How did you become an artist?

I always imagined art as my future profession, but it was a very slow learning process, and took me several years to get a proper insight of how this career works in reality, with all its possibilities and hardships. I finished a small Hungarian OKJ school, which focused on logo designing and vector-based programs only. I learned the basics of 2D digital art at home, hoping that I’ll be able to work in that field in the future. I always described myself as an artist/someone who lives for drawing, but I only do it professionally since I’m 24 years old.

Where do you get inspiration?

Listening to music is my first source of inspiration, and I consider my personal life the second. For example, I got inspiration from my Monstera’s air roots for one of my latest artworks, but sometimes I use dreams from my childhood or adulthood to build up stories.

The more rational aspects of my works/stylistic choices are inspired from 2D cartoons and animations. I love the older Cartoon Network series, movies made by DreamWorks, and several new, ongoing shows on Netflix. I enjoy checking on animated films from Gobelins, or watching Anime as an inspiration too. When I’m working, I love listening to podcasts from professional artists who have been working in this field for several years now. They motivate me to stay up to date with the art industry and also inspire me to reach their level one day. These listed things help me connect my works from both personal and technical sides.

What’s your hardware setup?

My at least 5yrs old Wacom Cintiq 13HD drawing tablet – which I love with all my heart, and if it won’t die suddenly in the future, I’d never replace it for a newer one. I use a laptop on the other hand, it’s practical.

What do you like best about Clip Studio Paint?

I really like that it always evolves with each update. I’m mostly speaking about the EX, and how it manages to give so many opportunities for artists to create their projects. I think if someone gets to a level of financial capacity to buy a drawing program, it’s one of the greatest, if not the best option to go with. The program, with its constant updates, is worth way more than its pricing.

Congratulations for the Grand Prize in the 29th International Illustration Contest hosted by Clip Studio Paint. How was the creative process of your winner artwork?

I got the idea right after I uploaded my first entry (Gaia’s New Clothes). One part of the color palette I used was inspired from the old Icon paintings, while the stylistic choices for the clothes are made for an imagined, futuristic world’s fashion. These I-cons help people to actualize themselves for the current trend, which moves and changes in an endless spiral. I made it in Clip Studio Paint EX, like my other artworks, I wanted it to look like an animated scene from a 2D movie. I broke the image up to two focus points, one of them is the vivid, delightful appearance of the I-cons, the other is the monotonous process of their making. I spent most of my time working on the little robots in the darker areas of the image, and coming up with ideas for the I-con's fashionable clothing was the easiest, and most fun part of the process. The artwork, unlike my other drawings, was created in three days – with constantly working on it.

How long does it take you to make a single illustration?

I’d say one to two weeks. For personal work I never actually check the time, and it usually takes a lot of re-touches for me to call a piece finished. I like to get lost in detailing, and I always find something new along the drawing/coloring process that I can go with, and hopefully make the main idea even better in the end result. When I’m working with a fixed deadline, it can be two days, but when I have a free schedule, I like to say two weeks for my customers too.

Would you consider Clip Studio Paint an industry tool?

Absolutely yes. There are a lot of artists from the professional industry who choose Clip Studio Paint for their projects, and with the ability to use it on iPad as well, it will definitely help the next generation of artists too.

Where can we follow your work?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurent_reis_/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurent_reis
My comic on Webtoon (A.C.T.): https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/act/list?title_no=388486

*** Laurent is doing a #Giveaway with us! Reach his post on Instagram, follow him, @graphixly and leave a comment. Winners of Clip Studio Paint Pro will be announced on November 9, good luck! ***