Interview With A Digital Artist

Anime Artist Rick Bruce

Rick Bruce is a digital anime artist with aspiring hopes of finding his place in the professional anime world. After seeing his work (things that make you go "WOW!"), I thought you might enjoy an inside peek into the art of digital anime. So, without further ado..

First, tell us a bit about yourself.
R: Sure. I started out as a monkey in Brazil, and with the help of ancient alien race, I became human and moved to L.A.. Oh all right, I was born here in wicked city. My mother is a doctor, and my father a business man, of basic middle class means. I never enjoyed school much because I'm a.d.d. which means my mind wanders too much to pay attention in class. I was a dork and a trouble maker, often throwing stuff at cars and smoking in the boys room. It was so bad they held a town meeting where it was discovered I was the ring leader of trouble, involving everything from a stolen hand gun to an aquarium full of pot. (The local preacher was growing it in his back yard, so I thought I would spread the good news.) Anywho, I actually straightened out, but not enough to stay in school which I highly recommend, so I joined the navy, and after that bopped around the country living with various friends. I came back to L.A., (Rainy City), and being disillusioned with the world, (including my dream of making animation), I became homeless and still am today.

In the beginning days of living in my truck on the streets of Los Angeles, I found belief in Jesus Christ and the Bible, something I never had before, and I believe God revealed many interesting things to me. Though I was homeless, I didn't live too badly, working as a handyman for apartment buildings and home owners, and my mother often helped me with things. Sometimes I did have a place, and during one of those times my mother offered to help me get a computer, so I got a Macintosh laptop. Ever since then I have been jamming the art scene, having taught myself everything I know, with the help of tons of books.

My primary interest is in high intelligence science fiction, with one of my favorite anime shows being "Robotech", or the Macross series. I knew as a kid that Japanese style was way cooler to me and always would be, so my art followed that style. I enjoy crisp, futuristic, design based anime, with some new mecha to get excited about. I love going down to little Tokyo and in the Japanese book store buying the expensive "mooks" which are like movie schematics of characters and mecha. I love it so much I could scream, I mean Japanese culture in general, but I'm white, and American, and I learned not necessarily popular with Japanese People themselves from personal experience. I don't let it bother me however, since as an American I can enjoy the best from every culture available.

I love simple things like walking, riding my bike, writing and drawing, and coffee with laptop. I like deep topics, I hate cowards, and I know the road to the most powerful success is inevitable for me.

How long have you been an artist?
R: Since third grade about. I just liked to draw. I liked to draw little ships blowing each other up.

How long have you been doing anime?
R: I've been an anime artist since I was in ninth grade high school. That is when I remember my first anime style drawings, although I sucked back then.

How did you get started?
R: I tried from memory, from the shows I liked, but found I needed better reference. One thing I did was draw from magazines. I developed a lot of the skill I have today from that.

Any professional schooling/training?
R: I took some real life drawing classes, and I was the worst student there. It was really hard to draw fast, like those minute sketch poses, and I was so nervous my stomach would gurgle in the silent room. I learned about nothing from those classes, except I am a nervous wreck that can't work very fast or well under pressure.

Tell me a bit about digital artwork:
R: Digital gave me a whole new lease on artistic endeavor. Computers reawakened my creative life after years of slump. I like the high tech of it, and I really like taking the work with me on my laptop, which is where I still do all my work. I hate a mess, and one thing about conventional art materials is the huge mess, and the fact I can't help getting it all over myself. Computers have all the elements right there in one little machine. Also I like the ability to protect my work by making copies, since once a fire burned my entire portfolio.

What software do you use?
R: I use Freehand, Photoshop, Painter, and Maya, primarily.

What inspired you to do digital anime?
R: Well, I like the vector medium, and since it is path (line) based the move was natural for me, being inspired by animation, line based art.