertainment Business; I've worked professionally as a Game Artist, FMV artist, 3D Modeler, Texture Artist, Lighting Technician, Animator, Lead Artist and more recently as a Concept Artist/Art Director for the last 18 years.

I currently work for Core Design in the UK, working on two titles, both of which I am not allowed to talk about, but one of them does have an adventurous woman in it. Currently, my days involve a lot of meetings and directing my teams, which to be honest is not the most stimulating of things I would like to be doing, but somebody has to give direction and keep things on track. I do not get a large amount of time to actually paint and design in my day job currently, as the projects are both up and running and it's basically guiding the others on the teams I am focused on.

`tigaer
That sounds cool! I’ve known core for a while now, especially the games. From back then when all this tomb raider stuff started.

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Right then, well I originally started working for them about 9 years ago, but I split away with the original owner, Jeremy Smith in 2003 to become AD at Circle Studio, I finished my work on one project with them and decided I would rather be back at Core, so I returned.


`tigaer Was there a significant moment in your life, when you knew you wanted to be an artist? What gave you the inspiration to become the Illustrator/Concept Artist you are today?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Hmm, good question.

Well, I'm 35 now, so when Star Wars Originally hit the screens in 1977, I was 7 years old. I remember sitting in the theater in Atlanta in the USA (I think it was one of the few "Dolby Stereo" screens at the time LOL) and watching that Star Destroyer sequence at the start. Apparently, according to my Mum, my mouth just fell open and stayed that way until the movie finished.

`tigaer
ROFL, I can imagine!

*ANTIFAN-REAL
I would say that was the moment I first felt the pull to be creative. After that I would just keep painting space ships all the time, in every lesson. The funniest I guess were "music" lessons, we used to be asked to listen to a piece of music and then paint what we saw in our imagination afterwards. I always painted a spaceship; normally a triangular shaped one with three big engines at the back... You get the idea..

..I always felt happiest drawing, I don't know why.

`tigaer
Hehe - It's strange how a lot of the big artists that work on today’s big movies and videogames, say that Star Wars was a big influence. But I can understand why!

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Indeed, I hear that because a bit of a problem for George Lucas, a lot of people were afraid to say "Actually, I think that idea sucks George" - everybody hero worshipped him. That's a shame, I would love the opportunity to work with him and I would do my very best to be honest if I did (Even though he's my hero).

Once I got into the games industry it took a long time to actually become a painting artist. I started out doing pixel art - which was fun, then moved onto low poly modeling for games, FMV and mega high res work, back into medium poly games stuff (PS1) and then started to get really tired of the whole 3D thing. The challenge to create something in 3D got less exciting, but the time it took became much greater - you need a many person team these days to create cutting edge 3D work.

I migrated over to 2D painting because I wanted to make exciting images without it taking hundreds of hours and needing big teams. The concept work followed on from this, I love pre-production art, it's really exciting (you are giving visual direction) but you don't have the long timescales of final work. I prefer moving about with my ideas, it suites me really well.


`tigaer
One of my all-time favourite Sci-Fi artworks is your piece, 'NIMBUS' (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/11115045/). My question is where did you find your inspiration for that piece? The architecture for that amazing structure going into the center of the picture, is simply amazing and delivers a useful path for the eye to follow into the image.

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Yeah, I quite like that one too, which is odd for me, I normally don't like my work much after it's finished. I'm not liking "Raevona" very much currently, it did not come out how I wanted it. Hmm.. I think I really wanted to create a dynamic perspective, swooping the viewers eyes from the left to the right, I love outrageous scales to things and the simplicity of the arch coupled with the engineering complexity of something like that, would pose created a nice balance. It's loose, smooth and simple, but at the same time it's incredibly imposing and improbable with our current technology.

`tigaer
I can relate to you when you say that you actually don't like your artwork anymore once it's done. I feel the same way mostly... what is kinda weird I think, lol.

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Indeed - I think it's what keeps an artist progressing. I would hate to think I had created my best work already.


`tigaer
We all have idols we look up to. Mine for example are a Syd Mead, Dylan Cole and of course you. I think especially when you are doing any form of art, you really need someone to look up to, someone who inspires you. Someone that makes you want to be as good as them. Who are those people for you?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
That is very kind of you to say BTW. Yeah, Syd Mead, he's the daddy as far as I am concerned, his work was ground breaking at the time, amazingly rendered and when you look at how he actually creates his works, astounding. I've always loved his work. As far as other people go, I have a big list of people who I love the works of, but the top of my list is Craig Mullins. His work is very powerful. He can paint the most incredible final image and then throw down a sketch that is invigorating to look at. I like the way he over paints photos on the odd occasion, making them into unique images of his own. Put bluntly, I find his work unnerving to look at, which is a good reality check for an artist. His work says, "Must try harder".


