I'm sure, if you've spent any time here on dA, you've run across `wholba at one point or another. A senior member, and recipient of the Deviousness Award in October 2007, he is a very skilled and active member of the deviantArt community. I was very honored by the fact that he was willing to put up with my sass and my questions; Wolfgang is a totally down to earth and friendly guy.

So, without further ado, some insight into what makes `wholba tick.

[interview]

What does art mean to you?

A possibility to express my feelings and thoughts. A beloved time-filler. A possibility to create something beautiful, remarkable, with some meaning behind the actual image. I rarely try to reproduce a photo although I often use some references. I try to produce a plausible, true and realistic image of things; to have a deeper depth of focus than any photo could ever have, or to emphasize one certain detail.

When you're looking for references, what do you typically look for?

I very rarely look for a reference. Usually, I see my references accidentally (so to speak) while looking in a magazine, a newspaper, or while browsing through dA or the net. If I stumble over such an image, I cut it out and store it away (or fav it) for further or immediate use. If I have no recent new reference and the urgent wish to do something artistic, I just search through my database (both physical and electronic)! In most cases the resulting work is based on more than one reference.

What is your favorite medium to work with?

Depends on my mood and the time I find at the particular season, as well as what the choosen subject calls for. My most beloved medium is watercolors (which, unfortunately, requires much more time than I have at hand). If it should be done quicker I prefer pencils, colored pencils, pastels or simply a surgical scalpel to produce silhouette cut-outs.

What prompted you to use surgical scalpels and paper? That's a very unique medium.

Since my early childhood, I have been fascinated in making models using different media. I've done a lot of model-airplanes (it's now my second hobby to fly radio-controlled soaring planes), ships, buildings, and over the years I found that I need a really sharp cutting device. After tries with different knives and other cutting instruments I finally came to a surgical scalpel (a steel handle with disposable blades). That's really sharp! It caused some blooddrops on the floor before I realized that I've got to be much, much, much more attentive with the scalpel than while using other devices. At the time I began working artistically, again, it was quite an easy and logical decision to try the scalpel for silhouette-cutouts. It is much easier than using scissors, though others might have a different point of view.

Some of `wholba's work with the surgical scalpel:


Do you have a particular technique that you'd like to share? This can be any medium.

Yes, I have. I use watercolors, though not the style the old masters used, which often used very pale tones applied in one single session, and the details are applied afterwards.
I prefer to do it this way:
Soak the complete paper and place it on a fitting surface (I use the surface of my glass dining-table); the paper has to be a good and high quality.
You want to have a couple of small mugs on your table, one for fresh water, the others partly filled as your "wash mug". Essentially, these will be your mugs of colored water.
Take a brush of the appropriate size: I mostly use #3 to #12, for very fine details down to #00, dip into the mug filled with fresh water. Stir in the color nap(s) with the desired color(s).
Wash out in a partly filled mug (Wash mug).
Repeat till the desired "depth" of the color in this second mug is reached. Always begin with a very pale tones! Do this for all the predominant colors.
Clean the brush in fresh water, take some of the colored water and apply on the paper. Because it's wet you can easily erase some mistakes with a piece of ordinary household paper.
Once satisfied, let it dry overnight. Now the paper shouldn't be entirely dry (if so, wet it lightly again using a vaporizer for example) but also not wet; slightly humid is best.
Apply a second layer with the same or slightly altered or deepened wash. Wait till the second "layer" has settled to a certain degree. Repeat till the desired "depth" is achieved.
Let dry.
Sign.
Submit it to deviantArt!
NEVER TOUCH THE PAPER WITH COLOR STRAIGHT OUT OF THE PALETTE!

Some of `wholba's watercolor work:


Who are your influences, both artistically and in your life?

Huh, hard to tell. A lot of people. In my life: my parents, my wife, my sons. Artistically: a teacher from my elementary school, many great artists in and outside dA (far too much to name, but the most admired painting which influenced me particularly is: Wing of a Bird by Albrecht Dürer [link]).

Are your sons artistically inclined?

Yes, the younger one. He finished studies in visual media at Vienna Artistic University two years ago and works now on a freelance base. The elder one is a technician in the IT-network business with no artistic interests at all.

Thanks so much, Wolfgang. It has been a blessing to talk to you.

[/interview.]
Here are a few of my favorite works by `wholba!




I also asked `wholba to pick thirty of his favorite traditional art pieces here on deviantART, which is no easy task. However, Wolfgang is persistant and thorough, and he

quickly got back to me with thirty amazing pieces, both known and unknown, and I'm happy to share them with you today.













I hope you guys all take the time to check out both `wholba and his many favorites.

Thank you so much, `wholba for the wonderful interview!!