`tigaer
In addition to that last question... What is the weirdest or funniest thing/mistake you did while working on a piece/project?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Hehehe.. Crazy questions!

:devtigaer :
I try my best, lol.

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Years ago I did a golf game on the Amiga called "Nick Faldo's Championship Golf" Which I designed (OMG) along with the coder and did the artwork for. The company we did it for was not the best at paying it's creditors and true to form they did not pay quite a large amount of the outstanding funds...

`tigaer
That games’ name sounds familiar...

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Anyway, I put a level in the game set on Mars, with a "Total Recall" look to it. The boss of the company we did it for rang us and started ranting about "who did I think I was putting this into HIS game" - to which my reply was "If I recall, you don't own it". He was not happy as about 50-60k copies of it were on the shelves at the time. I thought it was a fun level, - if you used a 7 iron, you could drive a 600 yard hole! (low gravity)

`tigaer
Rofl... fantastic

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Nick had a really dodgy space helmet on - which did not animate with him to make it even more stupid. LOL

`tigaer
Lol, too cool - Very nice one!


=RoyalBlade
Do you use standard Adobe Photoshop brushes, your own custom brushes, or do you smudge/blur stuff with it’s tools as well?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
I pretty much use the standard brushes to be honest. Mostly the normal round one with different hardness settings and that one that looks like a slanted brush. I will use normal, lighten, darken and occasionally colour dodge etc. I rarely smudge, but I used to when I first had the package.


*BPauba
Out of the three main subjects you paint (architecture, vehicles, and characters) which do you find the most rewarding and why? What is the most valued technique you have in your arsenal? Why do you believe so many people love your work? Is there one thing you could say really makes your pieces?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Hmm.. I would say I like vistas the most, so they would include all of these elements, but architecture would be the largest element, followed by vehicles etc.. I love nailing the compositional balance of a piece, getting the whole thing to hang together. I don't know really, maybe a lot of my VA work is created from inspirational thoughts I have, so they are quite tranquil and optimistic. I would say that "perspective" is the one word that would sum up my work. I love it.


=Suirebit
When painting objects, do you use any "background reference"? Some of your works are really, really detailed.

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Rarely, I try and paint the VA work straight out of my head. For speed paints I may use a photo as ref or even a little area of a photo as a start point to paint over. Concepting images involve a balance of both.

`tigaer
How do you sketch down your ideas... On paper, or everything digitally?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Almost always I use PS these days. I used to sketch stuff in Pencil, but I'm normally near a computer so I use that instead, particularly since I started using a tablet.


~tul
What tips or comment would you like to convey to beginners, or those who look up to you?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
The best way to get good is to really love what you paint. Get good doing what you enjoy and then, when you have the skills solidified you can be adventurous with your new powers.


=realillusions
I've noticed from your art that you tend to use colors that flow well together. Not necessarily complimentary in the traditional sense, but that just fit well given the piece. Obviously, this is in several cases influenced by the actual end result you want to achieve, but the rest of the time; do you always start with the colors you plan to end with? Or is it typically more of an explorative journey as you go? Also, do you ever make deliberate attempts to have clashing colors as some sort of 'artistic statement'?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
One thing I always try to achieve is a colour balance. Whether that is a flow of colour or just the use of aggressive colours in a balanced way. I do tweak values while painting too, its one of the most powerful things digital has to offer.


=Bennybeee
Ever since I first glanced at your gallery, I was amazed at the thought that someone like you exists. I’ve used all your sci-fi work as inspiration somewhere down the track. One would say I look up to you in a way, to aspire to your level, where anything could be achieved. How far do you think you can aspire to? Are there limits to where Digital Art can take you? If so, where will you go from there?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
Thank you for your kind words. Personally I think I am far from being up to the quality I would like, every image I have created is the foundation for the next. I am always chasing the goal of improving my skills and knowledge.


`tigaer
As a concluding final question for our journey through your world. Everyone has dreams! Artistically, what are yours? What path do you want to see yourself going with your art? What is it that a Gary Tonge has in the backhand to blow us all away?

*ANTIFAN-REAL
I would love to increase the amount of cool projects I am working on and also to move into Illustration or Concept Art Direction full time. I would also love to work on a book project and have enough time to create the myriad of images I want to paint. Also, I want to continue to diversify my works, I love new challenges.

`tigaer
I bet you will get these challenges. I wish you good luck for your endeavors and a big, BIG thanks for your patience today answering our questions so perfectly detailed!

*ANTIFAN-REAL
It's been a pleasure Chris.